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I've finally received my first couple of comments (memorywriters.wordpress.com). But I'm so new at blogging, I don't know what to do. Is it common practice for me to respond to the visitors comment with a comment of my own? (Especially since the comment asks me a question?)
Thanks,
Jerry Waxler
memorywriters.wordpress.com
if you want. I know Sulz always edits the comment with her reply but puts the text into bold. I just make another comment myself.
I usually forward a copy via email to the comments as well just so they see it.
Hope this helps,
-drmike
edit: Just for reference, links to off server sites as a sig really aren't cool around here.
If you make another comment rather than editing the original one and putting your response in, it'll show if people have subscribed to the comments feed. That will bring more readers to your blog. Also, if people know you respond to your comments they'll have a reason to check back more often.
I used to use the same comment boxes to reply to comments like sulz does. However, one of my readers pointed out that although I had replied he didn't see the reply. I no longer recommend replying in the same comment box. This is because I switched about a month ago to using a separate comment box for my own replies to comments on all my blogs and my hits did increase.
Thanks, all. That's pretty straightforward. To reply to comments, just add another comment. That's great.
By the way, that raises another protocol question. The idea that offsite links in the sig are not appropriate surprises me. What's the deal? Everywhere I turn, people are telling me that links in my sig are crucial for web positioning and traffic, and here I am hoping to increase presence, and I'm not supposed to leave my website? What's with that? Any perspectives, FAQ's, etc would be appreciated. I know I have a lot to learn, but it's really hard when some lessons directly contradict other ones.
The idea that offsite links in the sig are not appropriate surprises me. What's the deal?
(1) Ummm ... wordpress.com blogs are non-commercial. Those intent on monetizing their blogs -> http://wordpress.org
Details about the differences between wordpress.com and wordpress.org -> http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=3700&page&replies=1
(2) If you want help from unpaid wordpress.com forum volunteers then linking your username to your wordpress.com blog makes sense. We can then look at what you are talking about rather than clicking on a username and being directed to some commercial site that has nothing whatsoever to do with the questions we are trying to provide answers to.
Hover your mouse over your username. You can change it within your forum profile if needbe. Just remember that you're going to have to state where your blog is if you change it.
As to the sig stuff, note that forum software like phpBB and Invision have a special place within their profiles for sigs. We don't here. Even I promote using sig links as well over at http://pimpmyblog.wordpress.com and suggest them where it's allowed.
It's also covered in the ToS:
the Content is not spam, and does not contain unethical or unwanted commercial content designed to drive traffic to third party sites or boost the search engine rankings of third party sites
You may have also noticed that no one else is doing it as well. ;)
You can have one affiliate link or, I would presume, one link to a for-profit site of your own as long as that link is "discreet" and text. One link; that's per blog, not per comment.
That's for the blogs.
Aren't we talking about in the comments on the blogs? I mean, the only signature I see for him HERE is a WordPress.com blog, which is the slightly less functional way of linking your name to your blog; it shouldn't count as extra or anything.
We're discussing the sig links with the posters first post.
Sig links in comments are pretty much up to the individal blog admin.
Ah. I'm easily confused.
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