Thing #12 Creating Community Through Commenting

Two points about commenting I thought were important:
· Contributing (from The Ten Commandments of Blog Commenting) by leaving a comment with more substance is important because usually the author of the original blog wants to know more about what the person commenting thinks and why. It can extend the discussion into new arenas of thought. Higher level thought/discussions?!
· Occasionally using humor in comments (also from The Ten Commandments of Blog Commenting) makes the learning process less daunting, and it is a great tool for keeping it light and having fun.

For students, I think one of the most important lessons to teach them about blog commenting is about being polite and showing respect for one another. As Brown mentions in the Ten Commandments article, "Just because you’re not interacting face to face doesn’t mean you can act like an idiot." Many students are used to quickly texting their feelings on a cell phone or on IM. They need to understand that commenting on a blog is not that same kind of intimate conversation and that their comments will be posted in a public forum.

Now that I am somewhat acclimated to this blogging business and I don't feel like such a bashful blogger, I am finding it fun to not only explore other sites, but actually comment. Having a few others suddenly posting on my site was helpful to jump-start the process. I like the way we are all linked, so that we can go to the sites of those who leave a comment to see where they hangout!