One of my very best friends lives in Oklahoma. And one of my other very best friends is his wife. They moved from here to there about six years ago. Jody and Sylvia have a daughter who is getting married, and Sylvia had a bridal shower for her here, back home, where their family and lots of other friends live. So, they asked me to help decorate and prepare for the shower.
Of course I said yes…I would do anything for them.
Two days later, I got a lovely note from Bethany. A thank you note, that was personal and gracious. It wasn’t a text, it wasn’t a post on facebook, it wasn’t twittered, it wasn’t even emailed. It was a hand-written-put-a-stamp-on-the-envelope-and-old-fashioned-mail-it kind of thank you note.
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| old letters from my collection |
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with a phone call or a text, or an email, or whatever…I’m really not.
But as we grow further and further away from the old-fashioned niceties, a hand-written note stands out in the world of electronic communication.
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| Vintage typewriter from the roadside. |
I have a basket full of them saved from over the years.
A basket full of sentiments. I appreciate that kind of effort.
And then it got me thinking about blogging, and why we do it, and what we expect the interaction to be. I’ve been blogging for many years. I once read and commented with some frequency on a knitting blog, and once, the author of that blog (I've long since forgotten who she is) unabashedly made a statement about how much she loves comments…and that she would roll around naked in comments if she could! That has stuck with me all these years! But what I think she was really saying is that she values the interaction, and the conversation, and the opportunity to enjoy a new “pretend friend” as my blogging friend Kathyb calls us!
So, I’m wondering, how do you respond to blog comments? Do you email personally in response? Do you leave another comment to answer? Do you not answer at all? What’s everyone doing these days?
Do you leave comments? What prevents you from leaving a comment and being a “lurker?” Is there interference from “word identification” or having to click out of your Google Reader?
How important is the social network connection to your blog? Do you have links to Facebook, Twitter, yada, yada, yada?
Hey Lynne,
ReplyDeleteI too love getting personal hand written notes, especially since they alway seem to come just when I need to pick me up. As for blog comments, I'm still not used to getting them so I am bad at the follow up, but I'm working on that. I usually catch up on my blog reading while at work so that I don't spend sewing time at home on the computer and sadly that mean I lurk more than comment just to make sure I fit everyone in.
I am from the old school way of thinking. Hand written notes are the best! I think my momma would come back and spank me if she thought I didn't send a thank you note to someone who was nice enough to do something for me. Or give me something. It always amazes me that people were not taught that. But even an email or something is better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteI do not have a blog so no comments to answer here. I do comment on yours and other blogs I read. When I feel I have something worthwhile to say. Not sure this comment qualifies. :-)
If you ever come to OK again let me know. Maybe we can meet for coffee or something. Didn't you say your friends live in Broken Arrow? Which is very doable for me. Would love to see you in person.
I hate the new blogger two word verification - it really has stopped me from leaving a quick comment a couple of times. I try to comment on the blogs that I read regularly, but I don't leave a comment absolutely every time I visit (sometimes my mind is just mush and I just want to look at all the sewing goodness). That being said I really do appreciate it when someone leaves a comment on my blog - depending on their settings I can't always send a direct response and I don't leave replies in my comments section because, as a blog reader, I never check back after I've left my comment, so I try to leave a comment on their blog (if they have one). Wow, that was a long reply! Keep up your great work :)
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI'm a lurker, but I check your blog every day. It's my absolute favorite!
I'm with you on the handwritten notes, and our children are required to write a handwritten thank you for every gift they receive.
My biggest pet peeve is e-thank you cards. I don't know why, but they seem so lazy and lacking thoughtfulness. Anyway... that's my two cents... :)
Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday afternoon!
Lindsay
Dear pretend friend,
ReplyDeleteI am one of your lurkers. I typically do not comment on blogs because the other commenters have already said what I would have said. ("Oh, so pretty!" "Perfect fit." "Great find.")
But, despite any lack of comments, please, please know that you are a source of encouragement and inspiration to your readers.
Thank you and God bless,
Paige in Fort Worth
Once I started my blog I though - Oh No! Do I have to personally respond to the comments? I personally do not have time, and therefor do not mind if others don't respond to my comments. When someone asks me a question, I usually do try to get back to them. You use to always shoot me an email back when I made a comment here, and I thought that was so neat. Not that I mind when you don't. Anyway, I too love a handwritten note and get them often from older relatives who don't email. I'm talking older like in their 80's and 90's, BTW. Great topic! Oh, and I took that two word verification off my comments because it got so hard for people to figure out. No problems thus far!
