Temerity Jane

Archive for the ‘People Who Comment’ Category

The Becoming People Who Comment Challenge, #4

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Hanging in there, Internet? Are you seeing any improvements overall yet, or have you just pretty much stuck to the challenges alone? Also, have you met this new banner? Bellwether made it. FREAKIN’ ADORABLE. Anyway, Internet, let’s get right to it, because I want to get this post up early. I’m really counting on you for comments on this one, and I want to give you maximum thinky time for today’s topic.

Today’s Topic: Let’s Help Each Other Out

Ok, so, we’ve been at this for a little while now. I mean, it’s only the 4th challenge, but you guys have really taken to this thing, judging by a lot of the feedback I’m getting. Everything is actually happening exactly like I hoped, really. I am sure a lot of people are following along with the comments and working their way up, and that’s totally excellent. Other people have taken it a step further and are really starting to note and focus on their own commenting habits outside of the challenges as well, which brings me to today’s topic.

What tips can you give to your fellow Future People Who Comment? What have you found works for you in terms of motivating yourself to make comments?

Let me tell you some of mine.

1. I use the Better GReader extension for Firefox. Once installed, it lets me basically visit the site and comment from inside Google Reader. Kiss your “I like to read through a feed reader” excuse goodbye, kids.

2. When I’m feeling particularly hardcore, I do not allow myself to read blog posts – not even from my most favoritest, most hilariousest bloggers – if I’m not in the mood or don’t have the time to comment. If I don’t have the time or motivation to comment, I don’t have the time to read the blogs. You may not be as into self-punishment as I am, and that’s ok.

So how about you? How are you motivating yourself to become a Person Who Comments? When you’re about to click on to the next blog without making a peep, what makes you have that second thought and go ahead and comment? Is what you feel you get out of commenting serving as motivation at all?

Hey, while we’re talking about it, what are you getting out of your burgeoning commenting habits?

Today’s Challenge: Breaking Bad Habits

To Be Completed by: Thursday, November 19. A FULL WEEK.

Challenge: You may think this is a cop out, Internet, but bear with me. We’re trying to develop a HABIT here, and to develop a good habit, we have to overcome bad habits. You have a full week to break one of the following habits:

1. Reluctance to leave a “Me, too” comment if you feel other people have already said what you would have said; OR
2. Deciding not to comment because you don’t feel like you’d fit in with current or regular commenters on a certain blog; OR
3. Not commenting because you assume that the blogger doesn’t want to hear/doesn’t care about what you have to say; OR
4. Any other fear or insecurity that keeps you from commenting on a certain blog or blogs in general.

Basically – define your biggest commenting block (INSECURITY!) and force yourself to break it, repeatedly, for a full week. In order to become People Who Comment, I think we need to find all the little reasons that we are not YET People Who Comment and stomp them out.

When you’re finished, be sure to email me at PeopleWhoComment [at] gmail.com. Include a link to your favorite post that you’ve written recently, or favorite post that you’ve read recently if you don’t have a blog of your own. Links will be chosen at random for the Practice Section of the next post! I know very well that a lot of you are doing the challenges and not sending and email and you should know – if you’re not sending your email, you are RUINING my LIFE.

Commenting Practice

I’ve assigned a number to all of the emails sent to me after the first challenge and chosen three at random. If you feel like practicing your comments, go flex your muscles on some of your fellow Becoming People Who Comment Challenge participants!

This week, Carries submitted this post about heebiejeebies and surprise wasps, which actually sounds WAY WORSE than surprise penises.

Emma submitted a post from her younger brother’s blog, about a basset hound meet up. I did not know such adorable things existed. Basset hound meet ups, not basset hounds. I knew they existed.

And, one more for the WoW fans, from Adlib – a submission that made her laugh: The Sleazy Fun of Cheap Shots from Mortigan the Lock.

Posted in NaBloPoMo 09, People Who Comment, the blogging thing | 27 Comments »

The Becoming People Who Comment Challenge, #3

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Internet! We are on The Becoming People Who Comment Challenge #3! Are you hanging in there? This week, I am introducing something new, you’ll see at the end.

