Advice For Commenting on Blogs

Leaving a comment sounds like a no-brainer. Really, who hasn't commented on a picture or status update on someone's Facebook? But what works with one group of people on Facebook doesn't always fly with the readers you encounter in the blogosphere. In order to avoid making ourselves look foolish, here are a few tips on how to leave a decent comment on a blog.

 These are not all-inclusive guidelines, and there might be room for disagreement on some of them. However, if you have never commented on a blog before, or if you have but need a bit of advice, here are some good starting points.

I pulled these from the blog Digitally Speaking.

The following tips for blog commenters are adapted from the collective work of Kelly Gallagher, Matt Copeland and Project CRISS:
To be an active blog commenter, start by carefully reading the original post and then working your way through the comments that have been left by others. While viewing the comments that have been added by other users, you should:

• Gather facts:  Jot down things that are interesting and new to you.
• Make Connections:  Relate and compare things you are hearing to things you already know
• Ask Questions:  What about the comments that have already been made is confusing to you?  What don't you understand?  How will you find the answer?  Remember that there will ALWAYS be questions in an active thinker's mind.
• Give Opinions:  Make judgments about what you are viewing and hearing.  Do you agree?  Do you disagree?  Like?  Dislike?  Do you support or oppose anything that you have heard or seen?  Why?

And now the DO NOT:

1. EVER USE YOUR REAL NAME OR THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL!  Remaining anonymous is the safest way to add comments to blogs.
2. Ever respond to anyone who says something mean or inappropriate.  Always find your teacher if this happens!
3. Forget to proofread your posts.  Tons of errors will make people think that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. Be afraid to challenge the thinking of other people!  Some of the best learning happens when people are forced to rethink their ideas.