Comment...Come on! Just Do It

There must be as many reasons to blog as there are bloggers.  The attraction of community was the first thing that drew me into blogging.  How cool to interact with other knitters, to show off your knitting to others who knit, and to learn and grow as a knitter through this Internet connection.  Blogging has been that and so much more.  It is wonderful to have people comment, to praise, encourage, and sometimes chastise the posts on my blog.  A comment left on someones blog is more than a mere sentence posted in cyberspace.  A comment on a blog can be the beginning of a conversation, the beginning of a connection, the beginning of a friendship.  It is that deeper connection that keeps me enthralled in Blogland.

A contest can be fun, but it isn't always easy to come up with an interesting way to give a prize.  By asking for comments I have met many people who just lurk, read and run. It is by commenting on other blogs, and having the person come and leave a return comment on mine, that forms friendships.  In many cases they are relationships that will likely outlive this blog. There is so much more to this than a desire to rack up comments. Conversations take place daily and so much more goes on behind the scenes than what is seen on a one dimensional blog. We are 3D people and it is exciting, fun and pure joy to make a connection that is lasting and rich.

So for me, having a blog IS about the comment and about the connections, new and old, that are made.  It is about grrlfriends; being there when someone needs you or you need someone. It's about sharing the celebrations of life and celebrating the achievements of other.  It can be a daily party (pity parties are not fun but it's OK to throw one once in awhile).  The relationships can be superficial or as deep as you desire.  This exercise in writing is, for the most part, about connecting with others and that doesn't happen unless you join the conversation.

Looks like rain is in the forcast this weekend. Utah rain that is, the on and off kind of rain, where it can be nice one minute and rainy the next. We'll see how it works out as we'd like to celebrate fall with another hike. Enjoy your weekend!

Comments

[Christine]

He he he, I am a lurker. And I am not leaving you a comment to win your contest, but to say thank you for commenting on my blog! You made me smile, yesterday and I really needed it. So thank you!

[Casey]

Good Morning! I have been enjoying your blog for several weeks. I ran onto it from another blog. I don't remember which one.

I am normally a lurker. Once in a while I will comment. Thanks for all of the work that you do to put the blog together. I am pretty selective about which blogs I read every day. You made the list. I enjoy your writing. Keep up the good work and knit on!

[Beth]

That's exactly it! Now I'm going to steer some of my non-commenting friends here as once again, you've said it better than I ever could.

[Kim]

You are right about the friendships......I have met so many people who I hope to have long and lasting friendships with. :-))

[Carole]

Summed up beautifully, Margene.

[Wendy]

Well said! :-)

[Laurie]

I remember being a lurker pre-blog. It totally misses the blogging point, because of the relationships you describe. One can learn in a vacuum, but it is less fun.

[carla Hibbard]

As a blogless lurker- it's fun to get to add to the party once in a while. It helps make it all more real.
I have a give a little gift ( once ups is here) where do I send it?

[Kate]

I usually lurk ,but today I said "i'm gonna say hey to margene".

So, "hey" and thanks for the daily zen!

[Susan]

Nice post -- how cool is it that through blogging you can find people who not only knit but whose knitting inspires you, motivates you to try something new, makes you feel that there are kindred spirits out there. I've met more knitters through the net in the last year or two than I had in all the years of knitting prior to that. It's good to know you all are out there!

[Miriam]

You know what? I should confess. When you've had comment contests, I've refrained from commenting most of the time. It's because I didn't want to seem like I was commenting as a chance to win yarn or anything. I love your guts and didn't want any misunderstandings. And maybe it's also my rebelious streak popping out. "I'm not gonna comment if you tell me to! SO THERE!" ;) But you bring up very good points about comments. I love comments because occasionally it gives me enough of an opening to start a really good conversation. And while I'm sitting at my desk, surrounded by students who can't wipe their own asses without help, it's really nice to have an intelligent conversation with someone who actually THINKS! If only I could have C hidden behind my desk, then I could have amazing and intelligent conversation all day, but alas, no. But thanks for clarifying my own thoughts on comments.

