Craig,
I'm guilty of this sometimes as I try to get through the comments before I start my blog.
Hope you have a good week!
Paul - cool with a bunch of !!!!!! maybe LOL
Michele - we all have our daily routines, make the comments count :)
Craig: I learned something from you today. Didn't know there was a minimum number of characters. (And I've been doing this for quite a while...duh.) I'm going to reblog becuase I bet a lot of people don't know the minimum. Thanks.
Great post, Craig. Thanks for sharing. It will be a big help. 50? Is that 50 for my 25 yet?
LOL
Craig, Interesting! I always thought it was 9 words, but just coincidentally those nine words get us through 50 characters. And thanks for the Miss Bad Manners mention!
Craig, I knew about the min. for a post, but not for a comment. Really, when you think about it...50 is not very much...
Hi Craig, I always thought it was twelve words, think that would normally be over 50 characters. I remember the days of "great post" comments!
Craig,
I love the graph explanation. So by adding a period that makes it enough characters LOL.
Actually I try to tell the person what I have learned from their blog as I learn from you all the time.
I have a problem talking too much so I have never NOT received the 25 points. :-)
(Wait, does my smiley face count as 3 charaters? )
Craig, I thought that it had to be a minimum of 10 words....didn't know it had to be 50 charactes. I am suggesting this as some members need to read this and comment approiately to get their points.
Craig, I thought it was the number of words, but it doesn't really matter to me because I usually comment on more than 10 posts. Some comments are longer than others.
I learned something new today. I had heard that it was 10 words, never 50 characters! I'm sure there are others out there who don't know it either! :-)
I usually go on and on and on so I don't have to worry about the comments not counting. That being said, I didn't know there was a character requirement so thanks for the info!
Hi Craig, Like Connie in comment # 11, I read more than 10 posts a day, and always comment on more than 10 too. Since I tend to be a little long winded, that 50 character count never entered my mind. I just wanted to leave some good constructive comments after reading Ms. Manners guide.
Craig, I wasn't counting my characters, I guess I'll start now... whew, made it! :D
I never knew that, thanks, but I don't comment for points. Let's see, is that 50 characters? LOL.
Hi Craig, I'm like Kathleen..more of a rambler so usually never a problem for me. I do see those comments that just have three words and wonder if that person knows that they're not getting any points for those. I figure it's someone that's now working over the 10 comments so just answer for fun at that point..see...rambler. LOL
Oh..and I am now excited because you have been the first comment that I've been able to leave using Internet explorer. I just got rid of the IE 9 upgrade...and lo and behold..here I am! Whoeee!
I'm one of those people who had heard there was a 10 word minimun, but didn't know about the 50 characters. That extra period made all the difference. I guess I'll have to pay more attention in the future.
Craig- I'd heard there was a 10 word minimum as well but more than anything make it meaningful and if that means leaving a two word phrase, then do it.
Oh those copy and pasters - why do they bother! What does it mean anyway - kind of like - have a nice day. Points! Points! Points! All point hounds better pay attention. 49 says 0 and 50 says 25.
Hi Craig, great info...i thought it was 8 words so i learned a thing or two from you today as i do everyday!
I always thought it was 10 words or more but since I usually write at least a full sentence or two, I've never really given it much thought.
Sometimes when I get those comments like Nice post. Have a great day! I will go ahead and report a concern. You know we can look at people's comments (MY COMMENTS on the MORE ABOUT ME page) and get a good idea whether they are serial point hogs or whether they are actually providing content that adds to the topic.
Kirsten - thanks for the reblog, glad to see you :: Mike - just ramble a little to make sure :) :: Bliz - watch out or Miss Bad Manners will send you know who! :: Sonja - it is not very much, full sentence pretty much gets you there. Two and you are a cinch. :: Christine - twelve at least would have been on the safe side :: Nona - smiley faces count! :: Rebecca - thanks, points helps us do what we should be doing :)
I learn something new all the time here in AR. I believe most of my comments are more than 50 characters, but it is good to know. Thanks!
Connie - it is hard to stop at a single sentence... so no worries there :: Donna - 10 words is pretty close! if we thing couple sentences minimum, no worries! :: Kathleen - pretty easy to get it, but sometimes (seldomly) I'm inclined to do ultra short response, and stretch it out to get past the 'line' :: Jerry - like I said after AR stops awarding points at 10 the authors will still give you 'points' for appreciated comments (and that is the real reason for commenting) :: Peg - 1 2 3 oh that sounds like too much work :P :: Ken - you had better count every point, I'm chasing you LOL
Interesting. I always thought it was 10 words. There are a few times when my comments are just abt this length, but I guess it doesn't matter since I leave way more than 10 a day.
Craig ~ I think if you misspell anything in your comments or blogs you should be penalized ~ no points ~ *huge grin*
Cindy - welcome back! just dump IE and move on to a real browser :) :: Jill - don't worry about the single chars just do at least a full line or two or three! :: Kathy - meaningful earns points with me :: Anna - point hounds :) :: Ginny - never stop learning :: Schumans - best that way! :: Dan - I agree, they aren't hiding from us! :: Donna - little things like that are good to know, thx :: Debbie - you're covered that way! :: Karen - how about negative points!!! good thing you and I don't make the rules LOL
Will I ever open one of your posts and not learn something? Oh, and I refuse to count my characters....LOL
Gosh, Craig, who knew?? My tendency is to blather on, and I sometimes think they would like a shorter comment...hmmm, so that self-editing may have to STOP??? Oh, darn.
