I did not voluntarily present myself to be lashed out, crowned with thorns and be crucified under the scourging summer sun in a little hill in Pampanga. But after five days, I am resurrected in the blogosphere with the same zest in blogging but with obvious eye bags and body pains. And take my word guys, don’t go near me, or you’d think you are beside an old grandpa who has made a perfume out a liniment oil and tattooed himself with salonpas.
After suffering from Twitter-withdrawal syndrome, I can say that I am totally healed! (May himala!) Hahaha! And I am actually now contemplating of taking to live up to the coined-term of Ate Bingsky of being a Twittarted (twitter retarded). Nah, maybe I am still quite far from that.
I have been to the hospital for four days; stayed in there and five days seemed like eternity, and now I am back in front of the PC to make my post.
So I my apologies guys for the delayed post, hope you understand. You better do, ehehehe! Sorry guys, effects of many sleepless nights and fatigue.
Kidding aside, when I went back to check my blog, there were a great number of comments on my posts especially the most recent one about the Philippine educational system, that I have to reply with worthy comments. I must admit that replying to all the comments of my friends and readers is one hell of a task; their comments are all challenging and exciting, I could certainly pretend to be some dumb blogger with them.
However, I must make a confession that I am not totally satisfied. For some bloggers, they may be automatically elated with 10 or so comments of visitors on each post that he/she makes. Not with me.
Because for me, a blog is not a freedom wall in a school, or dilapidate arm chair screaming of so many scribbles and graffiti that no one hears. It is not something that only receives and nor a place that only gives.
A blog is a place of convergence, conversation and conversion.
That is why, my primary concern that I have brought with me beside the hospital bed is how can I make my commenters return on my blog posts to reply to the comments I made out of their comments? Sounds incoherent? Or simply stupid? LOL
Well, maybe you have experienced this one way or another. A visitor or blogger friend read your post and made a comment. You replied eagerly with all the niceties and substance on his comment to create a conversation, dialogue and interaction. But then, no more replies that follow up.
My goal to simply put it is to make my blog a place of convergence of different peoples and bloggers. To converse with one another through my blog posts. And maybe at the end of each comments and replies, we are all converted in some way to have a wider understanding of things and a wider vision of the horizon ahead of us.
So I tweeted and emailed some blogger friends to share their wisdom and tips in order for me to satisfy my craving. Here were their replies:
“commenters actually have a choice when they post comment to a blog whether they want to be emailed when a new comment is posted.” im4pinoy
“hi elmot! im using a WP plugin to do that, im not sure if blogger has one though. i’ll try to check and let u know.” Jaypee
“Hmmmm..medyo mahirap yan. Some commenters would go back again to your posts for your replies and then comment again . some don’t.” Bingsky
“Regarding your inquiry, I am using a plugin in Wordpress that sends email
to commenters when somebody replied to their comments.
I am not so sure if there’s such a thing with blogger. Perhaps, you can
try signing up with JS-Kit comments and place its code in your blogger
blog.
Meron ata ganung functionality yun.” Bloggista
“aw.. nasa commenters na yan kung babalik sila.. yun ang di ko alam sa akin eh, balik ng balik.. hehe “ Jehzeel
“Re: How to make readers check back to see the replies to their comments, I have a suggestion. Takes a lot of work – but do Jaypee’s style. When he replies on your comment, he emails you a copy of his reply to your comment. That reminds you of the comment you left on his site right? Di ba, most of the time you return to continue the conversation, especially if it’s an interesting one? I don’t know of other ways though. Except of course for the old fashioned bribery. lol” Jan
Using blogger as a plaform for your blogging is definitely has so many limitations compared to wordpress that has plugins. In this case, blogger lacks the automatic program to send your commenters an email notification thanking them of posting their comments on your blog, and in effect, you are connecting to your readers in a more personal manner that almost always would make them come back to continue to conversation on your blog post. Maybe, I need to invent one eh? LOL!
Therefore, commenters are left with the liberty to follow-up and continue the conversation and dialogue and the blogger is made to be more creative in reaching this goal on his blog.
And I am doing it with my favorite blogs (many of them). I make my comments and click on the tiny box that says automatic email notifications on comments below the comment form. And voila, I can instantly be updated of the conversations on the blog posts I have just visited and could easily go back to make my follow-up comments.
What am I left to do now?
Well, as a blogger, I think I should improve more on my writing skills. I may not be a savvy writer but building good relationships with your readers, visitors and blogger friends is of essence. There is indeed no better advice than writing good and engaging posts.
