Are you well-versed in comment etiquette?

Which comment would you rather receive?

“Great post! Check out my blog at someblog.wordpress.com.”

or

“Well said! I know exactly what you mean about X, and I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks so. I would even say that A, B, C! Your candor is greatly appreciated.”

The second one, of course. Why? For one thing, it follows the etiquette guidelines below. But even more importantly, it was written with the intent to forge a relationship, not to self promote.

Relationship building is a much more effective and rewarding strategy for attracting new visitors to your site than spamming, so if you’re interested in boosting your readership, keep the following tips in mind when you leave comments on others’ posts:

1. Be specific. Personalized comments show authors that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say, and that you actually took the time to read what they wrote. This doesn’t mean you need to write a long comment, just be sure to articulate why you felt compelled to say something in the first place. Did you learn something new? Did you have a similar experience? Do you want to voice a different perspective? Quote the author directly if you need to clarify what specific sentences you’re responding to.

Even if you simply want to compliment someone’s work, explain what you liked about it. Avoid vague comments like “Awesome! Thanks for sharing.” If you’re not sure what to say, consider using the Like button to show your support.

2. Don’t leave a link to your blog. When you leave a comment on a WordPress.com blog post, your name will automatically link to your blog, so there’s no need to include it twice. (This setting can be found under Users → Personal Settings in your dashboard, in the Account Details section.) Blatant self-promotion is generally frowned upon and is likely to be ignored, so be careful not to tarnish your reputation by creating the perception that you’re a spammer.

On a related note, when you mention another author’s post on your own blog, do include a link, instead of just mentioning the post title or blog name. This will generate a pingback and inform the author that you mentioned their post.

3. Stay on topic. Take care not to diverge too far from the subject of the original post. If you end up in an off-topic exchange with other commenters, message them directly to avoid distracting from the comments left for the post author.

It’s perfectly acceptable to share relevant links, just be sure to explain how they relate to the original post.

Bonus trick: Turn text into links with HTML by using the following code:

<a href="link">text</a>

For example,

<a href="http://wordpress.com">My favorite blogging platform</a>

creates My favorite blogging platform when published as a comment.

4. Be nice. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s never appropriate to use insults or other offensive language. Rude comments don’t add any value to a discussion, and only divert attention away from the author’s work. It’s perfectly fine to offer constructive criticism, just be polite. If you see others writing disrespectful or incendiary comments, or you receive such comments on your own blog, ignore/delete them. Acknowledging them will only encourage the aggressor, so don’t waste your time.

5. Keep it brief. The more concise your comment, the easier it will be for others to read and respond to. In most cases, a few sentences is plenty.

But what if you feel strongly about a topic and have a lot to say — is it appropriate to leave a long-winded comment? Or should you write a response on your own blog, then leave a comment that summarizes your post?

It depends. Some bloggers feel that long comments are overwhelming and disruptive. Others prefer to keep the conversation all in one place. What do you think?

Speaking of building relationships with other bloggers, it’s not too late to join the Post a Day/Post a Week challenge if you’re interested in interacting more with other members of the WordPress.com community. Check out The Daily Post for details.

Have questions about comment settings and management? Find the answers you need in our extensive support documentation on comments.


Missing out on the latest WordPress.com developments? Enter your email below to receive future announcements direct to your inbox. An email confirmation will be sent before you will start receiving notifications - please check your spam folder if you don't receive this.

Join 15,028,102 other followers

Erica

362 Comments

Comments are closed.

  1. Sara

    I totally agree with all of those points! Also, thanks for the tip on how to include a link in a comment, I’m not all that great with HTML. :)

  2. Meg

    Great post! Thanks for sharing.

    /end comment

    Okay — just kidding! You’re on target about folks who leave comments that are blatantly self-promoting . . . those typically get deleted by yours truly or are edited out to exclude the web address. The blogging community seems to follow a pretty standard “visit me and I’ll visit/comment you” rule, and I like that about it.

  3. boldray

    Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
    Seriously though, this is good sound advice and I would add that it’s also nice when bloggers reply to comments. This is something I didn’t do when I started my blog – now I always make a point of responding; it shows you care!

  4. John Zimmer

    A nice post, Erica, and a useful reminder of how little it takes to bring a bit of class to the blogosphere. By the way, check out my site at http … oh, never mind.

    Cheers!