Craig
I have to say I never even think about the length of my commenting. And I suspect some others don't either. But then there are the comment pasters, and perhaps others, who likely count every character to save time and get their points without saying much that is meaningful. There are limits on the reblogging words in order to get points as well. No doubt folks are counting there, too.
Jeff
Craig~ Maybe the "short" commentators have already commented 10 times in a given day, and they just want to let the blogger know they were there?
Hi Craig - I had always read that 10 words were required to get 25 points. I had not read of the 50 character minimum in the past.
Hi Craig,
The whole point of the comment is to encourage the sharing and learninng, we are enouraged to do so by receiving a little reward for it. As part of the process we get to meet lots of great people like you and learn how to get it right over time
Sure in the end the points ad up, but that is just gravy
This has been a long time problem on Activerain and to be honest it actually started with a lot longer comment and was started by an Activerain employee, once others figured it out, there was no stopping it.
Craig--I knew there was a minimum, but I'm too long winded to worry about that. I don't comment on a post unless I have something to say about what the author took the time to write. Otherwise there is no dialogue and what is the point--oh, for some, just the points--I get it!!!!
I'm guilty of thinking it was a 10 word requirement for the 25 points. 50 characters is promoting the same more involved response but it's always good to know the facts. Thanks.
I too thought it was a 10 word minimum, thanks for the information. So now I can get by with one really long word! :-)
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the useful tidbit of information. I had wondered why I got points for some replies and not others, but now I know why that's happening.
I love the way the community helps each other here on AR.
Have a GREAT day!
I do like to read the featured posts first, and this was at the top. As for 25 characters, it takes me more than that to get my fingers warmed up
My comments get shorter as the day goes by.
I usually get my minimum ten comments in before 6:00 a.m. my time. Then I do all my required work that makes me money or keeps me in good standing with my clients, the IRS, etc.
Once I get all the oogy work done, I come back to Play in the Rain. By the time 8:00 p.m. rolls around, my comments can be short and cryptic, mainly just to leave a comment for the blogger because regardless of how short my comment is, the person on whose post I am commenting gets four points. The exceptions are if I’m the first or second comment, or if I’m the 26th or later comment – no points for the blogger in either of those circumstances.
Well, having an OCD mind, I am never going to forget this. I didn't know about minimum characters, and I suspect whether consciously or not, the little counter in the back of my brain is going to be working. Thanks for the lesson, teach!
A 50 character minimum seems new to me. I wonder if there has been a change at AR. This also seems to unfairly discriminates against the more succinct among us.
Hi Craig, I never even new there was a minimum for comment points. Honestly, when I comment on someone's post it's because I enjoyed reading it or I have my own two cents to add. Points never really cross my mind. Learn something new everyday!
Well, well, well. I was completely unaware of the various guidelines on commenting.
I loved Mr. Gregory Bain's swift terse comment! Greg, it is however, worth the trouble to engage the shift key at the start of a sentence. Being online, on twitter, or texting does NOT excuse not using capitals and punctuation.
Shar - please unsubscribe for a full refund if ever not satisfied ;) :: Gayle - extra points for brevity? :: Jeff - when we do thoughtful comments, there is no need to count :: Liz - the blogger always appreciates knowing they have visitors! :: Sue - I wonder how many ever come back to see if the author replied to them specifically? :: Marc - I had (until recently) thought the same :: Pfanns - points are incentive to get us to do what we should be doing, meaningful comments count the most! :: Todd - isn't it nice to connect with genuine people!!! the others betray themselves by what they do! :: Janet - depending on how many comments the person already has it is sometimes hard to add - go find people on the blog roll with fewer subscribers and pay it forward with our comments ;) :: Robert - I don't count, but I like to know how things work, and it is super easy to meet the minimum :)
Gabe - like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious... that's 33 chars on your way! :: Warren - see now thanks for saying that, now I know I helped! :) :: Ed - I know the minimum count for some is just the warm up lap! :: Gregory - 33 chars no system points, but you might get points by the reader for making your point in such dramatic form! :: Russel - good point, our comments add points to the author (small amounts, but they add up when everybody comes to visit!) :: Jeanne - you are very welcome, thanks for commenting! :) :: Scott - I think it seems fair... it should help eliminate all the "nice post!" type comments and half a line of text for a comment can still be brevity constrained :) :: Victoria - I feel the same, when I read, I'm thinking of my comment based on something I enjoyed, getting points from the person (i.e. becoming friends) is bigger reward! :) :: GOLD team - see we can make points in other ways, or lose them IF WE SHOUT ALL OF OUR COMMENTS :)
There's so much about Activerain I don't know about and this definitely falls in that category. My comments have always been over 50 characters.