And also? Here at the beginning? What do you think about that badge! How awesome is that? I have them in three sizes, thanks very much to Carrie, so if you’re interested in displaying one on your blog, let me know in the email you send after completing today’s challenge, and I’ll send them over to you. I also have some other banners I’ll be debuting soon, and if you feel moved to make one, I certainly would not object. I know there is a big market for 125×125 icons, for you artistic types. Also, if you sent one or offered to send one and I did not respond, I apologize. I’ve been busy. Commenting.

Today’s Topic: Excuses

Internet, I started the Becoming People Who Comment Challenge after I was a few weeks into my own mission to become a Person Who Comments, so I’ve been passing along to you each of the challenges I gave to myself. In fact, the challenge I was going to give you today was next on the list. However, I noticed something about my own habits that I feel like we should address up front.

I know that, in addition to doing the challenges, a lot of you have been challenging yourself to comment even more, above and beyond the challenges, and I try to do that myself, as well. There’s something I’ve noticed, though – there are certain blogs or types of blogs that I continually excuse myself from commenting on. For whatever reason, when I am going through my blogs and commenting, these are blogs I read, but don’t leave a comment.

Here I am, telling you that “Me, too” comments are always welcome, that you can think of something to say, but I read the same blogs continually, have for AGES in some cases, but for a laundry list of reasons, exclude them from my list to comment on. Maybe some of my excuses are valid, but I’m betting most of them aren’t. Here’s the thing, though – I’ve never really thought about what those excuses are.

For example? I’ve never commented on The Bloggess. She’s hilarious, I love all of her stuff, Phil and I both read it. But I’ve not once left a comment in all the time I’ve been reading her blog. I will comment on the blog above hers on the list, the blog below, and for some reason, completely excuse myself from commenting on hers, with no reason that I can articulate at all.

How about you, Internet? In your efforts to comment more frequently, do you find yourself consistently excusing yourself from commenting on one specific blog?

Today’s Challenge: One + Five!

To be completed by: Thursday, November 12

Challenge: As I mentioned above, we’re doing it a little differently this time, since I had planned on one challenge, but came upon something else interesting I wanted to talk about instead. So there are TWO ways for you to be a Person Who Comments for this challenge.

1. What blog have you been excusing yourself from commenting on regularly? I know that last week, we talked about making a peep on the blog you’ve been silently reading the longest. This time, you should comment on a blog you have been deliberately avoiding for some reason – bonus if you can figure out what that reason is.

2. The original challenge for this week – comment on 5 blogs. In a single day. Not 5 blogs total between now and Thursday, but 5 blogs in a single day. For some of you, this will be easy. Others, maybe not so easy.

If you’re feeling particularly motivated, you can try both Becoming People Who Comment Challenges for this time around.

Commenting Practice

Alex submitted this entry from Mamapop, which never fails to be hilarious in a snarky-about-pop-culture-in-a-smart-way… way. Mamapop is a great place to practice your commenting because the comments are often as awesome as the entries.

Lara submitted this most excellent post: Not On the Ballot by Swistle. I was particularly excited to see this one submitted because one, it was an excellent post for sure; two, I have my own epic length comment on there; and three, it’s Swistle, a professional commenter!

And, lastly, but not leastly, Mel, who has not yet been shamed into starting a blog but likes to leave a Twitter link which is totally fine, submitted this link from More is Better, which I really think you need to just read and comment on, rather than hearing a summary from me.

Posted in NaBloPoMo 09, People Who Comment, the blogging thing | 27 Comments »

The Becoming People Who Comment Challenge, #2

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

There were tons of awesome comments and answers on the first day of the Becoming People Who Comment Challenge, which has given me a lot to think about. Much more, in fact, than I original thought would be involved in this project.

I did not sign on for this much thinking.

Anyway, in general, the Becoming People Who Comment Challenge posts will generally be made up of three parts, and rather than explain each part, I’m just going to go ahead and count on your intelligence to understand the structure, because you know what, Internet?

I believe in you.

Today’s Topic: “Me, too” comments

Something that kept coming up in the answers to the questions in the last post was the reluctance or refusal to leave comments that essentially amount to, “me, too.”