    John

  5. MinusTheLinus

    Thank you for this post! When a blogger puts a lot of work into their work, it feels good to have an appreciative and educated response, whether or not there is agreement on the topic. These tips are also legitimate in other social networking platforms (ie. any and all forums and comment sections).

  6. theworkingcaregiver

    Ok, so we’re all scared to comment :) I will admit I have been guilty to leaving random comments and now can really work on leaving pertinent information and being more specific. I think maybe (and not making any excuses) I get overwhelmed with trying to read, reply, like, and or comment and need to really scale back.

  7. PrinceConnoisseur

    Great information. I used to get lots of comments until I stopped responding to them but I think they will post again after reading help like this.

  8. Eric

    Good tips! Especially #5.

  9. Hamlet Hamster

    I never knew how to comment correctly. Now I know. Thank you very very much! Cheers Always yours Hamster

  10. K

    Great post ! (although I won’t ask you to check out my blog here ;) )….. I think the first kind of comment is a symptom of wanting to have impressive blog stats or google adsense pageviews ! The second kinda comment (the good kind) comes from someone genuinely reading and appreciating a blog. You are absolutely correct about the relationship building — often controversial topics on blogs and their consequent comments have overflowed into long long coffee shop evenings for me and my buddies !!

    @ Long comment : I really really love the long comment — it means that someone has taken the time to read your post, sit on it for a while, mull over it and then give a long response! I think that is a bigger ego-boost when compared with the blog-stats ! Quality over quantity ;)

  11. Tom Baker

    I love comments of all shapes and sizes. As long as the comments are on topic or pertain to the blog in general.

  12. Emmy

    Great, thanks for sharing! (LOL, just kidding). I and many of my friends transfered here from Vox. Conversations there could get tense, so I appreciate the polite tone of WordPress. I get one or two folks who leave one word comments, like: “Interesting”. Every. Single. Time. It’s kind of silly. Sometimes I do get the impression that they are only there to invite more traffic onto their own blogs. One minor disagreement: I don’t always provide a link to my friends if I’m referring to them. I did so in the past only to find out their blogs were private. So I usually ask permission before I put in a link. Okay, so obviously I do like long comments – if it’s from a close friend. Sorry for the essay here. Just wanted to say, I’m enjoying WP, and thanks for keeping our ex-Vox community to stay whole. Cheers.

  13. Sandra Nachlinger

    THANK YOU for this helpful, informative post. Every tip you listed was right on target. I especially appreciate the HTML code for turning text into links. I’m going to my blog right now and link this article.

  14. monroe99

    Thanks for the help. I’m just starting and I am guilty of number 2 (although I did precede my link with a comment more verbose and relevant than, “Great post!”). I understand the logic though. Who wants their comment section to look like a clutter of cheap praise in the weeds of a link farm.

  15. barryb64

    First, thanks for the tip on turning text into a link. I have had some trouble and appreciate your demonstrating it.

    Secondly, I do appreciate the reminder about etiquette. It’s quite easy to forget when wrapped up in the building of one’s site.

  16. J Roycroft

    Great tips. Thanks

  17. myhealthyblog11

    Geat tips, Erica!
    It’s a nice way to maintain good relationships on the blog world! ;)

  18. Intelligent Challenge

    Oh, no, real pressure to write a valuable comment….. I think I failed. But thanks for the guidance, it’s spot on

  19. nickshell1983

    Erica, thanks for writing this. There have been times where I all I could do was just laugh at some of the shameless promotion “comments” I have received from other writers. I always know the ones who are sincere. It’s pretty easy :)

  20. Viktor D. Huliganov

    Awesome! Thanks for sharing! ;-) (Just kidding – check out my blog to make sure! ;-) ;-) ;-) )

  21. Omar Faruque

    Good stuff.

  22. 2blu2btru

    I have a question about linking to my blog. I have more than one blog, and sometimes when I leave comments, I want them to have the link to the proper blog for the comment I’m leaving (say, my writing blog’s link for a blog about writing I comment on). At the moment it defaults to my primary blog, which is about relationships. I think some people will click the link and read the relationship blog and not be interested, whereas they may actually want to read the writing blog. How do I leave the correct link within your etiquette guidelines?

    • Erica Johnson

      If you log out of WordPress.com before leaving a comment, you’ll have the option to specify which blog address you want your name to link to.