If still, nothing happens, maybe I would have to follow Jan’s advice of an old and tested way: bribery. LOL!
Do you also share the same concern with me guys? What pieces of advice could you give me regarding my concern of creating an atmosphere of active dialogue and conversation on my blog through my posts?
Would you folow Jan’s advice of bribery? Hehehe! LOL!
hmm… quite interesting tips you got there elmot.
personally, it think that a commentator not replying to a reply you made on his comment doesn’t mean that he did not return to read your reply
in the same way that you don’t see familiar names commenting on your blog post, doesn’t mean that they don’t read your blog anymore.
acknowledging a comment with your reply is great. That would encourage them to come back to read your blog, though not necessarily on the same topic he/she commented on… otherwise, the two of you won’t be able to move on LOL
looking for a conversation is nice, but notice some bloggers, they refer to previous comments, there’s conversation there.
you’re lucky. I’d like to believe that I have lots of readers (or ‘droppers’ at least), but you don’t see a lot of comments on my posts.
Noemally, I don’t expect my commenters to come back and comment again after my reply. As Roy said, you can’t be able to move on . My post is about my opinion, my perspective, my experience, and so if readers comment on that, I respect the comment. I do not disprove them or make a conversation out of them. I simply acknowledge or try to make a little comment about it but not to discuss it because that would be another post if I try to expound and discuss again what I had already discussed. That’s why I don’t ask them or expect them to comment back on my comments to their comments.
Emailing comment updates is annoying to most people like me. I have a friend who has all his commenters automatically updated about comments they made thru emails. He confessed it annoyed his readers so he removed it. Now he has a JS -Kit on his blog, Personally I don’t want to be emailed with updates about comments. I don’t care if you contradict my comment. That’s my opinion to your opinion. I won’t discuss it anymore.
Some commenters too just comment for the sake of being cordial to give support to their blogger-friends by leaving comments and do not expect to discuss it again.
But if I were you, if you really want your commenters to come back and reply to the comment you made to their comments, then apply that email notification.
It’s a lot easier to do on WordPress because of plugins.
But there are third-party commenting systems/services that offer such functionality.
Google is your best friend!
one of my targets is to reply immediately the comments posted in my blog. But I just don’t have enough time. But I am trying.
I’m glad you’re back with a vengeance, buddy. I thought you were in Hong Kong, recruiting blog readers. lol
You’re not fair. You’ve censored my suggestions. But of course I know your blog is wholesome so you edited my advice to throw in pole dancing mommas. hahaha.
Elmot, come on. We know we’re irresistible to you including the comments we leave on your posts. But come on, what do you want us to do – camp outside your blog? Mabuti man lang sana kung may pameryenda. lol.
Elmot,
although blogging etiquette 101 number 1 is to leave a comment to your commenters blog…hindi naman lagi itong applicable.
ako nga super blog hopper (ask mo pa sina bloggista at roy) pero may mga time na kinukulangan ako ng oras lahat para mai-comment ko lahat ng gusto ko sa mga nag bloghop sa akin.
ganito na lang, please don’t expect them to visit you everyday pero siguro, once a week…yun achievable yun…kasi may life din naman mga bloggers outside the blogosphere…
cheers,
snow ^_^
@roy: thanks for the comments and tips.
i think you are totally right…then, the two of us would not move on and just get stuck in the same conversation.
your comment made me realize that i am so blessed, and my blog is so blessed having all you people so engaging in this blog
@bingsky: nice point, having prolonged conversation over a post deserves another post.
i share your sentiments that sometimes notifications annoy the receiver already.
am i just overzealous? hahaha
@jhay: you are right, WP has all those automatic plugins that are a blogger’s bestfriends.
however, blogger is a limited platform. actually yatot told me that i could use a third party platform for this one, but it is going to delete all the previous comments on this blog… and i wont exchange all those beautiful conversations on this blog that easy, ehehe LOL
@selboy: i could totally understand you, having selaplana.com is such a big workload already.
but of course it is indeed much better to reply to comments of readers.
@jan: ahhaha! this is just overzealousness bro. defense mechanism? projection of not having the chance to camp on twitter to my comments section? LOL
of course all your comments are irresistible, but no meryenda, ahha!
no censorship on you bro next time, ehehe, tried to package you as a wholesome padre
@snow: you are totally right. having readers here is already more than enough…maybe i just should lower my expectations on my blogging and at the same time just blog..
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