Posting Comments to Blogs and Articles
76We all want to be recognised as internet commenter’s and acquire lots of accolades and badges for our postings.
This is important for the advancement of human knowledge, your self esteem and the esteem other writers hold you in, and for getting those badges and awards of course.
Sadly, there are those among us, who don’t have the first idea how to play the game, er, I mean leave insightful comments, and this article will give you a leg up in a literary sense.
Whilst I invite comments from people, especially those who don't say "whilst", and I look forward to ploughing through them - please be aware I will be checking against my examples.
Here is how to tell the winners from the losers in the playground that the internet is moving towards.
Comment Blizzard
These people leave loads of comments everywhere they go. It is a plea to be visited, to be noticed – as if anyone bothers to scroll through the comments anyway. Apart from the poor author who may need to take, or defend, legal action.
Here are some typical quick comments left by the fast moving, scan reading, popularity junkie.
- Great page
- Nice page
- Good page
- Fun page
- Cool page
… and so on. Two words, inviting a two word response.
The Serious Commenter
Fairly rare in the internet world, these people may actually read the article. They will proceed to construct a comment of such wordy grandness (ed: wtf?) that it dwarfs the original page.
This has the effect of showing the world how excellent they are, and how poor you are by comparison.
However, given that it may take these people more than two minutes to compose such a brilliant piece of commentary, they are wasting time that could have made half a dozen shorter pithier statements.
I won’t put an example here due to reasons of space but watch out for phrases like...
- Behoves me
- Buffoon of the first order
- Plagiarism by any other name
- Codswallop
- Admirable first attempt
What you need to rise up the comment rankings
Typing skills OR the ability to cut and paste. An ability to scan the very basics of a page and select an appropriate thirty words to slap into the comment section.
On rare occasions you may be moved by a piece to leave a genuine original statement. Don’t waste your time on such amateur behaviour.
You are aiming to leave lots of what appear to be well thought out comments in as short a time as possible. The important thing is that the author thinks you commented specially for him and therefore will accept your comment with good grace and thanks.
The idea being to leave your mark across the internet and ideally a link to your website too.
To get you started I have created, at no small effort, a selection of standard comments that will cover most people’s work. You may make alterations to certain things like names and products to make them even more excellent.
Example Comments
Cut and paste these to save time.
- I enjoyed your article immensely. It gave me new insights into the area and I am forever grateful.
- What a brilliant article!!! I showed it to my husband and he was laughing for the first time since the operation.
- I must take issue with you on one small point. If only you had written twice as much then I would have enjoyed it for longer!
- I have bookmarked this and intend to revisit it when the occasion arises. It is one of the most useful pieces of writing I have been fortunate to read.
- My husband and I have tried some of the positions recommended and it has changed our lives. Thank you so much for having the bravery to write this piece.
- I realise now I should have given the medicine to the dog, but thankfully my daughter is recovering in leaps and bounds. My fault! Great article!
- This is so good my only wish now is to read a companion piece by you on the same subject. I have read other so called authors and beside you they pale into the distance.
- Wonderful, wonderful writing. This is what the internet was designed for – the torment, conundrum, highs, lows and the eventual product placement. I bought two.
- Buy shoes now from my shoe website at www loveshoes com.
My Final Comment
I have run out of steam with this piece. It was a bit much to hope for, actually writing a proper article like those internet author people (ed:writers?).
Normally I just leave comments everywhere in the hope that someone will visit me and my shoe website.
With a bit of luck though, one of those wordy types will come along and pad the page out with a two hundred word comment. A couple of those and I don’t really need to write anything at all.
This may be the future for me and my ‘writing’.
CommentsLoading...
By this standard I am what you have described as an amateur commenter ( not to be confused with amateur commentator) I particularly liked your list of standard comments and feel that we have all read them or indeed written them once or ten times before. Why do people who feel moved to comment, then use such phrases, is it because the mind is willing but the finger unable or are they just full of b**l. Who knows?
Thankyou for your excellent comment Cardisa, and it's reminded me I need to have a similar page for stock answers to comments.
Case, that's a good point about commenter v. commentator. Not my first choice of word, but it's accepted by the internet as we all dumb down.
I think that list could be quite a bit longer - maybe I'll add 'best' ones to it as time goes by.
Thanks for commenting guys! I did wonder if no one would bother after reading.
I particularly liked the one word comment: "codswallop", the British have such cool words! A very pithy Hub! ;)
Thanks Scribnet, glad you like codswallop - my speciality.
I don't know if you are from the States but my current "favorite word of all time" - hornswoggle - comes from there.
Call me naive, I didn't know people did that, commented just to be noticed or whatever. I usually put a comment on a piece I've read if I liked it at all. I want to encourage the writers I like! If I don't leave a comment, it really just means that writer isn't for me.
I find it very odd that people would do that, just randomly comment everywhere...don't they get bored with it?
You are naive! Not really. Maybe I am cynical. Let's agree that it might be a bit of both. Most people on HP are pretty genuine, but not all. Add in the outside spammers and the comments box becomes just another place to stick a link.
But most of all Paradise, as I am sure you know by now, I just had half an idea and wanted to write it.
For now on I will be saying "Good Grace and Thanks" in reply to one sentence comments - if I ever again get any comments, of course.
I think that by saying, "Good Grace and Thanks" people will either think that I am:
1. A really loving and spiritual person
2. telling them that I enjoyed their wife and her sister
3. actually read their comment.
Oh yes, thanks Wesman, that's the funniest thing I have read all day. Point 2 that is. Excellent.