      Also keep in mind that you can display multiple links in your gravatar/hovercard.

  23. 2embracethelight

    Your points were well articulated and realistic. That you for the advice. Also sometimes blogs are more scientifically or intellectually minded for those who are seeking that type of informative blog. Other times it is nice as you say to be less so, to others you are more. For me, I try to use Word Press to voice my own heart whether it is read or not. But to also try to attract viewers of many interests.
    Thank you for your insightful thoughts.

  24. dogkisses

    Well, I’ve gone from essay comments to saying Awesome, thanks for sharing, Now, I must find that great balance in between.

  25. hanginoutwithgod

    Thanks for the notes on posting. Although the things you share should be pretty commonly accepted as good manners when blogging, or even e-mailing, they are things that sometimes get set aside in the heat of the moment when feelings are strong about a particular posted message. And I definitely agree about the “spamming.” I’d much rather not receive any comments at all that to receive artificial praise just so someone else can post a link to their blog.

  26. Al Jones

    Great post Erica!

    And very true…

    For some it’s very easy to get carried away by forgetting the fact that there are honest-to-goodness, and very tangible human beings on the receiving end of their comments. I think your article would do very well in informing a large majority of the Youtube population as well.

    Many may not put too much stock in your 5 points on comment etiquette. If that’s what they want, then fine. But for others who wish to develop a reputation as someone professional, and credible… i think your points are absolutely essential for building just that.

    A good book to read on this subject was written by Dale Carnegie, called “How To Win Friends And Influence People”. Anyone can download a free PDF of it online. It’s a must read if anyone really wishes to improve on their social communication skills.

    Thank you for your post Erica.

    God Bless

    Al Jones

  27. callyjackson

    Thanks for this post, Erica. I’m quite new to the blogosphere so it’s good to know the do’s and don’t’s before I get too far along! And I’m happy to be able to say that in my short time blogging, all the comments I have received have been genuine, and it gives me a little thrill every time I see someone has responded to something I’ve said!

  28. Felix Feles

    I swear so people just copy and paste comments. I got 2 identical ones on my last blog, on a post full of pictures, saying they liked my opinion, and how some people are more inclined that others!

  29. ash

    This makes perfect sense to me, and I just can’t see why other people don’t naturally understand these points. I see #2 (short, vague comments followed by blog links) all the time, and it drives me crazy. All I can think is ‘How rude’. It’s funny because these are the comments I tend to ignore, so despite posting their link for all to see, it actually drives me away from visiting their blog.

    As for the longer comments … I think I would leave this to the visitor’s discretion, but if you aren’t sure, make the blog post and let the author who inspired it know about it. I don’t mind lengthy comments, but not everyone is the same. Always better to be safe than sorry : )

  30. postadaychallenge2011

    Great tips and I am learning how to properly link and all that fun stuff. I wish I could do my interview on you!

  31. digitalcatharsis

    I think I’ve been practicing this commenting etiquette but it’s nice find something written like this. thanks…

  32. yourglobalgirl

    Thanks- very helpful and being relatively new to this something I have been guilty of but will take care in future. So much to learn about the world of blogging……

  33. thenakedlistener

    I like comments more when they give an alternative viewpoint to the main piece, although comments that support are very much appreciated too.

  34. croydongeorge

    A truly useful and highly informative posting. Many thanks!

  35. bakebooks

    Great tips. I agree. Sometimes though long comments that give insight or encouragement are beyond supportive. As long as your not leaving it all about you or your situation of course!

    I love comments. But I know what you mean about self-promotion. It’s clear when someone is commenting for that purpose usually though. Let them be I guess…

  36. James

    LOL couldn’t help but laugh at Viktor’s comment. In this case, I normally try to follow good etiquette in commenting. On the rare case that I do not follow your suggestions like post my blog’s url is when there is a feeling that a person is totally off base and rather then make a long post on his blog, I will direct him to an article I’ve written. Erica thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  37. Mark Bradshaw

    I’ll keep it brief. Right on!

  38. Dan North

    I always want more comments, and I’m ashamed to say I’m happy with pretty much any comments that give even the slightest evidence that the writer has actually read my post. I used to be good at leaving comments on others’ blogs, which helped to generate more discussion back at my own pages in return. Thanks for the reminder to do that more often…

  39. Loup Kibiloki

    Thanks Erica. Good reminder )

  40. Ragan Corliss

    I have to say many of the spammer commments (and poor English) can be entertaining, but I hope the blogging community is doing a good job of blocking them as a whole.

