When I visit other blogs, I also like to see what others are saying too. It makes for an interesting read over and above what the blogger wrote.

Thanks to you too for your suggestions - seems like the virtual assistant industry is poised for fast growth going forward. I welcome your little “plug.” Wink, wink.

Oh, I knew you were having some fun with this - that’s why I let it stand. I feel like I’ve gotten to know you and appreciate your humor.

Good suggestions! Like I said earlier, I’ll deal with the prospect of an explosion of comments when I cross that bridge. But one thing is for sure, I’ll never close down the comment section. I think that is like choking off oxygen - I don’t know how other bloggers do it and get away with it.

Thanks for your input!

For those that have gotten “big” in the blogosphere, I think forums are great, just not a by-product of a successful blog. Turning off the comments, hmm, not a fan of that, but understandable.

So, here comes my plug (ahem)… So what would you do if you have too many comments than time? Hire a virtual assistant. Should one want to keep the integrity of having a real person reading the responses allowing emotion to still be a part of the blog is critical. After laying out ground rules as to what comments should be reviewed personally, then a virtual assistant can still keep your blog connected on a human level. It’s not the actual blogger, but the assistant that is part of their team.

Lisa Callsen’s last blog post..Do people really want to learn to sign, or is it something more?

How would I handle that…. I think the first thing I would do is go the the blogs (like Problogger) that have that same problem - too many commenters to respond to - and see how the bloggers there handle it… I would probably start just commenting back to the ones that 1. were very loyal and 2. asked questions and 3. added REAL value to the discussion….. I’ll have to think more on that question….

Jennifer’s last blog post..A Tribute to a Man of Men

Actually I didn’t “plan” for the comment section to get more comments but I can see how you might think that way. I was inspired to write about it for 3 reasons:

1. to share how I truly feel about the importance of value added comments here and elsewhere

2. in a way the article sort of served as a comment policy for this blog to let others know what I am looking for

3. since I’m a blogger, I know how it feels to get comments that have “meat” versus empty one-liners - I guess you can I’m sort of on a one-man crusade in the blogosphere to promote the value of active, vibrant blog communities.

It just so happened that it generated a healthy response because it resonated with people to the point where they felt inspired to write in. A natural by-product, if you will.

Perhaps you’re right that I might have to start worrying about how to respond to every commenter but not just yet! It seems that right now it’s manageable and I’m enjoying the give and take process.

I will deal with it when I cross that bridge. In fact, just for the fun of it, let me ask you and everyone else who happens to be reading this response, what would you do if it physically became impossible to respond to every commentator? How would you handle it? I’m curious, actually!

Anyone?

Stephen, it looks like you have done a good job here of getting even more comments and creating a stronger community with just this one post! Was that part of the plan? Looks like you may have to start worrying about how to respond back to every commenter! Great job! Keep up the good work! Thanks for leading the way!

Jennifer’s last blog post..A Look at True Wisdom and How to Obtain it Beginning Today!

I’ve been seeing your value-added comments at various places and am often struck with the realization of how we like many of the same places. Very interesting!

Glad today’s article resonated with you. Don’t you love it when that happens? I get this rumble in my stomach when I’m reading something and it gets my creative juices flowing. Ever have that feeling? Granted, it doesn’t happen very often but boy, when it does, I LOVE IT.

Me too - I love it when people participate in a community. That’s been my mindset from the very start - to create a vibrant community where people can “hang out,” learn some new things and offer their thoughts to keep the energy flowing.

Welcome!! Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the time you took to offer your thoughts on the value of leaving comments around the blogosphere.

Lisa Marie Mary’s last blog post..Great Big Alabama Snowstorm