I can definitely understand the reasoning behind that. You don’t feel a need to say something already said. However, why do you feel that your affirmation of the topic at hand, or whatever the case may be, counts for less than the people who said it before you?

Something that I say a lot is that the Internet is a great tool for helping you realize that you’re not totally a freak. For example, yesterday I wrote on Twitter about how when I lay on my ear when I’m sleeping, and then try to lift my head, my ear hurts REALLY BADLY. Someone told me that it happens to them as well. And then another person. And another. And a whole bunch of people indicating that I wasn’t alone in my ear pain.

Earth shaking discovery? No. But it illustrates the point I’m trying to make. As a blogger, “me, too” answers lend support to one another. If a blogger is trying to gauge what people think, or feel, or do in certain situations, one answer isn’t enough to get a real feel. Your “me, too” counts.

I’m especially surprised at how many bloggers said that they don’t comment if they feel like they’ll just be saying, “me, too.” On your own blog, when you get comments that essentially boil down to “me, too,” do you somehow think of them as lesser comments? No, probably not.

Also, you don’t need to use the exact words “me, too” to say “me, too.” I have faith in you, Internet. You’re more creative than that.

So, tell me. Why do you feel like your “me, too” will matter less to the blogger than other comments?

Today’s Challenge: Show Yourself!

To be completed by: Friday, November 6th.

Challenge: We’re still keeping it easy here. Because I want to boost your confidence in the fact that you, too, can be a Person Who Comments, Internet. So here’s what we’re doing, by Friday.

1. Find the blog you have been reading the longest, without ever commenting. For some of you, that may be a new blog you discovered last week. For others, you’ve been hanging around for months or even years, without making a peep.
2. GO MAKE A PEEP.
2a. If the situation calls for it, you have my express permission to allow yourself to say, “Me, too!,” though I encourage a little creativity in the wording.

That’s it! Go make yourself known to a blogger you’ve been following in silence! One blog, one comment. That is IT for this challenge. You can do that, can’t you, Internet?

Commenting Practice

For you WoW players, someone submitted this post from Too Many Annas for the hilarity of the phrase “pompous mage-off.” - Too Many Annas – In-game Costume Ideas.

The artistic and/or fans of the adorable will find this one easy to comment on: Tami Moore – Manatee with Balloon. MANATEE. With BALLOON.

And here is one from Emmanation, which is also conveniently designed to be extremely easy for beginner People Who Comment, go give a few guesses on this game: Emmanation – If it was a murder, how did they get him up there in the first place?

Posted in NaBloPoMo 09, People Who Comment, the blogging thing | 45 Comments »

The Becoming People Who Comment Challenge

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

So, a while back I wrote a post about how I intended to be a better Internet citizen, and one of the things I said I intended to do was to comment more often on the blogs I read.

When I said it, it sounded like a simple enough task, but after a day or two of not… actually doing it, I came to realize that there is me, and then there are People Who Comment.

Asking around on Twitter and various other Internet forums has only supported that conclusion. There are people who make a habit of commenting regularly – in fact, it seems like second nature to them to add a thought or idea to everything they read. Then, there are people who just don’t, but really wish they were better at it.

That, too, seemed pretty universal. For those of us who don’t comment regularly, we really wish we were better at it. However, I’ve seen all kinds of excuses for not commenting, that I hope to be able to address over this next few weeks.

I’ve been working on becoming a Person Who Comments for a little while now, and when I’ve mentioned it on Twitter, a few people have mentioned that my efforts have urged them to try to get closer to being a Person Who Comments themselves. I know from my own experience over the last few weeks, though, that it’s just not as easy as it sounds.

While becoming a Person Who Comments has many different benefits (for real, I’m totally not just blowing smoke up your ass), there’s equally as many excuses for not commenting, all of which I have heard from various people over the last few weeks. For my next feat of blog, I will tell you why all of your reasons are bullshit. This is not because I am mean, but because I am trying to encourage your participation in my project, and I am not one for gentle coaxing, more like “Your way sucks and here’s why, let’s do it my way instead.”

Let’s talk about the two main reasons that people (myself included, of course) cite as excuses for not commenting on blogs:

“I don’t have time!”