[Lolly]

Yep, that right, Margene! Cool post!

Have a good weekend~

[Teri]

Ha--I get to put a URL in my comment this time! That feels good. You're an inspiration, Margene!

[Kathy]

Well said. I like to think of blogging as the "virtual dorm room." Sharing thoughts, hopes, joys and sometimes just silly stuff.

[Jan]

Great topic, Margene. I think readers who don't have blogs don't appreciate how much it means to hear from those who visit.
Have a wonderful wekend!

[Jackie]

I completely agree - it's not about getting the comments or how many you get, but meeting the people who leave them. Well said, Margene.

[Sarah HB]

Thanks for all your work on the Give A Little Project!!

I don't know how to "download" give a little button and make it show up on my blog or I would do it in a minute!!!

[Mindy]

Blogless lurker here. Just wanted to say that I enjoy your blog. Thanks for all the hard work.

[Sarah]

Beautifully said. I've made more new real-life friends through knitting and blogging than at any time since college...and my knitting has made leaps and bounds as a result of the helpful hints of knitters all over the world. Huzzah for the knitblogging community!

[Luvtocraft]

Wonderful post!!

[Norma]

Yup. Ditto. Hear!Hear! Amen, Sistah! You go, Grrl! Right on! Oh, YEAHHHHHHH.

[Liz]

So you mean, there's no contest? No free yarn? Sigh. I guess I'll have to come back some other time. ;)

What I really like the most about blogging is the folks I've "met" (only a couple in real life). Like Laurie, I never commented before I had a blog...I guess as a non-blogger, I felt like an outsider. And factor in my shyness, and it wasn't a good combination.

It's an interesting community, but I try not to get too sucked in (considering how many gobs of blogs there are to read). Thanks for the great post, Margene. :)

[Sandy]

I have really enjoyed this community. I have met and made a friend from Canada, Jodi, who is now living in Georgia. In fact, she's coming to stay with us this weekend. I have made a bunch of friends through blogs that I now see almost weekly.

There are so many others out there, the possibilities are endless!

[Marcia]

I can't tell you how true your words today are. I sometimes feel very self-conscious about commenting, but blogging (and commenting!) have been responsible for at least two new and very precious friendships in "real life" as well as in cyberspace. I hope to add several more to that list after Rhinebeck and SOAR. I feel like you are a new friend, and hope that is still true AFTER you meet me in November!

[Christina]

So true. I've "met" some great people through the comments left on my blog. When I finally met one of them in person, I felt as if I had known them forever. It makes me feel as if things are just a bit smaller and friendlier.

[Teresa C]

When I first discovered knitting blogs I surfed and lurked and rarely commented because I sort of thought that I couldn't, because I didn't have a blog. I lurked for months. I would occasionally comment if I had something to add by way of technique or experience. When I started my own blog, the knitblog community was so much smaller than it is now and it was leaving comments on other's blogs that drew readers to mine, along with new friends linking to my blog on theirs. I appreciated the comments and the relationships (cyber though they were) that were being made. In the beginning I would receive alot more comments. I was posting more regularly and reading and commenting more regularly on other's blogs. I know that many people say they don't blog for the comments. Maybe for some of them that is true, but come on. Cinderella did not go to the ball to be a wall flower. We all want to dance. I admit that when I have a new post up I do check my email a bit more the next day to see if I am getting any comments. I am often surprised at the response some posts get in comparison to others and always pleased with every comment. I have made friends this way and admit to not being as good as others at returning comments or leaving comments on others' blogs. I try, really I do. I know that I feel good when I get comments and like to share that with others. It doesn't have to be a book. Just a couple of words can be enough. "Great job!" "Just lovely!" Claudia is great at saying alot with few words. Now, there are so many knitbloggers out there I have trouble reading all of the blogs that I truly find interesting. There is a lot of knitting time that gets tied up in blog reading and I try to balance that.

