What makes you comment on a blog? I’d wondered this for a long time, when my charming Irish colleague actually dared to put it into words and challenged his readers about their silence. And that certainly got them going!
I’ve had surprise comments on blog entries I didn’t consider particularly interesting (and don’t ask me why I wrote them in the first place), but the most successful of them all was the one where I said something about Lionel Shriver, that was less than neutrally polite.
But - mainly because I’m such an awfully nice person (!) - I can’t go slagging people off all the time to get a reaction. Can I?
On the rare occasions I have had a blog in the Guardian, I have been much more desperate to get comments. It could be that the G. don’t care whether my blogs are any good or whether I get comments or even if anyone reads the thing in the first place. But to me it feels like comments prove “that I am”. Somehow.
If you’re a silent regular, please say something once in a while. It doesn’t have to be intelligent. And please don’t say “yes, you had noticed that from the witch’s own writing”.
13 responses so far ↓
Michael Bush // March 6, 2008 at 14:44
I’ve been reading the blog for a while now, but haven’t been commenting; I’m stuck under mountains of University coursework at the moment, so much of what you’ve been posting about has been added to my already arm-length reading list!
bookwitch // March 6, 2008 at 15:27
You’re actually doing coursework? You’re doomed. You’ll never catch up…
Breeni Books // March 6, 2008 at 16:24
I’m a silent, but dedicated reader.
I’ve just got so many subscriptions in my Google Reader that there’s not enough time in the day to reply to all of them!
Alistair Spalding // March 6, 2008 at 17:08
If you’ve got people commenting you’re a step ahead than most blogs already… I’d be happy if people were reading mine!
bookwitch // March 6, 2008 at 21:11
Alistair: It would help if you left your blog address in your comment. That’s what lot’s of us do; leave little trails all over the place.
Sara O'Leary // March 6, 2008 at 22:29
Hi there - well, I have to say I was very happy to see you comment on my blog today - I think blogging does tend to bring out the worst of that nascent adolescent insecurity!
I’ve just ordered a copy of After Henry on your recommendation. That was you, wasn’t it?
bookwitch // March 6, 2008 at 22:48
Very insecure…
I have many Henrys in my reading life, but I suspect this wasn’t me. Do you mean to say you read other people’s blogs as well?
Sara O'Leary // March 6, 2008 at 22:52
No, no, only you. I wonder why I’ve just ordered that book, though. Oh well - it looks good.
We used to call out first son Henry sometimes - just every so often you would look at him and he would look very Henry-ish. Who are your Henrys?
bookwitch // March 7, 2008 at 8:12
Horrid Henry, Just Henry, Henry Tumour. Might be all for now, as I opted for Macbeth rather than Henry V.
bookwitch // March 7, 2008 at 10:37
This is pure coincidence, I promise, but does anyone out there have an opinion on Roger Whittaker? The witch nagged and nagged (so good at that), and this morning it bore results on the Guardian music blog. No, I don’t know what a bookwitch is doing there, either.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/03/roger_whittaker.html
Sara O'Leary // March 7, 2008 at 16:35
I’ve tried my best but can’t actually muster up an opinion on Whittaker one way or the other. But I did have a lovely browse round on your other articles there and am printing out the one about being a Pullman-tourist in Oxford for a planned trip with our boys. On the subject of this sort of literary touring, have you ever read the book How The Heather Looks by Joan Bodger? I really recommend it. Bodger, a Canadian writer and storyteller, took her children to England to see the settings of some of their favourite books.
I’m also going to go look up the link for an article a friend wrote about her son’s love of Ransome inspiring a trip for them.
Sara O'Leary // March 7, 2008 at 16:38
Here’s the link for the Ransome article published in the Globe and Mail:
http://mrsokana.wordpress.com/test/
bookwitch // March 7, 2008 at 17:18
Thanks for that. I have a Ransome fan in the house.
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