At last count, I visit over 350 blogs per day. On at least one in four, I leave a comment. I figure, hey, I enjoy blogging so much more when the comments are coming in, so why not take a second to return that courtesy to other bloggers, right?
I hate it when leaving a comment at a blog generates an error page. If there’s anything I hate more than that, it’s leaving a comment and finding that the blog owner insists on moderating each and every single comment.
Yes, I understand how frustrating comment spam is. But there are excellent anti-spam plugins available for those who own their own domains. (Those of you on Blogspot are just cheap bastards and, frankly, deserve whatever comment spam you get IMVO.)
And I understand not liking trolls. I get my share of them, frankly, but I mostly ignore them. Why protect them from appearing to be the idiots they are, eh?
But the ones that really, REALLY annoy me are those who complain about the lack of comments and moderate each and every comment and decide that if they don’t recognize a particular commenter’s name they’re going to disapprove the comment.
WTF? You don’t want new readers?
Stupid, stupid bloggers.
UPDATE: And while I’m on the subject of stupid bloggers, why would someone use light gray against a white background for their text? If people can’t read your blog, you’re not going to have any readers. Oh, and those using a white font for their links? If your background is anything but navy or black it makes your links damn near impossible to read. No, that doesn’t increase the likelihood they’ll be clicked. If anything, it ensures people won’t click through because they have no freaking idea what awaits.
Friday, June 15th, 2007, 10:57 am | 
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June 15, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Just so you know, the odd time you comment on my blog? (twice) I am ridiculously thrilled.
One thing I love about EV is that there is so much to read on any given day. I can come back 2-3-4 times and there will be something new.
And another thing I like is that you often answer to comments. That is always cool.
June 15, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Hey, you’re a cheap date if all I have to do is comment in order to thrill you.
I didn’t used to participate in my own comment section. Back when I started blogging, I figured I’d already said my piece in the entry itself, so I thought the comment section was for other people to duke it out.
Once I started commenting on my own comments, blogging became a lot more fun. Comments increased (on some entries, at least) and I feel like I’m participating in an ongoing conversation with a bunch of people who’re hanging out in my virtual lounge.
(By the way, you over in the corner: use a coaster.)
June 15, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Btw, I post a half-dozen times daily on this blog, too. And I also respond to comments there.
June 15, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I know how aggravating moderation is, I hate having to do it, but I have a valid reason.
I have a mad ass stalker and a forum full of his drones, who come to my blog daily, and leave the most vile disgusting comments ever.
My mom and dad read my blog, as well as my kids, many friends.
His comments are not always aimed at me, but to some of the other commentators as well.
I moderate so that no one else has to read his hatred which is sometimes directed at them.
And I’d love to block him and the drones, but they are the masters of proxy changing.
If I blocked every ip they’ve ever left a comment from, no one would be allowed to leave me any comments.
June 15, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Hey, I totally understand stalkers. I’ve had death threats from Arabs incensed that I (a partially Persian woman) married a U.S. military member.
Sent you a private email on the matter.
June 15, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I just checked my blog. Links are a dark lovely pink. I think my comments actually work and I don’t moderate.
Just for the record…when you leave me a comment, I feel like I’ve been visited by a celebrity. *swoon*
June 15, 2007 at 3:58 pm
You folks truly know how to make a frumpy old woman feel like a BlogStah, bay-bee.
De, your blog is gorgeous. Always has been.
I’m beginning to think I should’ve posted the list of blogs that are pissing me off. But I have no doubt that all of those bloggers are really nice people who shouldn’t be subjected to individual ridicule just because we’re on Threat Level Orange today.
June 15, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Now I understand the threat level a few posts above this one…
I read blogs through their feed, and I’m guilty of not clicking over to comment… much. Which is ridiculous, considering how tickled I am to get comments. [Do'h!]
June 15, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Newly 40 but far from frumpy!
June 16, 2007 at 12:30 am
… 350 blogs… a day? Good Lord!
*hopes the white-link comment was not directed at his weblog* I just like the black-and-white look, is all. Oh well. My 16 visitors a day do not regularly complain… or say much of anything
.
June 16, 2007 at 11:20 am
350′s not as hard as it sounds if you use Firefox’s “Linky” plugin and/or a feed reader. I use both. But lots of blogs update only once every few days, so it’s not as hard as it sounds.
June 17, 2007 at 12:21 pm
My pet peeve is very tiny font, esp on a dark background with a funky color type. My eyes just can’t take it.
June 17, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Oh, absolutely. I do like Firefox’s ability to enlarge type on a page with Ctrl-+, but that does nothing for a bad color scheme, and I’m too lazy to create alternate stylesheets for reading blogs like that.
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June 15, 2007 at 6:12 pm