OMSH

OMSH, well said. I am amazed at how many blogs read and comment on that totally ignore thoughtful comments. I am starting a 3 strikes you are out rule … no response 3 x and you’ve lost my readership.

Would you prefer other bloggers to email you personally, respond to your comment in the comments section, or comment on your blog as a way of acknowledgement?

A B.O.R.E. expert … the pride you must feel! *wink*

sorry insert –> how many blogs I read and comment on

That IS the coolest USB hub ever! I so need one of those. I’m constantly running out of room.

Thanks for the netiquette advice ;)

I’m like MommyKnows, I’m never sure if I should respond in the comments (do they come back to see if I’ve answered?) or by email. My gut says it depends on the nature of their comment and to respond the way they contacted me, comment response in comments and email a response if they email me. But I have yet to have someone come back and reply to my response to them. And that’s what makes me think that I’m wasting my time putting my response in the comments. I still do it thinking that I’m setting up an expectation for someone who finds my site later that this is what I’ll do and eventually (hahahah!) there will be the sense of community I so enjoy on others’ blogs.

Hey, is posting important too? I’m such a dork. But it’s that lack of community on my blog that makes me spend my small bits of computer time on other people’s blogs wallowing in the community they have created.

RE: spreadsheet? No, but I have a darn good memory.

In response to your response to KYouell, I would have said the same, yet most people don’t respond to me this was. I get an email nearly 95% of the time.

Regarding bad netiquette of not thanking the blogger for the response … does that mean I have to thank them for thanking me? When will it end. Haha.

Thanks for your response!

I get what you’re saying and agree but what about those bloggers like PW and Dooce that get so many comments and emails and never answer any of them? Is there a cut off number where if you start getting that many comments you stop answering any of them since you can’t possibly answer all of them? I’ve been curious about this for some time now.

First – my Daddy won a chili pepper eating contest at the Steak&Ale in Houston when I was 6. They played that song (Hard to Be Humble) while they awarded him his giant chili trophy. All I have to do is hum a few bars now, and he still gets heartburn :-) It’s become a sort of anthem for “you’re about to do something you’re gonna regret.” Pride before the fall, you know?

Second – great rules… not just for the Internet, but for life in general. Humility, attentiveness, generosity…. can’t go wrong there.

I have to say though, it IS hard to answer all the comments sometimes, and I don’t get anywhere NEAR as many as PW and Dooce – not by a long shot.

I try to answer all the direct questions, but there’s a lot of sweet comments that make my day, make me smile, but then drop off my radar by the end of a hectic evening. I hate that. I really do.

Then again, the reality is, there are only so many hours in a day to do what needs doin’.

I feel sometimes like I need a disclaimer that pops up whenever you click the “post comment” button. It would read:

“You are so kind to take the time to say hello, and I appreciate the encouragement more than you can know, but I’m drowning in laundry and my kid needs a bedtime story and my husband has forgotten what my face looks like and we ran out of milk and you can smell my bathroom three doors down and I need to research plumbers and math curriculum and really, I kinda need to sit, for just. five. seconds and breathe. So please, please, please don’t be offended if I don’t reply. I meant to. I’d like to, and I’m glad you’re here. Really.”

Think anyone would comment after reading that?

Me neither.

I was so excited to see an update here. I loved reading your B.O.R.E. method. I think it is great for us to all get a fresh reminder on what is important in this fun world of blogging. Thanks so much! ..Now I know I’ll just ask ya a question in PW’s homeschool site… :)

This is awesome. PW emailed me back once. Maybe if I mailed it with a SASE she could autograph it for me. I wouldnt want to swim in her email box.

Blogging is pretty fun and it is good that everyone now has a BORE cheat sheet. wtg.

I so agree with all this, when I contact an online business via the contact form I expect a reply within a day at the most. If I don’t get a reply or get one days or sometimes weeks later that business is off my list!

As for blogs, I agree, if you have open comments you should respond to your visitors.

I too will keep your B.O.R.E. method taped to my wall…

Good stuff lady! Thanks! I’ve been a bad blogger altogether lately… hardly written a thing in two weeks! Eek…

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Good post! I have a little tiny blog so I don’t really have to worry about that (yet) but I really appreciate the few times I’ve asked a question or commented about something “important” and have had a response. PW, you, and several others have been great about that.

