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How do you want your blogger's comment responses? Single or Multiple?

By Sharon Simms

Real Estate Agent with Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International

June 24, 2007 03:11 AM

There have been previous discussions about bloggers responding to those who comment on their posts. Most commenters DO want a response. a) it's polite. b) it can start a dialogue.

A blogger does not get points for responding (nor should he), but her post does count as a comment. How often a blogger responds of course depends on how many comments come in between the times the blogger is on line. Still, some respond to many commenters in a single comment. Others make a separate post for each comment response.

How do you, as a commenter, feel? Does it matter to you whether you are addressed in a multiple response or a single response?

How do you, as a blog reader, feel? Do you want to read the comments in a multiple response or in several/many individual responses?

A suggestion to the Active Rain programmers: When you comment on a blog, currently you can either:

a) keep checking back to see if your comment has a comment, and if so, if a return comment is appropriate or requested (which takes a lot of time, most frequently without value), or
b) check that you want to receive all comments, which again takes a lot of time to go through, just to find out if your own comment has a comment.

To encourage dialogue, it would be nice if we could have a posting at My Home if a blogger responds to one of our comments, so that we can answer a question, add to dialogue, etc.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

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Katrina Madewell

Charles Rutenberg Rlty- More than 5,000 agents(813) 777-1196 - Tampa, FL

Tampa FL Homes for sale | Tampa Bay - (813) 777-1196

I respond to comments on my BLOG, sometimes more than one in the same comment. Did you go to the Active Rain Birthday party in Orlando? I did not.

Jun 24, 2007 03:17 AM

Marc Blasi

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Hi Sharon-

I certainly do like responses to my comments - but I really don't care if they are individual or not.

Jun 24, 2007 03:22 AM

Bryant Tutas

Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL

Selling Florida one home at a time

Sharon, Thats a good question. I actually had posted a poll on my blog asking this very question. I had about 100 responses and 84% did not care how I responded. So that was a good thing. I usually mix it up. Sometimes I respond as a group response and sometimes individually.

Jun 24, 2007 03:24 AM

Rosemary Brooks

BMC Real Estate - 209-910-3706 - Stockton, CA

The Mother & Daughter Realty Team

A response is cool and like you said it keeps the dialog going. Plus it lets your readers know that you didn't just write the post and walk away. I have found that you learn from the comments, so why not thank them or make more comments to keep it going.

Jun 24, 2007 03:24 AM

Teri Eckholm

Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN

REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Sharon--I do like to give individual comments as there are many who do ask questions and expect responses. But while I leave comments for people, I don't always go back to see if they have responded unless it is someone that I like to exchange banter with.

What is more important to me is reciprocity. I leave more comments to people who visit my blog and comment to me. If they don't, I don't take the time to return to their blog or subscribe as I think it should be reciprocal....Not always. I will notice good posts when I have time. But on busy days, I make certain to visit bloggers who visit and comment to me first. That way if I run short of time, my favorites are read!

Jun 24, 2007 03:34 AM

Leon Austin

Mobile Notary Services - Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs Mobile Notary

I think it depends on the comments. If someone makes a comment that shows they really read the post and put some thought into writing a comment, it would be appropriate to comment to them individually. Especially if a person asks a question.

But if they just say, 'Nice post.', it's hard to give an individual response to that, except for maybe a 'Thanks.' And the person who makes such a comment probably doesn't expect a response anyway.

Jun 24, 2007 03:35 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Great Suggestion. While you are about making suggestions, I have one. Many of us want to build our rankings as we post. That seems to be the way the system was set this up to keep people interested and give them a track to run on. There are times when you may want to offer that 11th or 12th post in some sort of time frame that is not clear and you don't receive points for them. Somehow as to say that post has no value. It seems the point system is a balance of several ways to accumulate them. Invite points, comment points, post points and the other catch all, bonus points that I do not understand as yet. There also does not seem to be anyone at the other end if you e-mail ActiveRain. There surely must be someone there as someone must decide what is a featured post.

I think it would be nice if there was a narrative that explained how one, if interested, could build their rankings. Also that there might be some latitude on the number of posts or at least define what a week is. I take a week as any 7 days and that is not correct for there were times when I added my post in one of the 7 days that did not total 10 posts. Yet I was denied post points because I exceeded 10 in a week. So there must be a start day of the week. Does that mean if Sunday was the start day, you could have 10 posts through the following Saturday? I can't locate this anywhere. There must be a start day? Do you start over on the designated first day of the week, be it Sunday or Monday?