  41. horsewhispertje

    Thank you for sharing

  42. EddyBettyShreddy

    LOL…I feel the same way as intelligent challenge. I’m new to all of this and am still quite clueless :lol: Good information here.

  43. Karen

    Thank you for sharing your perspective. I really enjoy it when people take the time to leave meaningful comments. Most of us blog to inspire a conversation and connection with others, right? Thank you for the tip about creating a link as well, I never knew how to do that.

    K

  44. Carolyn Thomas

    THANK YOU so much for this, Erica. My own ‘About This Site’ disclaimer warns would-be commenters:

    “If you choose to leave a comment about an article on this site, be aware that it is my prerogative to delete comments as I see fit, especially if they are mean-spirited, inappropriate, self-promotional, or just plain stupid.”

    Meanwhile, I’ve observed that, sadly, there are some very unhappy and angry people out there, many of whom seem to spend an inordinate amount of their lives leaving nasty comments throughout the blogosphere. The Huffington Post blog (I believe that’s a WordPress blog too) is a good example. Many comments there are like sitting in on an anger management support group….

    Cheers,
    C.

  45. tejash316

    this is really helpful as we tend to take the blogs for granted and reply to it instinctively, but your blog highlights the relevance of etiquettes in the Blogging world encouraging more discussion and view-sharing. Thank you Erica.

  46. LL

    I always thought leaving a link to your own blog (after an unwarranted, inane, generic comment) was pretty tasteless. I’m glad that this post just verified it for me. My biggest pet peeve is a well written comment followed by link to their post supposedly about the same topic, but the post is totally irrelevant.

  47. Iain Hall

    I think that the one thing you should also include is “accept the house rules” when commenting at blogs and have your comments policy clearly evident at your own blog either in a widget or on its own page so your commentators will know just how to fit in and engage in a civil manner at your sand pit.

  48. דוֹדָשְלָה

    Good tips – though personally I don’t mind people commenting just to say “awesome, thanks for sharing” or that sort of thing. if that’s all they have to say, it’s still nice to hear. sometimes blogging can feel like you’re talking to the wall in a very echoey room…

    As for lengthy comments – *big sigh* I’ve sometimes had people write what I felt was a whole sermon and I thought: whoa, this is my blog, not yours… so generally I’d say if you’ve got more than a paragraph or two to say then it’s best if you do it on your own blog and include a link. When I’ve read a blog that got me thinking and I had a lot to say, that’s what I’ve done – blogged my thoughts and then posted a comment saying: you got me thinking, I’ve written about it here… (but this was elsewhere – here you’ve got the pingback system so there isn’t even a need to post a comment.)

  49. neurotype

    Great stuff! Promotion comments are pretty terrible, it’s sad when people feel the need to resort to them despite the auto-link.

  50. Carole-Ann

    Good idea to publish guidelines / etiquette related to blogs!

    I only slightly disagree with length… I really do not mind long comments on my blog. I actually like them as they show a real engagement on the reader’s part. I do not typically respond to a short note “I like A and B” (except maybe a thank you). It might be a question of taste!

    BTW what is the etiquette in terms of response to a comment? Some bloggers always answereven if only to say “thank you”. Others do not respond at all unless there is a question. What do you recommend?

    • Erica Johnson

      It’s really up to you. I don’t think it’s necessary to respond just for the sake of responding, but if you’re dealing with a manageable number of comments, it does show readers that you really appreciate their feedback.

  51. Core Cosmetics UK

    Thanks – that was really useful – I have just started a blog and it was refreshing to find the right info so early – before I make any blogging faux-pas!!!

  52. nahatsu

    Hello.
    I’ve just read your blog and I thought it was very well presented, with some excellent ideas.
    Thank you very much, some very good points there!

    Regards
    nahatsu

  53. gaylealstrom

    I learned something from this post. Thanks.

  54. Goldilocks in France

    Several people who follow my blog are friends and have included personal material in their comments that’s from outside the domain of the blog–more like a private email exchange or maybe a Facebook exchange. I debated removing their comments…but I wasn’t sure of the etiquette from the other side.

