Blither and Blather – My Policy on Likes and Comments and Follows – Oh My!

Herb’s Blog, Herbdate 22177 – 747:

Dearly Beloved Fans, Friends, Fiends, Foes, Foundlings, Fronkensteens, and Hodge-Podge, Esoteric, and Eclectic Collection of Followers,

There are a lot of blogs I follow that I am not sure how I even wound up following them. One way is when I am visiting someone else’s blog that I have followed for a while and I see a comment left by someone that I think was clever or interesting and is relevant to that post, I click on their avatar. If they have their link configured correctly, I will go and check out their blog and see if they really are all that clever and if they are someone I think I might like to follow. I will read a couple of their posts and if I like them, I like them (see what I did there? Hardy-har-har). Many times a post will elicit a comment from me and I connect with that person on some level.

Other times a person will leave a “like” on a post of mine and out of curiosity I will go see what they are about. If a person comments on a post I am generally a little more interested and can also tell a tiny bit about them. If the comment is genuine. If you comment on my blog I will comment back, unless I feel certain that you are just a spammer. I make a real effort to respond to every comment although with the new job schedule it can take a day or two. I really like getting comments. I appreciate that a person would take their valuable time and speak to me about what I have written. I am respectful of the time and energy it takes to make a comment and I don’t delete or block anyone whether I agree with them or not. Obviously, I reserve the right to do that, especially if your comment is vulgar and rude.

Now when I read blogs on other platforms it’s not the same because they don’t have the “like” button but they do have a comments section. Sometimes I will leave a comment but other times I won’t. My goal is to say something relevant to the post.

Here’s the thing, I don’t just click the “like” button, the “comment” button, or the “follow” button unless I mean it.

If I click “like” on your post it means that I have read the full post from beginning to end but either don’t have time or inclination to comment.

If I leave a comment it will be something related to that post or, in the case of poetry (James, perhaps, being the exception with his poetic interludes) I may make a simple remark on the order of, “That was beautiful” or “that brought a tear to my eye” or sometimes I will click the “like” button as my comment. Photo blogs it’s kind of the same way. You have taken a beautiful picture and I may not be able to come up with a thousand words to describe it. Actually, I do comment occasionally on the ones I follow. Oh, by the way, if a video blog is a vlog, is a photo blog a phlog?

I can’t remember where I was going with all this but when I started out I had a definite plan to say something important. Oh, I know, “Something important.”

43 Comments

  1. I’m pretty much the same. When I like a post, it’s an acknowledgement that I have read the post and that it was either amusing, interesting or just worth reading. If I don’t comment then it’s because I have nothing relevant or intelligent to add.

  2. Our outlook about likes and etcetera are similar. There are few rare instances from time to time, that I will read then click “like”. Later, that blogger will click half a dozen or more of my posts in rapid succession. There’s no way they could have read six or a dozen of my posts within a span of one-minute. This is very disheartening because I do not blog to earn likes or stars. I only want to put out my two-cents and maybe have someone read it.

  3. That cartoon certainly describes me! I usually just click a like button if I like the post, but I do not always have the time to comment on the hundreds I follow – or the imagination for that matter. (which is why I stay with non-fiction topics! haha). Too many people put out 3, 4, or more posts a day and I just can’t get to everyone if I’m busy checking out every post from one person.

  4. The cartoon! 😂
    I always try to comment if I’ve read a post but sometimes I just can’t find anything so say (what?!?! I know that’s shocking)
    The like button actually terrifies me. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t there. I would rather have a few genuinely interested readers than millions of disinterested followers.
    The like button just makes it easy to pretend read and doesn’t mean much to me. But a comment? Those I LOVE!

  5. I like pretty much every post I read, unless I strongly disagree with the content and don’t want to leave the impression that I am in agreement. “Likes” for me are more of a marker, so that if I see that post again I’ll know that I’ve already read it. That may be a terrible letdown to everyone who thinks I genuinely believe that I like their content, but I find it quite convenient.

  6. That cartoon though! 😂😂 its a mood! 😂😂
    I absolutely agree! I only like posts that I have genuinely read and liked. Though sometimes I like posts to show that I have read it. I know I have followers who just like my posts without reading. 😂😂 I love it when someone takes the time to comment and communicate with me. My followers usually do because I have the kindest followers ever. 😊😊

  7. Nice Herb! You must have talked to your son/ brother (I’m so confused as you’re all in the fam) since we emailed.. Lol. 🤣 I do the same but with really reliable and trusted followers info and a busy schedule, I will like and skim.. As our followers grow it’s tougher and I do like comments for sure. ❤️ Cindy

  8. Hahaha. I like “phlog”. I do the same, like a post when I actually like it. I don’t always comment because I don’t always know what to say. I can’t stand it when people play the follow/unfollow game just to rack up their numbers. It takes time and effort to write a blog post, and I wish people respected that. I’m so thankful for the ones who do. Thank you for being one of them!

    • And thank you, too. Yes, sometimes I just don’t have anything to say. Either the post said it all or it’s not something I would comment on in conversation, either.

  9. Phlog😂😂 good one! Makes sense right? I have a photography blog with one of my blogger friends so I guess its a phlog?😂 I may start calling it that! Yes, I like posts when I have read the whole thing. I comment if have a story I want to share, find the post interesting, or funny, or if I want to stop by and say hi.

  10. If it were in my control, I would have made it a universal policy for the blogosphere!
    I generally read the comment section as well, and I am enjoying yours, Bruce’s, and Dumbest Blogger’s conversations.

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