I love the shoe comment. I see these comments all the time. I have written bookmarking comments myself:)
On a more serious note, some people in the forums were under the impression that the level number of their accolade has something to do with whether or not they make insightful comments period. I wrote a hub explaining that commentary level just refers to how often you your leave meaningful comments-and busy people have other things to do with their time. It is amazing that some people who aren't newbies don't know this already.
Why is it always shoes though Flora?
Yes, lol, I'd love to see how the insightful measurement would work. I believe I have a badge for helping out in the forums - think that's what they call it - and pretty much I have NEVER helped out.
It's a post count - that's all. Might be a word count as well just to cut down on the shoe merchants.
What about: "I think your ideas are a load of bollocks but you write them so well"?
Nicely phrased Twilight and it certainly made me pause. On balance I think it is an excellent comment so thanks.
I think your ideas are a load of bollocks but you write them so well.
Yeah OK, one more of these and I might have to do some moderating I suppose.
Exciting.
I get the occasional two or three word comment on some of my hubs, generally I reply with only two or three words.
Spending an inordinate amount of time on a comment is something I only rarely do, for example, this comment I did not.
I grew up on 'hornswoggle'. To hornswoggle is to con someone into something or even to get a square peg to fit into a round hole. Is that more or less how you understand it?
Good hub, by the way. I'm usually guilty of overdoing it on my comments. :[) I can't imagine why my 'commenter level' isn't worse! I certainly haven't hornswoggled any ratings!
Hi Mark, 'whilst' uncharacteristic of me,I know, 'it behoves me' to make a comment (in response to your 'great hub'), that contains Actual Value:
I heard recently that under the post-panda rules of engagement, Google is now paying much greater attention to bounce rates. Which, since you've written this
'outstandingly helpful article' for the benefit of newer online writers, I should explain to them, is the measurement of the time it takes for someone to open your page, decide whether it's for them, and click away.
Measurements range from a nanosecond, to potentially several minutes, even up to 15, 30, 45 and (The holy Grail)an HOUR - and Google has its own (confidential to the panda) methodology for determining at what point the time spent on your page transforms the (worthless)visitor into a (valuable) reader.
'From my experience' on my own hubs (yawn, I know..) many of the most instructional and rewarding elements of an engaging article can be found in the comments section. Which many new visitors will read in their virtual entirety.
So, while you may feel that the odd link-loading commenter (refuse to say commentator, it's not a sporting event..) is taking advantage of your 'wonderful, wonderful writing', there is definitely an upside for you as the author, in attracting as much engaging comment dialogue as possible.
Time spent on your page is Google's determiner of value, and thus rank; they don't really care which part of the page, much less who wrote it...
As you point out Mark, "With a bit of luck though, one of those wordy types will come along and pad the page out with a two hundred word comment. A couple of those and I don’t really need to write anything at all."
Nuff said?
(217 words)
Phil P - that is probably the perfect comment. Nicely rounded with a point and an end.
Nellieanna - yep, that's my understanding, after hearing a US politician use it and thinking "he just made that up" and then looking it up in the dictionary.
Writer Online (bit formal I know). You are a top commenter in my book, or on my page. An amusing extra piece of writing, completely for free, and is it really 217 words? Superb. On bounce rates - it seems my HP visitors read and my Google visitors bounce.
Hey Mark - I do believe you cut and pasted all those example comments from the comments left on my other blogs. Thanks anyway. I am also in need of a new pair of shoes so I checked out www.loveshoes.com. Can you give me a discount?
Lol. That's the second 'pretend' www link in two days I have created. I need to check these out more, or maybe everything has already been registered.
I really need this Hub as I'm only a level 4 commenter! That pesky Simone is a level 8! Okay, now to your Hub. I really enjoyed your work and look forward to reading more of your future writings. How's that one?? In all seriousness, I always enjoy your Hubs, Mark! Cheers!
Perfect Robin.
I probably need to up my game.
I was going to right a rather long, windy and bloated comment full of many "insightful" points, but I see Writeronline has beat me to it. I think I'll go buy shoes.
Really enjoyed this. Another keeper for me to bookmark for later. :)
Nice job Terri - I think you ticked all my comment boxes!
ok...I was going to WRITE not right...(sigh)..another fail.
Oh boy, well I'm so asleep I didn't even notice it. I do find the more internet I do - the less I am able to form simple words.
Look, we'll say no more about it and no one will notice anyway.
I waited all these months wondering if you would notice that I was too hurt to leave my usual back slapping complimentary (and complementary) comment. Did you call me to ask why I had not? Did you write to me, enclosing the customary small gold coin that guarantees my attention?
No! You didn't even notice. I'm hurt, Mark. Deeply, deeply hurt. I may go to one of your other hubs now and leave a meaningless piece of drivel.. Oh, wait, no, mission already accomplished.
My husband and I have tried some of the positions recommended and it has changed our lives. Thank you so much for having the bravery to write this piece.
Hehehe, Mark the following words are heartfelt and come from a fellow hubber, who did read the whole hub and enjoyed your sharp wit yet again :) x ps can I have a badge now please?
Note to self: Remember to answer the comments.
Pcunix - I wish sometimes you would just say a great hub. Then I wouldn't have to think...
Izzy - what a great comment!
Dotty - somewhere on one of my pages is a specially designed WTF badge. I couldn't tell you where because I have written too many. Whatever you do, for the sake of your sanity, don't try to find it.
Cardisa Level 8 Commenter 8 months ago
I enjoyed your article immensely. It gave me new insights into the area and I am forever grateful! Cool page!
I was too lazy to think of anything on my own...lol