You have time to read blogs. Commenting, once you’re practiced at it, takes mere moments more. Just because you don’t have time to write a novel in response is no excuse for not commenting at all. Also? Many of you actually WRITE BLOGS. You tell me that you have time to be all long winded and detailed talking about your shoe collection, time to read about the shoe collections of 1800 other people, and no time to say “Wow, I really like those shoes?” Seriously, that is pretty effing weak.

Things we will address to kick that excuse in the nads:

- Working on cutting down the time it takes you to leave a comment
- Some tools that totally streamline the whole process
- Actually practicing leaving comments. Because, come on.

“I don’t have anything to say, so I don’t say anything!”

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Ok, are you human? Have you been to the grocery store, the mall, Target, ANYWHERE PUBLIC recently? 95% of us have nothing worthwhile to say and we all say it anyway. All the time. Constantly. We talk. A lot. When someone says something brainless and pointless to us, we say something equally brainless and pointless back. Not that all blogs and comments are brainless and pointless, I am just expressing to you that “I have nothing to say, so I said nothing?” Yeah, and what planet are you from? We’re people. We LIVE to say shit when we don’t actually have anything to say.

Secondly? If you are a blogger? How many times have you thought to yourself, “Wow, if people can’t say something totally witty, deeply insightful, perfectly composed and dripping with brilliance, I WISH THEY WOULDN’T COMMENT AT ALL!” Yeah? Never. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Damn.

Things we will address to overcome this ridiculously craptastic excuse:

- How to recognize actual potential comments as they float through your brain
- Overcoming your Commenter Inadequacy Anxiety
- How commenting makes you a good listener

Becoming a Person Who Comments really hasn’t been easy for me. I wouldn’t say I’m even close to there yet. However, I know I’m doing better than a lot of people, and I know everything (like NaBloPoMo) is easier when you’re doing it with other people.

What I’ve actually made work for myself was addressing my own reasons for not commenting, and then setting myself various challenges to meet each day or week, depending on the challenge. This has lead to a couple of things:

1. It’s not totally consistent yet, but I do find myself commenting more and more naturally all the time, in the way that I think People Who Comment must.

2. In the short time that I’ve been commenting more, I’ve had some really great conversations, come in contact with some awesome people, seen my own blog traffic go up, and actually kind of had a lot more fun on the Internet than I had been recently.

If you’re interested in following along with the challenges (I will start with the same easy ones I started with, don’t worry) and working on becoming a Person Who Comments, all you have to do is the following two things:

THING THE ONETH: Every Monday (at least, though additional days are possible), there will be a new challenge intended to help you become a Person Who Comments, and a day by which to complete it. Your job? Complete the challenge.

THING THE TWOTH: Once you have completed the challenge, and on or before the day the challenge is to be completed, email me at PeopleWhoComment [at] gmail.com to let me know you’ve completed it, along with a recent post you’ve written on your own blog (or a recent favorite on another blog, if you are a non-blogger) that you’d like to see featured on Becoming a Person Who Comments. Why? Because one, people who are trying to become People Who Comment need things on which to comment and two, I cannot afford prizes, but I can send you a couple of my tens of readers for your worthwhile efforts. Also? If you manage to complete every single challenge? I will definitely come up with… something. I promise.

Challenge for Monday, November 2

To be completed by: Wednesday, November 4th.

Challenge: We’re starting easy. All you have to do, by Wednesday, is answer the following questions in the comments:

1. What’s your standard commenting style? Once in a while? Never?
2. What’s your standard excuse for NOT commenting? (It’s probably lame, mine were)
3. Do you think you’ll be able to become a Person Who Comments?

Answer those questions in the comments section by Wednesday and email PeopleWhoComment [at] gmail.com with your favorite recent blog post (by you or someone else) and you’ll be done with the first Becoming People Who Comment challenge.

I promise, it’s actually pretty worthwhile.

PS – if you have the MS Paint skills to make a tiny banner I can put above these posts, I’ll give you my undying gratitude. Also, if you are capable of making badge thingers, I’d like that, too. If you haven’t noticed, my site is kind of plain (no, really! It is!) and I’d like to be able to make these posts stand out a little more.

Posted in NaBloPoMo 09, People Who Comment, the blogging thing | 109 Comments »