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne,
ReplyDeleteHandwritten notes are the best! I have a sweet friend who periodically just sends me one just because--it usually is some encouragement or something about how much our friendship means to her. It's so great to get something like that.
As for blogging, I see commenting kind of like those little notes my friend says. I doubt I can be as profound, but I want to try to encourage other people. I try as much as time allows to respond in email if people leave more than a word or two. I don't have many friends who sew as much as I do, and I love that I can reach out to people in our modern age and share my joys and struggles with my sewing. And in return that I can geek out with them over their projects.
I'm glad that this sew-along has sent me your way!
Getting a note in the mail is the best but the world is changing so those are fewer and farther between. That in mind, it makes the handwritten note even more special. I try to leave comments on blogs everyday, clicking out of my reader. I do appreciate no word verification on blogs, makes it just a bit faster.
ReplyDeleteI love comments on my blog, I try to email each one a response, to follow up a bit. Great topic.
I appreciate any comments because it does take time to do so but I don`t comment on every blog everytime just because of time restrictions and I think I already spend too much time on the computer . I do try to comment regularly though because it seems like a nice friendly supportive community minded thing to do. I don`t really know what the best etiquette is when it comes to receiving comments though - I just try to comment back on the authors blog when they post something to express support and interest in a common passion.
ReplyDeleteI love a hand written thank you note, and I have kept every one I have ever received. I have them in a scrapbook that I flip through when I am feeling unappreciated!
ReplyDeleteAs for blogging, I have noticed a HUGE drop in comments on mine. I wish I knew why that was, because it makes me want to quit blogging. My number of hits are the same, just no one is saying anything.
I always reply back to anyone that comments on my blog, even if it is just a simple thank you. I think if someone took the time to comment, the least I can do is thank them.
I am not the best at leaving comments (hmmm, pot and the kettle I guess?) but I do try. I read a lot of my blogs in Google Reader, but I do try to click through if someone has an FO that I really like.
Thanks for being a good commenter Lynne!
I have to admit that I don't follow up comments with an email. I do frequently comment on other people's blogs though, which means that with some bloggers, we are essentially in a two way conversation, commenting back and forth on each other's blogs.
ReplyDeleteOn the odd occasion, when something seems very detailed, personal or serious I have emailed another blogger, or commenter. Otherwise, I keep it light.
On the other hand, I always send a personal snail, mail thank you card for gifts, and make sure that my children send them too. The youngest who can't write, just draws a picture and I write the note.
Hi Lynne,
ReplyDeleteI love to make handmade cards, so I often have a pile on my desk to jot a short note to someone. I like collecting pretty notecards as well. There are some great ones on etsy.com . I think we all love receiving a handwritten note.
I do comment on blogs. Sometimes it's hard or my computer is slow. This definitely can get in the way of leaving a comment. Glad to hear you love getting them.
There's nothing quite like a hand-written note. My mother wrote me once a week for years and years and didn't save all of her letters, because I had so many. She's not able to write anymore and I wish I had more of them.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm a lurker. I wrote a comment or two a long time ago, but I think you asked what I was knitting and at the time I was more of a "yarn collector" than knitter... I enjoy seeing the projects that you do and the thoughts on life that you have. I leave notes on blogs, but so often emotions, humor, etc. are hard to convey via comments and I always wonder if they'll be taken the right way, the way that I mean them.
Oh, I also miss handwritten recipes! I have recipes written by my mother, my grandmothers, great aunts, my sister, etc., and it's such a connection to have something like that.
When I first started reading blogs I was a little shy about commenting. I felt like there was an inner circle of people who knew each other and since I didn't have a blog, no one knew me.
ReplyDeleteI would occasionally leave a comment if I really, really wanted to say something. Although I didn't get any replies from most bloggers, there was ONE really nice blogger who would reply back by email. She taught me that comments and followers were appreciated by bloggers.
That nice blogger was you, Lynne!
Now I'm growing my own blog and I know first hand how nice it is to get comments. I have done replies by email as well as on the blog, but most of my (still few) followers are from my knitting group, so I can reply to them in person!
WEll I love reading your blog, have for years!
ReplyDelete