Hi Craig - What gets me is when I post a picture of my cat and I get a comment that says "Thanks for the informative post. I learned a lot." There is one fellow who does this same comment on everything. I'm the opposite. Sometimes I'm embarrassed that my comments are so long. I do try to add to the conversation but I don't want to hijack the post either.
Craig: Interesting post. I knew there was a limit but never looked into it. I'd get curious once in a while though, checking my comments and thinking AR might have forgotten to give me points... You've started a great conversation on this one. I'd like to throw another aspect into it. I've noticed my Google Alerts and StepRep will pick up my AR comments when I take the time to engage the topic. Not always but often.
There are days that my brain just feels sluggish and therefore my comments might be as well. I enjoy meaningful comments and try to do the same for others. Forgive the times when the brain is still at rest. :)
Wait, you mean to tell me that there is a minimum number of characters needed for a comment to get credit? I'm joking of course, but it's a good reminder to people to try to keep it real. I love Susan's comment about about reaction to her cat photo..classic!
I think ActiveRain should switch up the minimum character requirement from week to week, just to keep people on their toes. 50 - 75 characters? OH BOY.
Or, maybe offer Bonus Points for reader flagged comments. For instance, somebody makes an awesome comment, other readers or the original blogger can "APPROVE" that comment and that commenter gets some bonus points. It'd be like getting paid for performance...
Craig, I wrote a blog back in May (I think), asking about how comment points were awarded. I noticed that, occasionally, I didn't get all the comment point I was expecting. I knew about the 10 words, but not about the 50 characters. My posts are usually a minimum of 12 to 14 words. If I don't have at least 12 or 14 words to say about something, I don't normally comment.
Well darn, I didn't realize I wasn't logged in when I put in response #61. There's another thing to remember if you want your comment points.
Craig ~ Thanks for taking the time to analyze the key number for qualifying points. It's an interesting subject. Several commenters' have expressed, sometimes short & sweet gets it done. Like #44, what if we just want to say hey we read it, everyone else already commented and may have said what we were thinking, should we repeat? The points seem to be a double edged sword.
Thank you Craig! As always you provide us with very powerful tips on how we can improve our ActiveRain Blog and how to improve ourselves as a blogger.. I enjoy reading your blogs!
Wow, I didn't know that. I like commenting anyways, but you might as well get your points also.
Craig, thanks for keeping us up to date on the mechanics. I hate to admit, but I don't always pay attention to them. I appreciate the brainiacs that do!!
I always thought it was 10 words -didn't know about the characters. I sometimes see commenters write a one word comment- I often wonder if they just want to let the blogger know they stopped by, or maybe they got their full points for the day??
Craig...
I think that it is nice to reference something in the post, just to let them know that you actually read it! Of course, many times we are over 10 and we might just say hi to a friend!
I heard there was a minimun character but I don't really count them. Sometime, my comment is what it is. Just a nice gesture to let someone know that I read their blog not necessary about the points. Points is nice but eh!
Craig, thanks for the heads up. I guess I need to count characters now. Most of the time I write something encouraging or constructive.
I just lost 200 points. Maybe you can tell me why. I posted an blog "Do you have work-life balance? - i got the points then they were removed.
What does one gold star mean?
Thank you so much, Craig! This topic really gets under my skin. I really don't comment much on AR but rather create detailed post about my local housing markets. When I submit these, there are those that post the same identical comments, such as, "This is an excellent post! Thank you for sharing this post." And then they post this each time I submit my post, the same comments. There's a local RE Agent that post short little comments just to game the points system but doesn't post much in terms of "value" to locals in terms of actually creating a blog post. This really, really bothers me.
Craig:
You always have the up to date info. There are so many intricacies to the point system. I just try to comment constructively and encouragingly. :) !!!*
Very nice post Craig! One day when auditing my points I noticed that I wasn't credited for one of my comments, guess I now know why...
Alan - AR is something that we all pick up step by step all the intricacies :: Lizette - I like to fully understand things :: Curt - short comments are nice too! but if you want points, watch that midpoint 'marker' ;) :: Susan - I don't get it either (learning a lot from cat post), go figure! I think you have just the right concepts in mind on your comments! :: René - yes, there are plenty of newbies and it is good that we can help them with some of these 'basic' things - google alerts is funny with what it comes up with for me - not usually comments though for some reason :: Paula - we'll forgive you ;) :: Sandi - reminders are good, helps us all :: Roger - it would be fun to be able to award/get points in other ways for exceptional or community recognized performance :: Donna - now perhaps that explains the 'missing' points :: Mike - yes LOL, you might want to think about logging in too! :) :: Diane - short and sweet works too, especially where a post doesn't have that many comments it can be very encouraging to have somebody say something! :: Rob - your kind words appreciated! :: Shane - that's what I say! :: Mike - I like to know how things work!
Kristi - 10 words usually works, but my example above had more than that but not enough chars. If we take just a few more seconds even on short comments, we'll get the points (if that is one of our goals to build our AR ranking) :: Richard - I like it when specific reference is made and not just a skim by comment :: Mike - getting points in more ways than one! thanks for stopping by :: Cathy - don't count chars... just don't stop too short on that first line of your comment box. I emailed you how to fix your other problem (note to all: EVERY time you edit a post, e.g. spelling fix, etc, your post will drop back to "draft" make sure you switch back out of draft) and... you have one gold star under your photo means one FEATURED post on the home page of AR, you can hover over people's stars to see how many times they've had that privilege :: William - you and me both, to me it speaks about the person and it's not the referral that you want! :: Evelyn - constructively and encouragingly goes the furthest! **!!*** :) :: Adam - light bulb just went on, I can see it from here! :)
I also thought it was 10 words. You are right! The above comment I made got the points. So now I can use fewer but bigger words.