  55. duke1959

    My rules for my blog are pretty basic. No profanity and nothing that I deem degarding towards women. Those 2 are set in stone and I will not budge. Other than that we all need to play nice. If i post something and someone says I am off my rocker and here’s why. Another thing is our culture is so much more crass than it was 30 years ago.

  56. agirlandhercarrot

    I love people who comment, just not people who comment with ,”check out my blog.” Unless it’s relevant, like SHARE the link to those lemon ricotta pancakes pluuueaze! This post should be a blogger 101 reading requirement. Ha!

  57. Adam Poser

    Great entry, Erica.

    You may very valid points. In business, It’s important to engage with people rather than pander. Constantly asking for something will leave you getting nothing. You must build a relationship first.

    Also, common courtesy and friendliness is always something I think people need to, unfortunately, be reminded about.

    Keep up the good work.

  58. thedoctorjohn

    Right on another way to perfect your e-life.

  59. Craig Benno

    Great post Erica.

    It was logical, to the point and easy to understand.

    In regards to your 2nd point; I think it is ok to provide a link back to your’s or another’s blog if it is linking to an article about the same topic. This is particularly useful if you are engaging on a technical topic and you want to add detail / weight to your comment at hand and helps keep your comment brief; which covers your 5th point.

  60. adventurewriter

    A great reminder. I certainly try to keep my comments meaninful – afterall, what does a simple “Awesome!” mean? Such phrases as this have become a cliche among many other fairly unsentimental phrases. Before writing a comment, you must know your purpose, without direct intent to promote, for writing that message. Commenting on blogsbsuch DailyPost may merit a short response, something tjat analyzes the topic prompt and responds properly. On other WordPress blogs, thought should be expounded to an even greater extent.

    On my blog, I have received many short answers in response to my posts – even fairly unrelated. Yet why do I approve them? Some comments are made by my cousin, who has yet to even reach her teenage years, and I do not hold high expectations for her responses, as she is not the type of person to elaborate upon a thought for the sake of responding to some medium on the internet – perhaps that will change over the years. As for other commentors, I find many insightful and genuine thoughts – in which I find great content that someone has read my post and gleaned something out of it.

    I myself have been guilty of limited comments, of which I look back upon with great distaste. I note where I could have established a genuinely thought-provoking comment, yet chose not to.

    When you comment, be sure to voice your respectable, courteous, and intellectual opinion. You will soon find that a short answer will fail to suffice – or otherwise refrain from such pursuit altogether.

  61. beachbumchix

    Great to know!

  62. canadiancfmom

    Thank-you for the advice. Question for you if you have time, I’m new to the Twitter share function – am I supposed to approve Twitter pingbacks when they appear in my comments section? Sorry if this is a silly question.

    • Erica Johnson

      Not silly at all. It’s completely up to you to choose how to manage your comments. Pingbacks are just a way of notifying you when others mention your work. If you want to share that with your readers, go ahead and approve them.

  63. sallybr

    Very good, I enjoyed reading your views on the etiquette of leaving a comment.

    On a related topic, the etiquette of dealing with the comments on a site could also be worth addressing.
    One pet peeve of mine: bloggers who do not answer a specific question left in a comment.

    In food blogs this type of situation shows up often, and some bloggers seem to just ignore them completely.
    I think it’s important to keep a feedback with the readers, otherwise why have the posts open for comments?

  64. jblairbrown

    O’ how I wish I had this post last week! I had a debate with a colleague who did something similar to what you describe in #3. I called him on it immediately. When he conveniently “didn’t get my point,” I broke it down like this: If someone walked into his home, interrupted the conversation he was having with all his guests (the exchanges were on Facebook) and started talking about his own issues, he wouldn’t like it much. No, he still ‘didn’t get it,’ and I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain it further.

    (…and he wonders why his business isn’t thriving!!)

    • Erica Johnson

      Well now you can share this article, right? :) Good analogy — I think it’s a great idea to treat comments as if they were face-to-face conversations.

  65. Ralf

    Hehehe… all too true… Nice that someone wrote about it although I am not sure if the spammers are really that impressed as well… :)

  66. apostlejack7

    You said it well.Thanks for sharing.

  67. Christopher

    I LOVE articles like this which address issues most people take for granted, yet affect our daily experience.

    Oh, Erica…you can comment on my blog anytime you please!!!

