WingColors

Sometimes when I write most articulately, my readers are most silent. I've said my piece, they soak it in, and that's that.

I'm a personal blogger and I generally spark the most discourse when I lay out my soul for my readers. When I show raw emotion, discussions begin because my readers want to share their own experiences in turn.

I don't usually try to begin discussion; if my readers want to talk, they will. That being said, when I'm funny (a rarity) or when I ask questions in my posts, I also get pretty good interaction. Saying something incendiary once in awhile doesn't hurt, either. ;)

I write exactly as if I were standing in front of you. I hold conversations or share my thoughts. Usually what happens: people want to talk to me because of my writing style lol.

Conversely, I will see something and might even have an opinion about it but for some reason there isn't enough "umph" to get me to write a comment. I think it's me though not necessarily the person and I'm trying to change that. Odd, I'm more likely to comment on a personal blog than a "professional" one. No idea why.

I reply to posts I enjoy because I like to tell people I've enjoyed what they've written. The world's a cruel, harsh place. Why not be good to other people when you can?

I also reply when I have a question to ask, like "where did you find that? how did you do that? what color was it?" If I disagree, I don't usually say anything, unless it's a friend and then I like to give them a hard time about it. Or, if I disagree and it's a civil sort of disagreement, like a defense of a writer I love, I'll say something that the poster might not have thought about. You know, just in case they care.

I'm confused. You asked two different questions.

To answer your first (the title): I join discussions because I have an opinion on just about everything. It's both a weakness and a strength.

As for the question you ended on: the hell if I know. I obviously haven't mastered it - just look at the amount of comments my average entry receives. Then again, I rarely write with the express interest of creating discussion. Generally, I'm just relaying something that happened.

I honestly couldn't nail down any particular techniques that have worked for me in the past when trying to initiate discussion. The only constant is getting Dugg: you're guaranteed comments then. But that doesn't count.

I guess controversy helps. But even when I wrote an entry recently about some new Web2.0 service catering to sexual predators it got very few comments and a lot of Google traffic from perverts (who declined to comment).

So I have to admit: I don't know!

:(

@ All: Thanks for the thoughts.

@ Erin: If your first sentence is true for me, then the sharing seems one way and, well, I bet that I am just not that altruistic.

@ Rich: The title and the last question are (for me) two different ways to ask the same thing. If I could get an answer to either questions...that would...presumably...help. Of course, I can't write my blog entries to cater to your first answer (you informing me that you post comments on blogs via mere serendipity simply does me no good) -- unless of course, you CLICK HERE).

@ BlogLily: You can give me a hard time any time you want...except if we ever negotiate against each other...or is that especially if we negotiate against each other...I am not sure which.

;-)

Oh, I gotcha now. In that case, ignore my first response.

Chacon -- You will never get a phone call from me telling you that I need your client to indemnify mine for anything and everything that might ever happen. That's because I work at an appellete court, and we never call anybody. On the phone, I mean.

As for how to get people to chat (I mean, respond intelligently)-- you leave comments on their blogs that're genuinely interested in what they have to say and they will soon enough be over at yours telling you their entire life stories. (I can tell you are good at that because I've someone told you a piece of my life story without even really being asked.)

@ BlogLily: <grin> Too bad for me. 9th?

First. District Court of Appeal. I love my job and the judge I work for is an absolute prince.

I find people respond to posts only if they can relate to the topic on some level - be it personal experience or something they desire.

Posts that are factual are boring for people to read. They usually ignoere them. Posts that are emotional, raw and personal elicit better responses but for the most part people read and just take it in. Posts that are extremely opinionated are the ones that usually get the most responses, not only between the writer and reader, but among other readers as well.

I always write with the hope that someone will reply :) I love discussions because new information comes out that sometimes you can never imagine.

I forgot this one: one of the cardinal rules of blogging is that when you do get a comment, you should respond to it. If you let your discussions be only one-way, your readers are going to be less likely to continue commenting.

I've been crap at following this rule in the past, but I'm working on getting better. It's helped, or at least I'd like to think it has.

Erin, Your note made me go back to my blog and actually answer the people who wrote passionate replies to a post the other day. (I've been slacking, and not honoring that particular commitment to readers, which is "when people visit, make them feel welcome by replying to their comments.")

I rarely reply to comments on my blog. Primarily because most of them just say something like: "lol great post" or a variation. How do you reply to that?

@Rich: You got a problem with my comment? [wink] <-- BTW, would have used an emoticon here but Lily is following the post. [insert second emoticon here]

Richard, I don't think those comments are necessary to follow up on, but comments where readers share a bit about themselves or go out of their way to compliment you deserve at least a "thank you," don't you think?

I'm with Erin on the "Thanks, glad you liked it! :~)"

I think I reply to about 80-90% of comments. I see it just as politeness if nothing else. If it is a name I don't recognise, I always start with a 'Welcome...'. I try to ask a question in my response comment to try and involve more readers or get people to share more. It isn't easy, and I'm not that good at it, but practice makes me better I guess.

The "lol great post" comments normally go in the bin as I don't see how they help or add to the conversation. Besides, I know it was a great post, I wrote it! ;)

Haha sometimes it'll be comment tennis between a few readers which goes for many many posts. It's good fun!

I join discussions as I'm always interested in hearing other peoples opinions and sharing my own opinion.