Thing #4

Commenting on other people's blogs shows writers that someone is actually reading their blog! Not only that, but they care enough about what the writer is saying to comment on it. When you comment on a blog, it brings attention to your blog which creates a sense of community. If someone agrees with your comment, they are likely to check out your blog, then you check out theirs, and so on. Joining in on a conversation is the right thing to do when you care about a topic. It gives bloggers a chance to discuss common interests and concerns and share advice.

Other points about commenting on blogs that were brought up in the reading discussed "commenting etiquette". One blogger said it's important to say "thanks" to a comment or at least respond to it in some way. The writer should let their readers know that he or she is listening. Looking at the other side of blogging brings me to my next point that was brought up in the reading...the readers commenting on the blog. Don't just comment just to comment....comment only if you really care about the subject being discussed! It's almost rude otherwise. While a "I agree with you" is nice, tell the writer why you agree or care. Makes for much more interesting comments which could lead to more interesting topics of discussion.

Comments I've made on classmates' blogs:

1. Ashley Kettle: I commented on Thing #5 because it seems she and I share feelings of being overwhelmed by Web 2.0. I'm a late learner with most technology....

2. Danielle Murphy: I commented on the fact that she is done! I've been checking her blog out a lot along the way since she has continued to be ahead of everyone. I let her know that I've been reading it and how great it looks.

3. Anita Hicks: I commented on her avatar and on her thing #2. Someone else had commented on recycling so I kept the conversation going since I'm a pretty big believer in recycling.

4. Tiffany Burghardt: I commented on her blog because she cracks me up. She and I both don't get the whole blogging thing. Neither one of us are too terribly interested in reading people's random thoughts....

5. Jake Null: I joined a discussion about posting pics on the internet.

6. While I was working on assignment for another class, I came across Kathy Schrock's Blog. She has her own website where she lists several helpful websites for educators and her blog is all about using web 2.0. Good stuff. I left a comment on how I can use her blog as a learning tool!

7. The Pioneer Woman: I was introduced to this blog in class and I mainly like it for the recipes! I'm always looking for good recipes...not that I have a lot of time to cook these days, but STILL! :) So, I commented on one of her recipes.