Way back when I lived in Vermont I used to post to this blog about 4 billion times a day and respond to EVERY comment that anyone ever left me, because I was so bored with my entire daily life of non-challenge and both personal and professional/bureaucratic apathy that I had the time to do so.
Now I am lucky to have the time, gumption, and something I consider worth posting about each day. And all that time I used to have for responding to comments is now spent working at a job that actually requires my brain power on a minutely basis or I’m underground where I don’t have access to the interwebs. So when I do have time for blogs I tend to read my friends’ and family members’ blogs and leave comments there instead.
I used to feel bad about my inability to respond to your comments anymore, but then I finally let my mind freestyle for a bit and came to the realization, which I just semi-defended-by-just-passingly-mentioning-on-Sarcastica’s-blog, that I am the one who initiates a conversation here and you, my dear friends, are the responders! And it’s your choice to read what I say here and leave me a comment, so it needs to be my choice as well to have anything witty or responsive to say to you in return.
I hope I just expanded your thought on the matter, or helped you realize that I am singing in your same chorus.
If you don’t agree, feel free to leave me a comment saying so! (Sneaky, aren’t I?)
PS – On Friday morning a Jehovah’s Witness tried to convert me on the train platform by asking me what I thought the definition of “a happy family” is. I totally forgot this even happened to me, despite our 5- to 7-minute-long conversation until I was riding the train home and saw a young guy on the train who was wearing a wedding band and remembered my conversation with Dawg about how frequent it is in NYC for married people to not wear rings.
I do agree with you lol I responded to your comment though explaining slightly more what I meant, for instance you make your readers feel loved
the persons I was referring to show no bloggy love 
There are no demands to be made on that which is free.
I totally understand where you’re coming from. Totally.
When do you want to do the weekend @ Rachel’s?
I might return to actual blogging (instead of microblogging) now that I live in an apartment where I don’t feel I have to censor myself; however, I really like just twittering the stream of my consciousness and posting photos to Flickr.
And would you believe that sometimes I read your blog and have feedback, but DON’T COMMENT? Sometimes, it happens. So I guess we’re even
I find that I respond on days when I don’t have much work to do and/or feel like it. On others, not so much. I think that I’m not interested in building a bigger readership and that is part of it. The people who are my bloggy friends know that I care about them whether I comment back or not and that is enough for me.
I definitely think that the blog post initiates the conversation and the commenters continue the conversation. But many times the comments themselves continue the conversation to a degree that deserves a reply. I know there have been times that I’ve asked you a question in your comments that genuinely interested me, and not getting a reply surprised me.
Poppy, [blank]
Sarcastica, I don’t know what the situation is but is it someone you know? Maybe that person doesn’t even read their comments, or thinks your comments are just something for him/her to ponder, or s/he is not comfortable responding… (are you singled out? is it just you who doesn’t get a response?)
Creature, [blank]
Robin, I have no idea right now. Not June, probably not July, so I am very glad you’re hanging out with her.
Kristen, oddly enough, I really dig that you sometimes don’t give me feedback even when you have it.
Hilly, I totally get that.
Adam, sometimes you ask me questions I don’t want to answer.
Time is an elusive thing, sometimes you think you have a hold on it and it slips through your fingers. That being said, sometimes I have time to read and comment on someone’s blog and sometimes I don’t. And sometimes I have time to post on my own blog and reply to comments and then sometimes I don’t. So, I totally get what you are saying. I think.
I don’t get my panties in a twist if no one comments on my blog. I mean, we’ve all got lives, hopefully, right?
Anyway, I agree with you, but I am commenting, anyway. Just try to stop me!
I set an alarm to remind me to comment. It just went off, so here it is.
I needed to say something that absolutely had to have a reply I would send you an email. I know you have an awesomely busy life and I wouldn’t be a good friend I wanted to drag you from it just to reply to a comment.
(Or ya know what Hilly said because her’s sounds better.)
I understand where you are going with this, I think maybe for new bloggers comments would be welcome just so we know we are not floating alone in the dark. Or that our ideas are absolute crap and we need to stop, but I digress. I read a lot of sites regularly, and I just started delurking on most of them about a month ago.
Most of you all intimidate the hell out of me with all the intelligence exhibited. Thanks for your site, I really enjoy it!
I totally agree with you! Great post. Its hard to keep up with blog reading, let alone commenting!
Sad thing is I try to respond to my comments via email, and most people do the no-reply comment so f them!
yup
Shellbelle, you totally get me.
Sybil, you make me laugh. Yes, we do all have lives, and I totally appreciate that you fully support everyone having one.
Wahhhhhh, you do crack me up.
Sarah, sometimes I also do not reply to emails, which I think ticks off some people more than others.
Becca, eventually you’ll be the wizened blogger with new readers and understand how adorable it is to see you crave acceptance. Don’t worry so much what we think about you.
Bubblewench, I used to be SO CONFUSED when people email replied to my comments, and now I totally get it. It’s so much smarter, because then you know people got it!
Turn,
I used to be so overly-sensitive about this sort of thing myself. I’d see friends commenting on others’ blogs and not mine and would feel left out. Then I developed more of a life and found myself in their shoes. My comments on blogs are random now and not necessarily in order of importance of how I feel about who I’m commenting to.
I might see a Tweet to a blog link, thought of something that day that made me think of a particular blogger, etc. So now I don’t feel slighted and since I haven’t had time myself to devote to blog reading, I’m not really expecting anyone to show me any blog love.
But I’m rambling off-topic since you were talking about *responding* to comments, aren’t I? I for one will not be offended if you don’t respond.
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