At Ar university, they told us about this site, which I have on my bookmarks bar, that will count words and characters for you. It is http://www.allworldphone.com/count-words-characters.htm
That's funny! I try to comment at least 10 word so that the author will get credit for the comment. I comment on WAY more than 10 posts a day so I don't have to worry about getting the points on my end. AND...;. as you can see... I'm mouthy wordy anyway!
I make lots of comments, so don't worry about the 25 points.
Sometimes, I stop by and just say Hi, just to let them know I was there. I may not have anything to add to the conversation.
I try to go to Localism posts, that have no or few comments, and add a comment using the author's keywords to help their google juice for their longtails. Paying it forward.
I agree with some of the other commenters, the last being, Ms Virgina. Some people don't care about comment points. If people leave comments such as yours above and it is sincere, I am flattered. Even if it was a special copy and paste set aside for the right blogs. I would rather members not read or respond to anything I write in an effort to acquire points. Then again, I have not posted much lately and I am not in competition with anyone local for a sweet AR top spot in my town, county, or state.
Interesting topic, Craig.
I really had no clue there was a minimum number of characters in order to receive points for comments. Don't think th 50 character thing has ever been a problem for me. :) If the post doesn't inspire me to comment something worthwhile (to me at least) I won't bother to comment. It's a waste of the blogosphere if you just say "Great Job" or "Nice Post" which I do see quite often...
Thanks Craig, I did know there was a specific minimum amount, but who wants to count words, much less characters. Too much work, besides there is usually always something you can impart that is worthwhile and relevant to the post being given. Thanks again.
Thank you, Craig! That clarifies so much for me and explains why occasionally I didn't see points for some posts in my early days on ActiveRain. I'd never really looked into it, but now I know!
As a newbie to AR, this is good info. I'm sure it was in the fine print somewhere, and I must have missed it. Thanks for the tip.....keep em coming!!!
Craig, thank you. When I started, I couldn't figure out why my comments wouldn't generate points. This information came over time for me. And I could have learned it all, just from your post!
Craig, thank you for sharing this post......sorry, I couldn't resist. Do I get the 25 points? Sorry I need to learn to control myself better. Seriously though I appreciate the info.
Craig - I can't say I ever count my characters in my comments. In fact I usually cant stop typing. I try not to make the comment longer than the post..lol Just saying, I never really payed attention till now...
I had no clue about either a word minimum or character count.
I find blogs with titles that interest me, or those that i suscribe to, and read the blog and comments.
If i feel I have something to comment on, I do, if not, I move on. However, I have scored with some knowledge, that is what is important to me.
Thanks for sharing.
Words or characters? Now I'm pretty confused! All I really know is that Long or short ... I appreciate all comments and try to pay them back double when time permits!
I had no idea you needed 50 charachters! It makes sense, and I think it is a good rule. I am someone who USUALLY is not too wordy, so I guess I have to start counting now. I think this one is long enough!!!!!
I really try to post meaningful comments. I was not aware there was a minimum of characters.
I wonder if you can just write HI with 48 spaces between the H and the I?
Unfortunately, yes, you do. But let's not tell people that, okay? Unless you want to tell Niki. Then he can fix that.
and what do you write to benefit anyone after 95 comments...but I did show up....lol
I, generally, comment on more than 10 posts so this doesn't effect me but it may others.
Love your posts Craig, they are great so please keep em coming!!
Thank you,
~Patricia Aulson/Seacoast NH & ME
Interesting find, Craig. I always thought it was ten words. Still learning things about AR even after nearly five years.
OK, Craig! I've been known to count my words, but characters? I usually post way more than 10 comments and most of them are at least a half line, so that's another way to get your points. Still, nice to know.
Hey, I have to read the entire article to comment, so I feel better knowing that someone can't get points just for cutting and pasteing.
Gretchen
Thanks Craig for this information. I normally comment at least a couple of lines but didn't know what that magic number was to obtain the 25 points.
Loved your collage! Wonderful contest with so many excellent entries. Glad I was not a judge. Congratulations on 4th place!
Margaret
I guess that I've been tardy for the party. I've been on ActiveRain for some time now & just finally realized that points were awarded for commenting. Thanks for the further clarification of the value of that comment. It takes a bit more to become an active participant. Cheers!