Though I have only had contests in the past because I think it is fun, I never look at these contests on other blogs as ways to get comments or readers. Especially here. You have many readers and friends, I doubt you need to hold a contest for validation. I know you to be a giving and lovely person with a huge and generous spirit. You just want to give stuff away. (Okay, so why didn't I comment the last time you were giving yarn away? Well, I have tons of yarn and what you were offering was something that I knew would be more welcomed or needed in another stash. Now, had it been blue sock yarn, or solid Lorna's Laces (blues or pinks) or, you know, something that I really hankered after, I would have commented multiple times just to try and win it. I have no shame ;). Having said that, I will be finishing my Charlotte's Web this week (finally) and anyone who wants to take a stab at guessing the color still has the chance. (http://soupgirls.typepad.com/knittingtheblues/2005/07/slump__what_slu.html#comments). I have kept careful track of all of the correct guesses, someone will win some Koigu. Promise. (Was that a shameless plug? Hmmm...)

This last bit is not news to anyone. I look forward to your daily posts. Yours is the first blog I read each morning (and I miss you on the weekends). Margene, I am often amazed at how you make the blog rounds, leaving kind comments everywhere you go. I rarely go to comment on a blog without finding that you have been there before me. It amazes me that you have time to get anything else done with all of the blog reading you do. You are in many ways, to me, the heart of this community. Your commitment to craft equals your dedication and loyalty to community and your friends. (Now I am getting sappy). I am proud to have you as a friend and look forward to the day we meet in person. I know my feelings are shared by many. You bring people together and my experience with knitblogging would not be the same without you. Thanks.

(I probably should have split this up into a few comments. Gotta keep those numbers up! hee hee)

[Rossana]

That was a warm, fuzzy read. Thanks for helping make my Friday a good one, Margene!

[Cara]

Like I told The Bookish Girl yesterday, in a comment no less:

"See, Margene says you can do it and she's the bomb. If she says it, it's true."

[blossom]

i so agree with what you said!

[pjbknit]

Dear Margene, I appreciate your reading my blog and leaving comments. I read yours often and don't comment. I do feel as if I know you a little from reading your blog, and feel the sense of community. Even my husband is getting worried about himself, "Margene-she's in Utah, right? Oh God, I'm doing it too!" He says me and my socks need to visit.

[Nancy J]

To share, to show-and-tell, validates our choice, ourselves and certainly enables others to Become, to grow, to dream. Thank you for the post. Am looking forward to more beautiful Utah pictures after your weekend.

[regina]

I'm a non-blogger, though thanks to blogs (and comments I've left), I've managed to fall into a group of women who have become close, treasured friends. I didn't know these women two years ago, and now I don't know what I would do without their friendship, their counsel, their wisdom and collective wit. My life and my knitting have been enriched by their presence. That said, I have a real love/hate relationship with the internet. It can be used for such good (ie fostering friendships, giving people an outlet for their creativity, etc.), but in the wrong hands, it can be used for such destructive purposes. But I digress. Thank you, Margene and other bloggers, for putting yourselves and your knitting and your thoughts out there for us to share, ponder, reflect upon, etc. I consider myself very fortunate to be in the company of such amazing people (be it physical or cyberspace).

[PJ]

Good luck answering all these! hehe...hey, do you happen to have a size TEN sock pattern?....I know you sent me a size 8 (thankyou)..perhaps that is why I haven't embarked on making socks!! BIG FEET!

[Vicki]

When I discovered blogs (thanks Bonne Marie!), I was a lurker for about 3.5 minutes. I left a comment on someone's blog and got a response and that was it -- 3.5 minutes after that, I signed up for one of my own! How freakin' cool to "meet" all these people who share the same interests as I -- so many different kinds of people from all over the country, the WORLD! Obviously, I'm not meant to blog -- in any way, shape or form -- in a vacuum. It's the interaction through comments and emails that keeps it fun. Sometimes (not too often) you've got to shake the tree -- but some trees are more easily shaken and the fruit more easily bruised, you know? It's a very interesting dynamic. I feel myself waxing here, so I'll just say "Right on, Margene!"

