Autoresponder for Blog Comments

I agree for a personal blog it lacks that special touch.  For a mass blog, I can see perhaps why they would have that auto response.

I'm not sure autoresponse is so great.  I mean, at this point, 99% of the time we clrealy know it is an autorespond, and that adds nothing to personal touch, even if I do get it a 1/10 of a second after submitting something.  I wuold however consider an auto responder that was delayed.  To me (with no statistical background on this) that would be more "human" and personal. 

Hi Sharon,

In response to your comment to me, like you it wouldn't have occured to me either on a blog. So far I haven't seen anyone else using them.

I hadn't thougt about an auto-responder until you raised it.  I'm in agreement with what seems to be the majority -- seems a distantancing response rather than establishing a personal connection.  But then I can't seem to even get a drip campaign set up!

Morning Sharon,

I see this post was a great one for getting comments. I know that wasn't your original intent though.

I agree with Broker Bryant, it would be okay for an acknowledgment but not as a personal response. However to do that, would only be generating extra mail. I prefer to respond to each comment even though it is sometimes a little time consuming. I know from experience you do respond personally as well.

i seem to have mixed responses on pro and con - I thought it was a good idea... I like the idea of a link and pushing them there if they have some general questions.. but that's just me....

Sutoresponders annoy me so I assume that they will annoy most people as well.  If I tag a comment to notify me when the topic is updated, then I get a notice in my handheld with other emails so that I can respond personally.  The same is true if you are on my site and send me an email from my "contact" link. People love the quick personal response.

I prefer the personal touch Sharon.    Nothing like a 'handwritten' note :)       

Hi Sharron...interesting, however I doubt I would use it, it could be good to let people know you'll get back to them. In my case I get way toooo many emails and Blog inquiries, when I had an auto response on my email, friends and regular clients said ...Enough !

Cheers, thanks for sharing!

Your personality and professionalism comes out in your replies and gives consumers a much better idea of what you're all about.  I'd venture to say if they implemented them, everyone would have them. An autoresponder is like a faulty "check engine" light.... after a while you don't even pay attention to them.

While thestreet.com's autoresponder might be appropriate, my impression of Active Rain is that it is a more personal place to get to know people and it is the individual comments back and forth that, as Lenn Harley says, become sometimes even more interesting than the blog itself. I think you would lose a lot of that with autoresponders.

I think it's great when you're out of town, etc., but here is business AND social :) PS I like your name!

Sharon:  I am inclined to be turned off by "automated comments or responses."  I think it really is worse than not getting any response at all.  I mean... talk about feeling like you're just another number on someone's list.  Yuck.

Sharon - I too like a personal touch, I really don't like get a respond via an auto responder.

Seems you have a lot of people commenting on how they would not use the auto responder in their blogs.  I tend to agree, only because my whole purpose of blogging is to develop relationships and have personal interaction.

A canned response is a terrible idea...it means the writer did not care enough about the reader, who just spent their time and effort reading their blog --- and cared enough to add a comment. A canned response is almost as bad as canned answers or key pad dialers, or auto-callers --- are their no real people out there????