Q: I'm fairly new to Blogging. A few people have left some comments on my blog. What should I do?
-- Niko973, Toronto
A: There are a few basic things to remember when participating in a small, self-contained blogging community Niko973.
The first is that if someone comments on your blog, it's poor form not to return the favour at some point. But be forewarned: Barring the use of passwords, codewords or logins, this self-contained community is not necessarily self-contained. Anyone can see it. In other words, if you intend on doing or saying something irrational, illegal or idiotic, set yourself up with an unidentifiable user name and refrain from making comments or writing posts that will give away your secret superhero identity. Yes, you can go in and delete a comment after you've posted it, but this will breed an air of anger, resentment and paranoia.
Secondly, when leaving a comment on a post where everyone is, for example, discussing their favourite songs and CDs, don't go into a six-paragraph rant about the state of U.S. foreign policy or your neighbour's addiction to raccoon-burgers.
Finally, ease into the proceedings. Many blogs have regular readers who have spent a lot of time reading the posts, commenting and building a relationship with the blog's author. This group may be wary of outsiders and particularly cautious when it comes to strangers who make consistent references to panda bears, serial killers or Paris Hilton. Assuming the blog is not sex- or pornography-oriented, your first comment should probably not include unsolicited invitations to coffee, a marriage proposal or a pyramid scheme, nor should it ask the author's measurements, phone number or sexual preferences.
-- Niko973, Toronto
A: There are a few basic things to remember when participating in a small, self-contained blogging community Niko973.
The first is that if someone comments on your blog, it's poor form not to return the favour at some point. But be forewarned: Barring the use of passwords, codewords or logins, this self-contained community is not necessarily self-contained. Anyone can see it. In other words, if you intend on doing or saying something irrational, illegal or idiotic, set yourself up with an unidentifiable user name and refrain from making comments or writing posts that will give away your secret superhero identity. Yes, you can go in and delete a comment after you've posted it, but this will breed an air of anger, resentment and paranoia.
Secondly, when leaving a comment on a post where everyone is, for example, discussing their favourite songs and CDs, don't go into a six-paragraph rant about the state of U.S. foreign policy or your neighbour's addiction to raccoon-burgers.
Finally, ease into the proceedings. Many blogs have regular readers who have spent a lot of time reading the posts, commenting and building a relationship with the blog's author. This group may be wary of outsiders and particularly cautious when it comes to strangers who make consistent references to panda bears, serial killers or Paris Hilton. Assuming the blog is not sex- or pornography-oriented, your first comment should probably not include unsolicited invitations to coffee, a marriage proposal or a pyramid scheme, nor should it ask the author's measurements, phone number or sexual preferences.