Sandi - yes longer words do work, and thx for counting reference :: Joni - yes author gets a few points for our comments, I'm not sure if system counts all comments even short ones (sounds like more research for me hehe) :: Brad - making a point hopefully :: Virginia - great stuff, thx :: Suzi - sincere is best, points are nice to get too when you are trying to be top of locale list :: Chanda - I agree, thanks
Mary - who wants to count is right, fill up a line if you are wondering :: Maia - now it can make sense :) :: David - glad to help :: Cindy - it looks like a few others learned from this now, thx :: Ray - I know it was tempting to do that, thx :: Robert - LOL good to know how to apply the brakes :) :: Virginia D - great formula, thx for sharing :: Lisa - meaningful and sincere comments are really all that matters :: Donald - we don't have to count really, few word comments just good to be aware no points :: Cindy - your formula is the best! ;)
Eric - now you know! remember we aren't scoring points with the author and those are probably the more important points to score :: Tammy - yes :: Valerie - counting is tedious, I don't, aim for a couple of sentences as minimum to be safe, and that is always easy to do :: Cindy in Indy checking in at milestone 98, who would have known a comment post getting so many comments! I may be done replying in few more days LOL :: Tammie - many are the same, for me my time browsing others is limited each day so I rarely hit 10 comments mark :: Patricia - that's my plan! :) :: John - is the analytical part of me talking :: Pat - I agree, nice to know, glad to see you! :: Gretchen - well unfortunately many do get points for cut/paste but if the same comment comes from the same person always, we see the shallowness in it pretty quickly thus it actually HURTS them
Erica - I know the feeling, both ways :: Kim - it's not hard to hit but it is nice to know :: Margaret - thanks for the collage comment, it was fun, glad to be somewhere near the top of the list :) :: Marianne - yes AR points are a reward to get us to do things that are rewarding! :) thanks for visiting
So what's your point Craig? Just kidding of course. There are times when I just make a comment so that the author knows I was there. In those cases, I don't really mind about the points, but rather I mind more about the support I'm giving the author. Sometimes I'm just short on words.
BTW. Good post. Thanks for sharing.
Sometimes, you just want to agree with the author but I understand what you are saying Craig, thanks for making us think!
I guess we're going to now see lots of stuff re-posted by the author as we all get ysed to the 'draft mode' default.
Charita - maybe AR should get a like button like facebook does (but doesn't go to your facebook feed) then we could see who likes and we could read the posts that have the most "likes" - which now that I think about it sounds like the suggest button only the list could be public - hmmm. interesting :)
Geoff - yes it is interesing to see how the AR points are tallied (or not)
Robert - I went back to edit and then draft came as default, when i put it back online, it pops to the top of the list ... you know what I did!!!! :)
sorry folks - ignore this post - it is not new - we're probably good already on the comments on this one!
Honestly, some days I have a hard time finding any posts that I even want to comment. Most times, I am interested in what's been said, but I honestly don't have much to add (and I'm just too whipped by the end of the day to be creative). I thought I had heard something about this, but I really hadn't paid too much attention; good to know, thanks.
Virginia - I know sometimes we are just too tired, we do have long days don't we?? :)
Craig, I love the points and love seeing my little pic move up the ranks, but I seriously cannot comment on a post just for points. I just don't get it...I mean, what's the "point"? (pun intended). I subscribe to your blog for the insight you share, not the points. LOL!
Craig,
Thank you for this explanation. I didn't know that. My comments often are too long. Comments given for points only, game the system. Comments that demonstrate that the commenter understood the post and has something to add, are most helpful.
Deborah - relationships here in AR are built on meaningful interactions (points just help us do what we are supposed to, at least at the start, then we learn the real reason as we go)
Lloyd - I like it when I get meaningful comments and they actually read and not skimmed the title or first sentence! :)
folks - this post went into draft accidentally and then came back at the top of the blogroll - it was an accident... but hey, I'm seeing some new faces, so hello everybody that missed this on the first round :)
Craig - GOOD INFO! I'm a "newbie" so I definitely did NOT know that comments had to be a certain length. And I will DEFINITELY subscribe to your blog (hey, do I get points for that??) HA!
Craig - this is excellent, thanks for sharing! LOL! What a difference a "." can make in commenting, writing checks, pricing a listing, etc. I enjoy all your posts but found this one to be timely as there is so much talk about commenting and points. There are those that keep saying points are not important, but I'm with you, why not make the points. Actually I think the point system keeps us consistent in doing things and I love it!
Craig - this is an eye-opening post for me. I am quite new to AR and still trying to figure out the rules. Thank you for clarifying the rule about getting 25 points and how important the quality of comments is to AR members.
Craig - I didn't know about the minimum number of character needed to get points for comments. It makes sense, though. I didn't realize that people wanted points so desperately to cut and paste the same answers over and over again. Thanks for clearing this up.
Craig:
I grow bored with reading the same old same old. I am selective about the posts I leave comments on-- yes many times the post is excellent and has very valuable information, I will bookmark and come back to read.
Craig- Thanks for the info. So many rules and tricks to learn! I just love reading a good post and putting in my two cents! :o)
Hi Craig I too thought it was for 10 words or more-now I know -50 characters
Sometimes it doesn't need 50 characters but is it always about the points?
Great post, Craig...I'll keep commenting...not quite there yet...thank you for the post...awesome. Seriously, I didn't know this...still learning the ropes. I'm normally long winded, so I don't think I'll have a problem!
I guess it really doesn't matter if "a" is a word, or "I" is a word, or for that matter if "or" is a word! It's not the words that count. It's the characters and even the SPACES (ERIC #93)!