[Jennifer]

You've summed up the reason why I like to receive and leave comments on blogs. I've met so many people by commenting and responding to comments on blogs. I also have gotten tips on knitting, cooking, child raising and all sorts of other things by using comments. It's a great way to connect with people I wouldn't otherwise have met.

[Sarah]

Beautiful post! That is exactly how I feel about comments. I love getting to know people beyond what they write on their blog. It's that interaction you were talking about, the 3D-ness of life. I've gotten to know better quite a few wonderful knitters over the past few months that I've been blogging and hope to deepen those relationships and get to know more in the process. It's almost the draw of having a pen pal as a kid. Such fun!

[brenda in toronto]

like marcia, way up there in the comments, i too feel self-conscious about commenting. others say things so well i often feel 'why bother trying to say the same thing', you know? but if others feel as great as i do when someone comments on my blog, then i will comment more often :)

[Julia]

Margene,
You are absolutely right. Though I admit that I lurk on lots of blogs and really only comment if I am moved to do so or feel like I have something to contribute, even if its only encouagement.

[Rachel H]

Neat topic today. I don't have a blog myself, nor any plans to start one, but love the fun and sense of community I've found in the blogs I read daily. I don't always comment, but I remember the first time a blogger responded to a comment I'd left. It made me feel like I was part of something, and brave enough to start commenting on other blogs. I was starting to plan a trip to either Vermont Sheep and Wool or Rhinebeck primarily to meet some of the folks whose lives I get to read a bit about every day until it became clear that family obligations (nice ones, but unfortunately timed) would make either trip impossible. Very cool, considering that before Mother's Day this year, I'd never even heard of those events, nor ever read a blog!

[Teri]

A thought provoking post, Margene. For me too, blogging is about making connections. Being a stay at home mom is sometimes a lonely job. Writing my blog and reading others blogs gives me a sense of community and connectedness, and it is a thrill when someone comments on my blog. Thanks for expressing that concept so eloquently.

[Sharon]

Thank you, Margene. I don't like to be chastised for caring about comments, and it's a pleasure whenever I see my thoughts put into words, as you have so aptly done. (In other words...ditto!) It's not about popularity. It's about connection, however brief, which you can never have too much of.

[Jane]

I have to say, your blog gets me going every morning, without fail. I love how blogging brings people together. I've met some very nice people, invisible and in person, through blogging. Thanks for your thoughtful commentary and keep those Utah photos coming!

[Lana]

Margene! You are one gracious and kind person. What a privilege to get to know you and so many other kindhearted people who do, in so many ways, make this journey through life much more bearable because you care enough to leave a kind word or thought. Thank you for your kind comments!

[--Deb]

I feel the same way about comments--that's what makes the blogging so rewarding--feedback! And, I read you every day, too, so don't you go feeling unloved!

[Alison]

I've met so many great cyberfriends through my blog and everyone else's. I've learned a lot through other people's blogs and been encouraged to try a lot more than I might have otherwise. (Can you say spinning wheel?) I try to leave comments whenever I can on the blogs I read. I'm always finding my way to new blogs and having fun with it. Thanks for the great post!

[Lisa in Oregon]

Much as you say that knitting is about the process...blogging is about the relationships.

It has always been hard for me to make friends...So I don't have hundreds (or even a hundred!) of acquaintances or blog readers, but those who I do connect with, well, they are just as important to me as the few 3D friends I cherish.

[Kate]

I agree - sometimes its easy to just make the rounds of blog-reading and say nothing. But it does defeat the purpose of the blogging community. You said it well :)

[Tori]

LOL, Perfect timing! Yesterday I decided to make a rule for myself. I have to leave comments on the blogs I visit. Thanks for the encouragement and your inspiring blog.

[debbie]

thank you for your post. being a new blogger, i've enjoyed trying to keep up a blog and visiting everyone too! receiving comments is always nice to let you feel connected....love your blog and your sock knitting especialy!

[Becky]

excellently written! I totally agree!