Comment Challenge Day 1

Day 1: Do a Commenting Self-Audit

For this activity, do the following:

1. Answer the following questions:

•How often do you comment on other blogs during a typical week?

I don't really have a typical week as far as blogging. I am still getting into the habit of it. I find myself jumping around quite a bit, skimming posts and occasionally commenting. I may go weeks without leaving a single comment and other weeks I may leave several comments on many different blogs. Sometimes I read a really great post, or a post that really makes me think, and I want to say something, but I don't know what to write. Either I feel that I have nothing new to add or I feel too rushed to really put my thoughts into words properly. And so I don't comment at all. Sometimes I will share a post I really like in my google reader widget on my blog instead of leaving a comment at the blog. Sometimes I plan to go back and comment later, when I have more time, and of course, I get involved in something else, and I don't go back.

•Do you track your blog comments? How? What do you do with your tracking?

No, I do not track my comments. Well, for this challenge I just signed up for cocomment, so I guess I will begin tracking my comments. Although, I couldn't download the bookmark-thing in safari, which is the browser I normally use, so I am going to have to remember to use firefox as I read blogs from now on. If the blog has a choice to receive an email of follow-up comments, I do check that, but not all blogs offer that option. If I leave a comment on a blog that doesn't send follow-up emails, I do try to remember to go back to the blog to read follow-up comments, but sometimes I can't even recall where I left a comment.

•Do you tend to comment at the same blogs or do you try to comment on at least one new blog per week?

There is nothing purposeful about the way I comment on blogs. Right now I subscribe to over 60 blogs in my google reader. Not that I read them all, but I do read at least a few posts each day. I probably do tend to repeat-comment on certain blogs because I feel that I have established some connection or previous communication with that blogger, and I feel like I am continuing a conversation.

2. Now review Gina Trapani's Guide to Blog Comments and ask yourself how well you're doing in each of the different areas. Are there any specific areas where you think you need to do some work? What do you want to do to address these issues?

Well, after reading this, I'm glad to say that I seem to be doing ok with following the rules. I would not leave an anonymous comment, be rude or a drunkard. I try to stay on topic and add to the conversation. And I am not a know-it-all. But, I often don't feel that I have anything new or interesting to add. I think that is one reason that I tend not to comment too much. Once in awhile, I even feel a little bit shy about my comment after I've left it.

So, that is the issue I need to address. If I'm going to be a blogger, I have to stop feeling self conscious and just put myself out there. One thing I am doing to address this is blogging in the first place. Another way I am going to try to address this is by doing this comment challenge.

This sentence has been added in an attempt to get technorati to pick up this post for comment08. If you are part of the 31 day comment challenge, tag your posts with comment08. And good luck!