I'm just happy that most of the folks on AR are not "counters," but they are genuinely interesting and genuinely interested people.
Hi Craig,
Well you teach us something new every day! I always thought it was 10 words so now we know 50 characters! I always make comments on more than 10 blogs a day so don't really pay attention to the number of words. I always end up with the 25 points on 10 of the posts so must have had the right number of characters!
I must admit that on some evenings when I am rushed, I don't take as much care in my comments. However, I always try to repond in a meaningful way to the post that I have read. I actually thought it was 50 words, not 50 characters, so I guess I have been writing way too much!
Meaningful comments also show respect for the author of the post. A 'nice post' is sometimes a slap in the face, since it frequently demonstrates that the commenter has not even read the post.
I didn't know the character minimum. Your little red arrows show this off very well! Sometimes I really like the blog but don't really have anything to add. I'll try harder - thanks for the reminder!
What can you say in 49 characters? Great post! That hardly adds any value, right?
Congrats on the feature Craig. I too thought that the 10 word limit was fact. Thanks for claifying the character count.
Craig, I always learn something from your posts. I didn't know it was minimum 50 characters.
Hi Craig - Thanks for clearing up my misconceptions. I always thought it was words.
This is an excellent post. Thank you for sharing this post.
I didn't know about the characters - I thought there was a 10 word criteria!
Robert - your last line answers why it was featured. And why did so many people comment? Why did you?
Interesting...
Hi Craig - I knew there was a minimum of words, did not know of the 50 character count, thank for the info..much appreciated.
Wow, so now it is important to even count characters. i thought the whole purpose of commenting is so that we actually provide feedback and connect with the writer. Sometimes,like in this post, it is just to have a little fun.
Thanks for the primer.
Louise - always glad to help newbies and thanks for the subscribe!
Barbara - that . on a check amount might make a huge difference! :) points help us do what helps us!
Elizabeth - thank you for your quality comment, love helping and always glad to see EB
June - some people miss the point!
L/L - reward a good post with a comment, thanks for visiting here :)
Debbie - that's one thing that makes AR special
Tim - I thought 10 words too! but understand more correctly now... :)
Barb - sometimes, points smoints, make a great <50 is perfectly ok!
Laurie - it really is easy to hit the marker
Liz - a few counters, majority are friends
Dorie - thanks for your always quality comments :)
Joan - 50/50 - well that perspective changes things!
Melissa - if we make a specific mention or add to the thought we know we connected!
Alison - the red arrows are one way to look at it if you have a brief comment to make
Claude - great post, thanks for sharing this post *NOT*
Tom - I like to know how things work :) and be accurate to boot!
Pamela - glad to help :)
Robert - my post talked about getting points in more ways than one. AR uses a point system to get members to get in the habit of doing things that help them. Commenting on other peoples posts in meaningful ways helps everyone. Discussions are deepend. Friendships are gained. Referrals come when the opportunities arise. We learn and grow. The 25 points really isn't the point but the incentive. If it helps us get one notch higher on the leaderboard it can help us be visible. Visiblity is a good incentive too. That this post was featured, well that is the AR powers decision, and I always appreciate the opportunity. I enjoy teaching about the AR system and others obviously like to learn as testified by the myriad comments! Again the post and discussion emphasizes it is more than the 25 points that matter... it is not an unimportant topic - I do value all viewpoints :)
Conrad - you are quite welcome
Jay - coming in at milestone #140 - no comment... :) or lots of 'em! thank you sir
Stephen - glad to have you comment, thank you
Jeana - head scratching no more :)
Karen from Bergen County - please don't count to 50! do valuable comments, and have fun! now I like that!! :)
Good information to know.. Is this 49 .. Don't think so. I never can keep it to 49. This is a short as I am willing to do...
Craig,
Thanks for tellimg me about "Miss Bad Manners". After reading your post, I went over 'there', and wow, there's a whole wealth of info there.
Craig - Thanks for 'pointing out' that 50 characters are needed for 25 points rather than 10 words. Apparently punctuation makes a difference! I wasn't aware that the person receiving the comment gets a few points too (Thanks to #46 Russel Ray for pointing that out).
I had no idea that there was a minimum amount of characters for a comment to receive points. Have I made it yet? :-)
is leaving a short comment just as bad as writing a post for the points....lol!..i'll have to check out that manners link....thanks for the info....
Hi Craig, I have learned something new today, and, being brand new to AR, this is my very first comment !! I am going to work my way through your classroom and look forward to learning more. Thanks!
That was really useful information thank you very much... I'll spread the word.
Wow
More to learn every day..I sometimes post just to let the poster know I was there but I guess when I do I ought to at least make it long enough to get points eh...
Thanks
I tend to comment with more than enough characters to get my points, LOL! I hope when I do leave a short comment people aren't thinking I'm a "cut and paste hit and run point hog" .
Ken - nope it's not hard if we really have something to say or add :)
Michele - miss bad manners is great, keep an eye on her
David - yes, you are helping the person get a few points by your comment on their post!
Melissa - it's the logical side of me coming out, in case you had any doubt :)
John/Kasey - you made it (and then some!)