    -Christopher

  68. Piglet in Portugal

    Great comments come from people who genuinely appreciate other bloggers and want to connect. Taking the time to build relationships is as important as the the time to write a post. What’s the point of writing to yourself ? The WordPress challenge has certainly taught me how important it is to have great “buddies”. Spammy comments are just a PIA… I allow about 2hrs most days to visit and comment on my buddies blogs and also connect with new ones. It’s great fun and by reaching out to others I’ve learned so much :)

  69. ylbnoel

    I learned from this, thanks Erica !

  70. deepbellylaugh

    Very sound advice!

  71. tutorialsbysandy

    Great post, some people still don’t know how to post; you will never visit them – most of the time you just know they are irritating.

  72. Benjamin David Steele

    Those are decent guidelines. But they are largely useless for deciding how to comment in specific situations. Every blogger and every commenter has different expectations.

    I personally love long complex comments with tons of links, but most people might not. I also don’t care if anyone stays on topic. I’ve met some people who share my style and I’ve met those who don’t.

    I say be yourself and find out which other bloggers share your way of communicating.

    • Erica Johnson

      You’re right — these are general guidelines and don’t necessarily apply to every single type of discussion.

  73. sbafarms

    Thank you very much, shame it has to be said, but I realize the necessity of it. Peace and light be with you.

  74. Rebecca

    Excellent article! I love comments and generally reply to them unless they’re blatant self-promotion. Thanks for the good guidelines.

  75. Troy

    Nice post, Erica.

    I’d like to think I have a pretty good idea about comment etiquette.

    I do admit that I hate it when people double-link, however.

  76. Saraspondence

    This is a very helpful post – especially in view of the fact that I just read an article suggesting that to increase traffic to my blog I should include my blog link in comments. It seemed tacky to me!

    Thanks for the perspective on long comments – I do tend to say a lot! According to the poll most people don’t like that so I’ll trim it down!

  77. qalbunsalima

    Thq Erica good stuff to guidelines especially newbies

  78. Ranting Rambler

    Personally, I rather enjoy the long posts. As long as they stick to the topic and do not contain nonsense/insults I find they tend to be more interesting and generate better discussion than the short posts that hardly address anything.

    Agree on the shameless self-promoters though. Really it just makes it hard to distinguish between bots and real people.

  79. guard13007

    Cool! A poll on the main blog!

    Btw, great that you’re telling people this, it’s annoying to get spamish comments…

  80. sarahnsh

    I love comments, and I love talking, so these two loves seem to marry quite nicely when I’m going around reading people’s stuff. I like to chat it up and share my opinion, and enjoy it when they come and say hello to me in a post too!

  81. Charlie

    Great timing with this post Erica. I am tempted to make a “before you post” link to it.
    On self promotion; I am surprised at how many people leave inappropriate links or comments directing people to their sites. The blog I help maintain is for an orphanage and you would be amazed at the crude things I’ve had to delete. I’m all for free speech, but the kids read the comments as well. On a positive note – 99% of the people posting there are genuinely kind people that just plain make you feel good! Happy Tuesday!

  82. clarissasmith

    I’m very sorry, but I simply LOVE to get long-long comments. My favorite commentators write like that — and my answers to them are often even longer.

    If I had to miss that, I might give up blogging people. What’s in it for me, if someone flatters me? No, I want to discuss, like in an old 18th century academy. I want spirit, not dull phrases. Er, on WordPress I didn’t find such gallant way to discuss yet. I had to kill all the comments, it weren’t bloggers at all and wanted to sell something. But frankly: Party on two blogs at the same time would be anyway too much.

  83. eatingdisorderparentcoach

    This post was very helpful for me as I am a new blogger. Thanks so much!

  84. postadaychallenge2011

    Thank you for this sound advice, and I will keep it all in mind as I blog.

  85. julesmontgo

    I think what you’re saying is: LISTEN. A thoughtful response shows that you are listening. People really just want to be heard, don’t you think?

    P.S. What polling plug-in or tool did you use here?

  86. Leanna @ Raptortoe.com

    Hah! I was totally just thinking about this. I get a ton of comments on my blog that are purely spam, or are very tinly veiled spam. I like those comments where I can tell someone has genuinely read my blog, and is interested enough in what I’ve posted to comment on it.

