Comments on: Comment Question

By: Matt 25:40

Matt 25:40 — Mon, 21 Jun 2004 21:14:07 +0000

Well, “just to let you know I read it and appreciated it,” thanks for this post. As a newbie, I found it helpful.

By: Bene Diction

Bene Diction — Sat, 19 Jun 2004 08:10:22 +0000

Sorry Alicia.
I addressed Richard on a completely different point (I’d emailed him and got an automated response)

I was attempting to address Joe Carter’s point, but I glazed over at his formula.:^)
I don’t know that this has to be rigid. I’m not sure there is a right/wrong here. And I don’t know that there is a common courtesy.
It would be nice if there were, but people are different and have varying standards of ettiquette. I know bloggers get hurt, and it goes beyond ‘getting’ information.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Sat, 19 Jun 2004 00:58:51 +0000

When I used gratuitous, I simply meant “not called for by the circumstances.” I think links in blogdom are used to two primary ends: 1) for proper citation of a quote (this is good and right and proper), and 2) for that you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours kind of link-whoring that really sucked the life out of blogdom a few years back. A tertiary end is in fact to send users to the complete article from which the blogger only posted an abstract. I think this third end is fine too - but is so rarely used that I didn’t bother to talk about it in my above comment. I also think that in this third case, following the link is so obviously necessary to understanding the post that readers almost can’t comment unless they reader the referred material - so I don’t think that this really fits into the situation presnted.

As for myself, this stuff is really why I so rarely use links in my blogging these days. When I began four years ago, a typical page of my posts would contain twenty or more outside links. These days, the same amount of post content will contatin maybe three outside links. And these links are only provided when I directly quote an outside source and are provided as standard web citation.

By: Richard Hall

Richard Hall — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 23:38:26 +0000

I suspect that most blog commenters agree with our Nordic friend, in practice if not in theory. I think it is a pity to dismiss reading our fictional Blog B as “gratuitous”, or to suggest that if you need to do that means that Blog A is underpar. If that were really the case, what’s the point of providing links?

By: The Dane

The Dane — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 22:42:29 +0000

With regard to the Blog A/Blog B thing, the answer is this:

Only reading Blog A is necessary. You are commenting on Blog A’s thoughts and use of information. Whether Blog A took Blog B’s information and accurately represented it is rarely important since you are commenting on Blog A’s presentation of an idea. You can read the source material (Blog B) if you want but if Blog A is a worthwhile blogger, consumption of Blog B is gratuitous and should be viewed as extracurricular. Blog A’s post, though sparked by outside data (as most posts are) should be self-contained enough to stand on its own. If reading Blog B is necessary, than Blog A is subpar and the reader would do better to skip Blog A entirely and read Blog B instead. Amen.

By: alicia

alicia — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 21:55:54 +0000

bene - I’m lost! what does your comment just below mine (above) mean? And to whom was it directed?

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 18:07:42 +0000

My question is the ettiquette of replying to comments. Do you do so by email, or continue in the comments, or acknowledge in a later post, or what?

Not that I get enough comments to stay up late at night fretting about this, but still…

By: Bene Diction

Bene Diction — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:56:56 +0000

Just wondered Richard, I thought maybe you were moving past being one of the “lesser known blogs” and autogeneration might be a necessity. Nicely done, I certainly thought it was real. Bit like talking back to voice mail.

Joe: You are a very good writer, and know a lot of the customary courtesies a professional might take for granted as part of the every day.

>In my opinion, Blog A should be presumed to be providing a realiable summation until proven otherwise. Besides, you�re not really commenting on Blog B�s statement but the interprestation and presentation of that statement by Blog A.<

I figure if Blog A was interested enough to post, then Blog B certainly deserves a read, kind of like sourcing. Besides Blog B may give me a better idea about what I think… and I may wind up posting on… “Topics which I know nothing about but feel compelled to give my opinion anyway.�:^)
We might be able to take the best of both in our own post. Blog on!

By: Joe Carter

Joe Carter — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:41:24 +0000

***Is it true for all X, or are there limits?***

I find the formula is true for every X when c= �Topics which I know nothing about but feel compelled to give my opinion anyway.� Since that constant applies to me nearly all the time, the formula has been rather consistent.

By: Richard Hall

Richard Hall — Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:14:03 +0000

Thanks for the formula Joe - I shall follow it religiously. Is it true for all X, or are there limits?

The auto-generated thingy is just to provide a bit of reassurance that the message has been sent, BD. It seemed like a good idea at the time…