Aida - manners matter :)
Kathleen - I emailed you, please let me know if you have any questions about AR - I'm honored that your FIRST comment was on my blog :)
Dennis - glad you liked
Sharon - if you aren't thinking about the points count, your comments will be better, funny how that works :)
Lyn - yes that's classic :)
Craig,
I have read several articles here and I have bookmarked it for later. Thanks, this obviously took a lot of work!
Brian
Maybe it would help if the writer asked the audience a question or two? Engage the readers a bit more? That is ultimately what we want in the blogging world....is it not?
Julia
Brian - I'm very glad you appreciated it :)
Julia - asking questions will spur interaction, good thought. On a blog post, you might find out and connect with readers you didn't know you had. On Facebook, discussions are especially beneficial as people who comment help amplify your content out into their sphere. This gives you more potential to connect with new people! ;)
Wow! awesome tips, great post about point earning...by the I like too much ours graphs :)
Thanks
Craig, I love coming to your blog, because everytime I do, I know that I will learn something new and today was no exception. I always try to give substance when commenting, but have never heard about the comment length until today....thanks for the info.
So I read through some of the comments and realized that I know very little about active rain! Everybody is mentioning they thought it was 9 words, or 10, or 15 and I didn't even know enough to think there was a minimum at all, so thanks for the information.
Craig ~ fabulous info. I always thought it was 10 words as well. At least I am not a cut and paste commenter. I bumped into to the same guy today on 3 different posts with the exact same comment for everyone! Now that is irritating...one of his comments was on my post! Needless to say, I didn't reciprocate!
I thought it was the ten words not a character count. I must be wordy enough to always get the points without trying hard.
Craig: I didn't know there was a minimum number of characters. This is deffinantly worth reblogging becuase I bet a lot of people don't know this good info. Thanks.
I don't think I have ever had to worry about making sure my comments contained a minimum of 50 characters. So often when I write a comment... it ends up being so long that I could turn it into a post all by itself.
But... in order to make a comment like that... one really has to actually read the post... and try and add something to the conversation with their comment.
HI .... I'm just learning how to utilize AR to the fullest. When I learned that I needed to accumulate points for more than just a "high number", I am looking for ways to do it. I'm glad I read your blog about it --- 50's the number. Thanks for the tips.
Suzanne
Hi Craig!!!
I found your blog today and I've subscribed to it. You have some really interesting posts here. If the focus is on technology, I'm going to read it. ............ er--- I think that's more than 50 characters. ;-)
Good Information, I am going to make sure that my comment is at least 50 characters long, because I DO love my points :)
Hi Craig, I too am a little long winded with comments and would rather checkout the other blogs before even considering taking that time away (to count characters). Great information though, funny that the spaces count too though. hmmmm
Jacque & Larry
So maybe someone can explain to me why I haven't been awarded any points for my blog comments. I have 4 comments meeting the 50 character minimum & have never been awarded any blog comment points. What am I doing wrong?
Gretchen Bradley
http://activerain.com/gb4homes
Gretchen, I just looked at your "My Comments" link on your blog. It shows you have made three comments... including the one right above this one.
This one is the only one of the three that was made on someone else's blog post. THAT is what you get your 25 points for.
When someone makes a comment on one of the blog posts that YOU have written... and then you comment back to them... answering their comment... you do not get any points for that.
Points are only given when someone makes a comment on someone else's blog post. So... your points summary shows only 25 points for comments... for the only comment shown that you made on someone elses post. And again, that is the comment right above this one.
Does this help ?
Craig-thanks for clarifying this, most the time I don't any problem filling up several lines, I guess I just need to focus on the things that interest me. Best.
WOW! I had't counted characters in my comments before.
It doesn;t take much to fill upi 50 characters. :)
I had no idea that the characters mattered so much in comments. You can be sure now though that all comments you recieve shall be long just in case so that points can be earned :)
Thanks Craig,
I guess since I'm not a Realtor, I don't care about points. Or maybe because I'm new to AR, I don't connect the value of points with the value of being part of this community. Maybe it will matter to me and our appraisal business, but for now, I just appreciate being part of a generally forward thinking and open-minded community.
I enjoy the tech tips too...especially since I'm not tech-y.
Michael
Being a newbie to Activerain, I suppose I'll be reading LOTS AND LOTS of the blogs just to learn how to navigate around the site. Next up....seeing what else you've given insight on!
I still see comments with 1 or 2 words never mind 50 characters, there isnt 10. Your blog comes a long way to expalin things to newbies. Thanks for sharing it
Great post. My goal is to learn something new each day that I can put to good use. I've been guilty of those short comments but mostly because I didn't realize we were being "graded" on them OR getting points. I just love purusing the blogs to both learn and realize that I am not alone in the crazy, crazy stuff we have to deal with on a day in and out basis.
I did know about the 10 words, but didn't know about the 50 characters. I am occasionally guilty of comenting for the sake of commenting, but never on your blog, I always read it, even if not right away when you write it. I go back and do the ones I missed, like this one.
Never knew there was a minimum, only commented when I have a comment to share otherwise the like button works for me as anod. Nice way to stop the "great post" crap.