  87. languagelosangeles

    Thank you for the brief run down on blog comment etiquette ( I am fairly new to the world of blogging communication and particularly liked the tip on being careful not to self promote). Funnily enough driving into work today I heard something similar on the radio about Facebook etiquette – which was ‘if you can’t say it to the person face to face than you probably shouldn’t write it”. Good manners should be applied whether in the blog sphere or the physical realm.

  88. saintjudas

    Hello. Very impressive and wise advices for writing effective comments. Thanks for sharing.

  89. careyrowland

    Thank you, Erica, for tossing up these very helpful, constructive guidelines.

  90. SherryGreens

    I really appreciated the advise on how to embed HTML links. I will be using this, thanks!

  91. AKHMAD SUDRAJAT

    Thank’s for this enlightment

  92. adabul

    i just read your post really good share, thank Erica

  93. dogleadermysteries

    Thanks Erica. for these guidelines and etiquette ideas.

    As a complete newbie, I appreciate the tips. I do love reading comments, letting me know who read my different posts and pages. And now, I know not to leave a link back on WordPress blogs.

  94. royandsherry

    Being pretty new to this Article writing, I have had some problem, but I manage. Many thanks for the tips – I am sure I will put them to good use. Roy

  95. rodi

    Thanks for tip on turning text into html.

  96. samgel

    Erica, i will have to thank you for the beautiful instruction on about how to comment respectfully/

  97. DefeatedandGifted

    I think long comments are interesting. To me, the point of a blog is to start a conversation, otherwise it’s just self-spamming!

  98. Mina

    Olá grande Érica, obrigada por escrever algo tão esclarecedor, espero não ter cometido nenhuma gafe até agora.
    Eu gosto que me escrevam fico muito feliz em receber comentários, e respondo de imediato.
    Tenho recebido coisas estranhas nada a ver com o meu blog, e o engraçado que entra como comentário das receitas ou matérias que escrevo.
    Ai recebo páginas enormes falando de família, eu jogo na lixeira. Eu estou blogando há 1 ano, mas procuro fazer tudo dentro do contexto.
    Pode ser que cometi algum erro, como tenho muito a aprender é possivel.
    Abraços a Érica e a todos!!

    Mina!!

  99. tahliaN

    No one likes spamming, but I do like information sharing, so I think it’s okay for people to leave links IF it’s something related to the topic and comes from a genuine desire to add something to the discussion, not just ‘check out my blog’, I hate that. Leave a link if you like, but do it subtly and let us decide whether we want to check it out or not. Being specific in your comment is the important thing here, really participating genuinely in the conversation.

    I leave a link where I think that I’ve said something on my blog that is in itself a comment on the blogger’s post. If I don’t leave a specific link, they’ll never find the post.

    I guess we do what we want others to do on our sites and avoid what we don’t like people doing on ours. People have different ideas on when information sharing becomes spamming. It’s got to do with frequency too.

  100. Ron

    I think it’s essential to publish a Comments Policy – on its own page, where it can be easily found, not as a post. That way, even if people haven’t bothered to read it, they can’t complain if their comments are dumped for being in breach.

    This is my first rule, just so there is no misunderstanding :-

    1. This is not a democracy – the only absolute right to free speech, here, is mine.

    That might seem high-handed, but everything that appears on my blog ultimately reflects on me, for good or ill, including the comments which it has been my decision to publish. Obviously, I prefer comments to reflect well on me just as, in a newspaper, the choice and balance of the letters printed reflects upon the Letters’ Editor.

    My comments are moderated – anyone who has been blogging for any length of time will have come to realise, unless they’ve been very lucky, how essential that is.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 15,028,102 other followers

%d bloggers like this:
https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/comment-etiquette/
en.blog.wordpress.com
crawl=CC-MAIN-2014-15
157381
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:UVEWGMMCBKDKKYBIYH4NL7ZGSBC6THMV
<urn:uuid:9eaf9840-7f32-4cae-b3f8-c5287cf0ddcd>
2014-04-21T07:05:58Z
66.155.8.198
sha1:DZBLCQTQD2T2K46VV3CTUS6J6R5XUKAO
<urn:uuid:1497f4f6-9d4e-46a8-88e2-4ddcfa1dd114>
https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/comment-etiquette/
length
response
<urn:uuid:1b344836-1f93-4ee3-b845-0c9b39442685>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-15
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for April 2014
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf