General thoughts about blog comments

Comments are a great way to give feedback to those who have written in a blog. They let authors know their work is being read and the impact it's having.

Comments let the writer know he/she has an audience.

Comments encourage people to write more and better pieces.

Comments help people to think deeper about an issue.

Remember that a blog is not “live chat” or personal correspondence like a letter or e-mail. Make sure that you are appropriate with language, grammar, and punctuation, and that you are constructive in your comments.

A well-written comment…

… is always expressed using a positive tone.
… if critical, is both gentle and sandwiched between positive statements.
… is very specific when giving praise. This creates a sense of authenticity and believability in the comment.
… may be brief or lengthy but leaves the author of the blog post with the sense that the commenter is “on their side” and genuinely interested in their success.

Here are some comment starters to get you going:

This made me think about…….
I wonder why…….
Your writing made me form an opinion about…….
I saw in my mind…….
Your writing made me think that we should…….
I wish I understood why…….
This is important because…….
I think you write this to show…
I can relate to this…….
This makes me think of…….
I discovered…….
You seem to be saying that…
I was reminded that…….
I found myself wondering…….

Please read the specific comment instructions for the assignment you are responding to. Thank you!