Craig,
Thank you for sharing your post about points and comments. I wish I would have seen it sooner. I actually called activerain to find out why some blogs/comment get points and others don't. They told me the same thing but it took a ten minute wait to get my answer..lol :)
This is such a g-r-e-a-t tip. I w-i-s-h I had k-n-o-w-n about this s-o-o-n-e-r.
Well this is great to know. Had I realized this earlier I'm sure I would have picked up some much needed points...but of course that's not why I comment :)
Well, it just seems odd NOT to post a comment about this! At any rate, it would seem that I've met the 50 character minimum so I can quit at any time. :) But - I'm sticking around to say, great post and thanks for sharing!
How funny.... does AR (oh wait let me spell that out...ACTIVE RAIN) have a character counter so we know when we've hit the right number, lol. I had no idea and have certainly left posts too short (but I'm honestly not sure!). Thanks for the heads up!
I didn't know that either, Craig. Seems like I learn something almost everytime I sign on to AR. I vote to increase it to a whole line of text. And, spelling out AR should be unacceptable. ;~)
I'm brand new to activerain. I'm spending a fair amount of time poking around all the blogs, just to get the hang of how it's done. Thanks for a helpful tip!
I didn't even know that there was a minimum number of characters to earn points. I just figured if you posted, you earned points.
When you make the comments, you often get inspired with the blog post for the day that replaces the one in your end when you signed on. The comments should be the meat and potatoes of some blogs that are meant to solicit comments. Some are so well written not much more to add.
Craig, this is good to know if you are watching points. When I started commenting I did not realize you even were rewarded points for it. I thought it was only for blogging. Now I am looking up additional ways to get points
Hello Craig,
It does make sense to me know... Thank you for breadking it down.
As always, I learned something new today :)
Thank you for the post. I honestly did not have any idea of the number of characters that were required in a comment to achieve point credit. My non reading of directions once again at work. Thank you again.
i am a new member and i also didnt realize there was a character minimum. Thanks =)
Very true! I'm not a counter - but most of my comments are awarded points. It's kinda hard to comment and be under 50 characters....
I was interested to know about the minimum length of comments for credit. Can anyone tell me if there is a guidline for what activities reward points and how many times a day you can get them?
Nice information. As I am new to active rain I have been searching the community for information and way to become active in building what I see is success from many others. Does not seem as you need to reinvent the wheel within this community but rather just be active.
Thanks for the great information.
Thank you very much Craig. I'm still new to ActiveRain and I was wondering how the points system worked! I assume character length is not the only way to go... and I'll subscribe to your blog as I'm sure I'll find more usefull infos on it.
Thanks again!
Wow. You must be psychic.
I just left a comment . I did not get any points. I thought it was a glitch in the system.
But no ,it was not. And then, I happened upon this wonderful post. Thank you.
Caprice
"This is an excellent post! Thank you for sharing this post."
lol,
now if i paste it 9 more times to different blogs, would it be sufficient to go through comments today and maybe every day from now on?
actually, it is not funny~~ some do exactly this~ collecting points, but do they bring value into community?..........Note, Zet, Never............
Craig, thank you! I wasn't award of the character count --- so I have learned something new today. Excellent post,
Bill
Very well written! The points are great, but some consideration when leaving a comment is in order as well.
Learn something new everyday. Looks like taking time to think about the article before commenting on it will help in more ways than 1.
Craig, thank you, I am relatively new to this and didn't realize they had a 50 char minimum. That accounts for why some of my past comments didn't get an points. Thanks again
Good information. I was wondering why this weekend when I was congratulating winners for some of the contestst that I didn't get points for the comments. Now I know why.
Thanks, I was wondering why I didn't always get points as I tend to be brief.
Thank you very much for the clarification, I am just now starting to see the benifit of the points structure.
Thank you for sharing this info Craig. I learn something new every day here on Active Rain :)
Thanks for the tip! (6 3 3 3 = 15) If I write a few more words, I squeak out the minimum! (2 1 5 1 3 4 5, 1 6 3 3 7 = 39). Phew! (4) Made it (4 1 = 5) I haven't counted length in my writing since high school English class! Double spacing and narrow margins anyone? :)
Craig. Thanks for all of information. I did not know this. Now I do. I appreciate you for sharing. Royal...
Thanks for the tip - I am working hard to reach half a line but did it!! Regards Dave
Thanks Craig for letting us know about this.. but what are the benefits of getting points for comments.. yes its increase scores but is there any other benefit as well.. ;)
Craig
I don't like to read, I appreciate finding this. I am coming along in AR. Getting the hang of this
Wow, I am amazed at how short 50 characters is. I enjoyed the link to Bliz' Ms. Manners post.
Craig,
Hope all is well with you.
Since AR has been redesigned, I don't know how to leave a comment to someone's comment on my post? Before, I could just click to respond, but I can't find a way to do that now?
Thanks,
Sandra
I didn't know there was a character count to earn points. I have always just said my piece but it is good to know about the 50 characters.
I'm #227 here:) and noticed that you had 10 re-blogs and feature. Congratulations!
2018.3.22xukaimin
Cool,
I mean having a minimum of words to promote meaningful comments is cool.
Just the word cool wouldn't cut it I guess.