Here’s one step above and beyond, even… I recently sent a brief email to one of my all time favorite authors recently because I did a drawing based on a conversation in one of his books. I posted it on my blog and then emailed him that I had done so. He took the time and emailed me back, which I was totally not expecting. That is really kind of thrilling to me.
We poor, unwashed masses kind of like a little recognition, even by our favorite bloggers! :)

[...] B.O.R.E Method when it comes to managing your online relationships / [...]

You are so smart. I want to engrain this post in my head and go back and delete a hew hundred.

I love that hub, and my hubs would probably love the homer simpson one, but not at that price…lol.

Thanks for the tips! I’m just a new blogger, but really enjoying getting all that “stuff” outta my head and out.

I don’t get many comments, but definately love to hear people’s encouragement enough to say a quick “thanks”. Good to read that replying back onto the blog is enough.

I comment on other sites once in awhile, but can’t always remember where I’ve commented or when, so it’s always nice to receive a personal email from an author. It’s a great way to not only know when someone’s appreciated MY comment, but also to gain – gasp – friendships!

Really great thoughts here OMSH.

There are some really useful advice in here! :D Thanks for the post, it gave me something to think about. :p

I love your advice!! Thanks for putting this out there!

I am totally on B.O.R.E.(d) with it. Thanks for the advice!

I happily respond to every comment but it is easy because I am just starting out and there a not many. PW has such a huge volume of comments how would it ever be possible to respond. When she offered a give away this month there were over 12,000 responses in her coments. If there were any questions in there she probably wouldn’t see them. I did ask her a question on her Facebook page and it was answered very quickly.
Thanks for all the information here. I wish I had started here so I wouldn’t have to try moving my blog. That is so like me to rush head first into something. Stress!

This is very true. PW e-mailed me back also. I felt like a superstar!

I think comments in e-mail form are easier and more personable to respond to because the commenter knows they got a response from the site author. In comment sections, I don’t know… comments seem to get lost if the person doesn’t check back to the site, or a lot of comments have come since then.

Where is our OMSH? This most recent post is dated 2/3, and I can’t find anything more recent anywhere else on the web. I am worried. :o(

thanks OMSH i am surely gonna try your method..
hopeful to succeed in future with your B.O.R.E. method..

Christy — she’s alive and well, lots going on in OMSHville, all good. I believe she only plans to post once a month here, but I could be mistaken.

I’ve always wondered: should one respond to comments in the comment section, or should one email the commenter? What about comments that don’t ask a question?

I think that questions should definately be responded to. Unless it is a generic question such as ..what’s up with that? Which is actually more of a comment than a question. Comments don’t need to be responded to individually but can be summed up in a group after several are posted if you want to acknowledge them.
I would post my response in the comment section unless it contained information I wanted to direct only at the person who asked. Remember if one person asks a question chances are others are wondering too. I am wondering what is the best spot to put a comment section that isn’t connected to a post for those questions or comments that aren’t related to a specific post. Hmmm.

Okay time change and everything. Had to get up an hour earlier and didn’t make much sense. Ha.
Sometimes when I go onto a blog I would like to leave a comment stating that I think their site it great, their photography is superior or their humour is right up my alley. It may not be directly about a single post but more of a general comment about the site as a whole. If you comment on a single post then others don’t see it unless they are interested in commenting on the same post. If there was a dedicated section for comments then you could post there. Does that make more sense?

Not responding to emails or comments is probably pretty rude. However, sometimes you just get buried and overwhelmed and… well… some slip through the cracks. I have a disclaimer on my contact page that explains this and begs people not to be offended if I can’t get back to them in a timely matter.

Oh I do mean sometimes questions slip through the cracks… I have actually read the other comments etc. and know you’ve already written/responded to this. I feel badly when questions get forgotten… I’ve answered questions MONTHS late sometimes, which duh, of course they’ve already gotten their answer elsewhere… but ya know, I try. Heh.

I just found your site via This Eclectic Life (who had linked to one of my posts) and have now been here for about 20 minutes! I am also a WordPress designer – won’t use anything else – and write at a multitude of other sites as well. I just love your style and the little orange monster is adorable!

I’ll definitely be back!!

[...] to increase readership to your own personal websites. I ran across this blog post titled, “The OMSHville B.O.R.E. Method,” that I have found to be useful in my online efforts with blogs and social networks. OMSH [...]

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