Thanks for offering your ideas to the AR Gods. They likely hear us but like a true God, they answer only in their own time. :)

Jun 24, 2007 03:36 AM

Chris Lengquist

Ad Astra Realty - Olathe, KS

Kansas City Real Estate Investing

I do a little of both. I guess I'm just a rebel.

Jun 24, 2007 03:49 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

PS, I mostly respond individually to comments. Many times these responses become longer than my original post. I have a profound respect for those that write cogent remarks beyond the usual, good post and give me my 25 points,lol I must be full of myself today. I mean all this in a loving way. I am not the mean spirited type, we are all here as a community. No less or no greater than each other.

Jun 24, 2007 04:25 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

PS PS, I have long exceeded my limit of 10 comments a day for 25 points each. That happened at midnight last night. There are so many here with such great posts that I feel it my responsibility to support them that I read it , appreciated their writing and to let them know that. These same people likely do it for me to. So raise the limit to scored comments to at least 15 per day,lol. What do the Bonus points into the thousands on a few people's sites come from? Just wondering?

Jun 24, 2007 04:31 AM

Michael Eisenberg

eXp Realty - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham Real Estate Guy

It is not always easy to go back and see what someone said about your comments, or it is very time consuming anyway, sometimes I want to know and sometimes not.

Jun 24, 2007 09:28 AM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Katrina - no, unfortunately I didn't get to Orlando. I was en route to Colorado on Saturday.

Marc - it's what's said that's important, not what format it's in.

Bryant - thanks for sharing your research and the results of your poll. 84% is a big majority.

Rosemary - yes, dialogue is important. Sometimes people comment on other people's comments. That's important, too.

Teri - I've always liked the feature that lets me search first for my favorite colleague's posts.

Leon - you're probably right. Someone who just says Thanks probably doesn't go back to check that post for a response.

William - previous posts have answered some of your questions. You could search through old posts or input search terms to find them. Not too long ago AR set up their own blog so that it would be easy to sift through policies and rules, but that doesn't cover the time before it was set up.

Chris - maybe a rebel, maybe just creative.

William - p.s. - many of us post lots more comments than we get points for.

Michael - exactly my point. It's not easy to know when there are comments on your comments without reading through everyone else's comments on the same post.

Jun 25, 2007 06:06 PM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Katrina - no, unfortunately I didn't get to Orlando. I was en route to Colorado on Saturday.

Marc - it's what's said that's important, not what format it's in.

Bryant - thanks for sharing your research and the results of your poll. 84% is a big majority.

Rosemary - yes, dialogue is important. Sometimes people comment on other people's comments. That's important, too.

Teri - I've always liked the feature that lets me search first for my favorite colleague's posts.

Leon - you're probably right. Someone who just says Thanks probably doesn't go back to check that post for a response.

Chris - maybe a rebel, maybe just creative.

William - p.s. - many of us post lots more comments than we get points for.

Michael - exactly my point. It's not easy to know when there are comments on your comments without reading through everyone else's comments on the same post.

Jun 25, 2007 06:06 PM

Ed DeChristopher

Fredericksburg Realty, Inc. - Fredericksburg, VA

CRS Fredericksburg VA

Agree Sharon. Respond when you have the time to do so. It's just good manners.

Ed in Fred(ericksburg Virginia that is.)

Jun 26, 2007 07:07 AM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I appreciate comments. It gives me insight to how the post was received. But, if there are rules for responding to comments, it will just discourage comments. I try to respond, but can't always. That's why I usually respond to a group at a time.

I do object to folks who comment and include two/three links back to their web page or blog.

Jun 26, 2007 12:05 PM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

I am okay with multiple replies, and I'm okay okay with indiidual replies - makes no difference to me.

Regarding Lenn's comment objecting to links to commenter's web page or blog, I personally like those because it saves me a step or two to reach their website, rather than just the ActiveRain profile. AND it does help with SEO. I don't feel threatened at all by anyone's links or branding.

Jun 26, 2007 01:31 PM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Ed - good to hear from you.

Lenn - thanks for your comments.

Margaret - thanks for adding your comments.

Jun 27, 2007 03:28 PM

Jeff Dowler, CRS

eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA

The Southern California Relocation Dude

Interesting question, Sharon. I used to do more of the group responses, and still will on occasion when I can really buys. But normally I now do individual responses, even when I am not writing a lengthy one. I personally don't mind which I get as a commenter on a blog.

I appreciate comments and always try to respond. I am not particularly bothered if I comment and do not get a response, unless I ask a question, but it is always nice to have the recognition.

Jeff

Jun 28, 2007 03:24 AM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Jeff - I appreciate your additional comments.

Jun 29, 2007 04:35 AM