Monday 27 October 2014

7 Problems I Have With Commenting

I am hopelessly bad at commenting on other people's posts.

Sorry.

After thinking about why this is, I've come to the conclusion that these problems all stem from one main issue: being constantly worried I'm going to humiliate myself.

Me, after leaving an embarrassing comment.
Here's a list of some of my issues...



1.  Formality

How formal should my comment be?  If a post is serious, I don't want to be making a joke, and if a post is funny, I don't want to be too serious.  This also depends on how well I 'know' the blogger, because if I believe that we're friends, I'm not going to be too concerned about how formal I'm being, since you already know who I am and what I'm like - to an extent.  Another aspect of this is whether I'm allowed to use language like lol and hahaha.

2.  Length

Sometimes I find it hard to judge if it is worth leaving a comment that is only a couple of sentences long.  I know that I appreciate them, but I know other people hate them.  At the same time though, I don't want to leave an entire essay as a comment.  If I only have a few things to say or I have a tonne of things to say, I'm likely to end up just deleting the comment altogether, so that I don't annoy anyone.

3.  How Should I End My Sentences?

Should I use a '.', a '!', a '!!!', a ':)' or a ':P'?  Have I used too many smiley faces already?  If I use a full stop, will it make me seem boring?  But if I use an exclamation mark, does it seem like I'm shouting?  This also links in with the formality point: smiley faces might not actually be appropriate to the post content.

4.  Popularity of the Post

If a post already has a lot of comments, I'm less likely to want to leave a comment.  I may have a lot to say, but I don't like to be repeating what everyone else has already said.  If I feel like I have nothing different to contribute, I'm probably just going to like the post on Bloglovin' and try to move on.

5.  Emotional Reaction

A post that makes me feel a lot of things is going to make it difficult for me to form a coherent comment.

Yes, that is me beneath the bookcase.

When I have a lot to say, I struggle to come up with something that makes sense in a short time frame.  In fact, I currently have five tabs pinned of posts that I want to comment on, but haven't yet because I need time to think about how I'm going to say what I want to say.  This, again, links back to the formality point.  Is incoherent fangirling really an acceptable response to the post I'm commenting on?

6.  Is it Personal Enough?

This worry definitely comes from some posts I've seen on blogs lately, concerning comments.  I never comment just for the sake of it, but apparently there are people who do.  So now, I end up trying to use very specific examples of what's been said in a post in my comment.  This always makes my comment sound stiff and robotic, which I hate!

7.  Am I Talking About Myself Too Much?

This point is pretty self-explanatory (now that I think of it, the rest of my points are too).  If I read over my comment and find that I have said 'I' too many times, I'm going to delete it.  I'm not just commenting to get my own opinions and experiences out.  I want to ask questions of the blogger too.  I'm guilty of not always picking up on this one, and figuring it out after I've already posted the comment - and commence worrying about coming off as self absorbed.

Those are the main reasons that I'm bad at leaving comments.  In all seriousness, I'm probably judging my own comments too harshly.  I don't think about any of this stuff when I receive a comment on one of my own posts, so why do I care about it when I leave one?  I think with time and practice I'll learn to get over these issues.  Hopefully in the meantime I manage not to embarrass myself too badly!

12 comments:

  1. Hehe well I just comment whateverrr....ya know, BLAAAHHH. Who cares :P Then we can just be happy and not worry about what we're saying. I mean, I visit multiple blogs in one day, so if I was picky about what I wrote it would take FOREVER. Well, actually, it does take a long time, but that time would double or triple if I was really comment conscious ;) So don't worry about it too much. And if they don't respond.....well, that happens too. It's not because you're comment was lame or offensive (unless it is XD), the chances are they were too busy or just didn't feel like they needed to respond to that particular comment e.g. if you said "Love this. Can't wait to read the book :)"
    –B @Fangirling Misses

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    1. Haha I wish I was more like that! I visit tonnes of blogs a day too - it takes so long! I shall try not to worry so much :P Yeah, when they don't respond I tend to get even more nervous xD Depending on what my comment was - if I just said something like your example, I wouldn't be bothered by it.

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  2. You should have titled this post "7 Reasons Why Connie is Traumatized Every Day" because this was perfection.
    I struggle with these things so much that sometimes I just decide NOT to comment, which in retrospect is a bad decision xD Another thing I have a problem with is I'm super (super) behind on books so whenever people post reviews I'm always just like "Great review! I'm really hoping to read -insert title here- soon." It's true, people DO have awesome reviews and I DO want to read the book soon, but it feels like such a thoughtless comment.

    But in general (get ready for hypocrisy) don't stress about it too much! Obviously no one likes people who just say "Nice post" and leave a link, but in general no blogger is expecting you to write a thoughtful essay about their post, nor will most people judge you harshly for the rest of your life because you used "lol" in a comment. For me personally, I'm ecstatic just to have people commenting on my posts and have no qualms about their formality, emoticon usage, etc. (that being said, I stress myself out for no reason while commenting all the time)

    Also.. THAT TURTLE GIF IS AMAZING. And so are your comments and your blog, so seriously, don't worry! :D

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    1. Oh Connie :') I do the same thing! I am so glad I am not alone in this ahah!

      That's the thing, I try to rationalise with myself with those kinds of thoughts, but they just never work! Yeah, I just appreciate that someone took the time to comment as well.

      I'm glad you liked that turtle gif! Lol!

      Thanks Connie, you're lovely :)

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  3. I feel the exact same way about leaving comments! It's also hard to be newbie and constantly torn between "oh my god what if I say something wrong and they hate me for that" and "but this post is so good, I feel the need to comment". Ugh.

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    1. Yes! I'm always worried I'm going to say something wrong, or considered impolite or something like that! Hopefully we can get over it though aha :)

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  4. Aw! Fantastic post, Sabrina! (Is that generic hahaha :P) I don't really mind when it comes to commenting. I care not for length, nor seriousness. More often than not, I comment on things that intrigue me or if they've asked a question and I go from there. Most of the time, my comments get lengthy. But I don't mind! I pretty much ramble off but it's a nice feeling, you know? Just go with it and it'll come naturally is all I can say! x

    Jess @ My Reading Dress

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    1. Haha! I don't mind how other people comment, it's just my own! You're lucky that your writing flows so easily. Thanks for the advice Jess :) x

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  5. Great post!! To be honest with you I comment whatever I want regarding the post I'm reading. Maybe there are things I don't really have nothing to say so I don't say it, but if something catches my attention then the blogger will have a lot to read hahaha but I get your fear hahaha just don't worry. Be yourself =)

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    1. Thanks Noelia - I will have to try harder not to worry!

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  6. Oh I wouldn't worry too much about thinking you are going to humiliate yourself. I've been hesitant to comment on posts, but I'm getting more comfortable with it.

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    1. Nothing I say can turn out that badly, right? :P I'm glad to hear that it gets better with time.

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