Comments on: You Know What? My Blog Isn’t a Conversation. http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation somewhere between the sticky and the buzz Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:01:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Stefan Holt http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-852 Stefan Holt Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:23:03 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-852 The moment your blog post became a conversation, was somewhere just past your last question mark and the first comment. Blogs are like signs posted on a community bulletin board, you have to read them before you can become interested enough to engage in a dialogue much less a conversation. Congrats on getting this blog post from point A to point B, the conversation. Thank Joseph Jaffe for bringing it to my attention. Stefan Holt http://www.acktivemedia.com The moment your blog post became a conversation, was somewhere just past your last question mark and the first comment. Blogs are like signs posted on a community bulletin board, you have to read them before you can become interested enough to engage in a dialogue much less a conversation. Congrats on getting this blog post from point A to point B, the conversation. Thank Joseph Jaffe for bringing it to my attention.

Stefan Holt
http://www.acktivemedia.com

]]> By: Steve Woodruff http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-833 Steve Woodruff Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:08:54 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-833 On a blog, the exchange is more like an asynchronous dialogue than a true conversation. There is far more real-time exchange on Twitter, ooVoo, phone, backyard fence, or whatever. But the blog posts can spark it. I see my blog as my thought/experience outpost more than a conversation. On a blog, the exchange is more like an asynchronous dialogue than a true conversation. There is far more real-time exchange on Twitter, ooVoo, phone, backyard fence, or whatever. But the blog posts can spark it. I see my blog as my thought/experience outpost more than a conversation.

]]> By: James Socol http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-801 James Socol Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:52:18 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-801 I wrote a post about this a while ago. I think a blog is like a classroom. One person talks then others respond. (Seth Godin is a big lecturer. Take your conversations outside.) There are a lot of different styles of blogger, just like there are a lot of different styles of teacher. Some people will get involved in real 2-way communication, others give their speech and move on. But you're right: in no way is a blog like a conversation. I wrote a post about this a while ago. I think a blog is like a classroom. One person talks then others respond. (Seth Godin is a big lecturer. Take your conversations outside.)

There are a lot of different styles of blogger, just like there are a lot of different styles of teacher. Some people will get involved in real 2-way communication, others give their speech and move on.

But you’re right: in no way is a blog like a conversation.

]]> By: David Fisher http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-736 David Fisher Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:58:58 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-736 I am not a social media consultant and my blog is not a conversation. I think that the most overused words of 2007/08 are "conversation" and "authentic". I believe that on occasion conversations occur on blogs, but they are the exception and not the norm... and simply because the conversation appears on the blog doesn't make the blog a conversation any more than a couch is a conversation simply because one is had on it. To a certain degree we've fooled ourselves into feeling that everything in the "web 2.0" world is now a perfect 2-way street. It's not. Not everyone had something to say. Sometimes you'd rather read than write, and sometimes that is for the best. Look to the analytics of any blog and you'll see at least 10x as many people reading only, as opposed to commenting. Some people want to talk, and some want to just listen. The main difference is that it's not the responsibility of the reader to provide interesting content to the author, but it is the responsibility of the author to provide interesting content to the reader- else their traffic will surely drop. 95% of comments made online aren't all that interesting. Just look on YouTube I am not a social media consultant and my blog is not a conversation. I think that the most overused words of 2007/08 are “conversation” and “authentic”. I believe that on occasion conversations occur on blogs, but they are the exception and not the norm… and simply because the conversation appears on the blog doesn’t make the blog a conversation any more than a couch is a conversation simply because one is had on it.

To a certain degree we’ve fooled ourselves into feeling that everything in the “web 2.0″ world is now a perfect 2-way street. It’s not. Not everyone had something to say. Sometimes you’d rather read than write, and sometimes that is for the best.

Look to the analytics of any blog and you’ll see at least 10x as many people reading only, as opposed to commenting. Some people want to talk, and some want to just listen.

The main difference is that it’s not the responsibility of the reader to provide interesting content to the author, but it is the responsibility of the author to provide interesting content to the reader- else their traffic will surely drop.

95% of comments made online aren’t all that interesting. Just look on YouTube

]]> By: Rodger D. Johnson http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-733 Rodger D. Johnson Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:04:13 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-733 Amamda, You're playing with semantics. But that's not, necessarily, a bad thing. While I would tend to agree with you, Falls does have a point. At the now silent SHAMblog, a string of comments to a post would give one the impression that its readers were sitting in a pub enjoying intellectual banter while drinking their favorite ale. Off blog, even the blogger, my former professor and freelance guru, commented several time about the rate of back-in-forth conversation. I tend to think my blog is less of a conversation and more about information. From what I can tell, many come to read. Amamda,

You’re playing with semantics. But that’s not, necessarily, a bad thing. While I would tend to agree with you, Falls does have a point. At the now silent SHAMblog, a string of comments to a post would give one the impression that its readers were sitting in a pub enjoying intellectual banter while drinking their favorite ale. Off blog, even the blogger, my former professor and freelance guru, commented several time about the rate of back-in-forth conversation.

I tend to think my blog is less of a conversation and more about information. From what I can tell, many come to read.

]]> By: Bill Tozier http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-728 Bill Tozier Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:59:21 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-728 Not a conversation. A fanzine, maybe. Something from which conversations arise, but not a place they happen and not conversations themselves. A slow, spotty, poorly-organized epistolary mystery. Comments on most blogs are typically either "me too", "no way", or introductions to <i>actual</i> conversations elsewhere. Not a conversation. A fanzine, maybe. Something from which conversations arise, but not a place they happen and not conversations themselves. A slow, spotty, poorly-organized epistolary mystery. Comments on most blogs are typically either “me too”, “no way”, or introductions to actual conversations elsewhere.

]]> By: Pinkditz http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-727 Pinkditz Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:53:34 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-727 Interesting question. I agree with you that it's not a conversation. It is a form of communicating with people though. sometimes I like the fact that I get feedback from strangers on something that I wrote in peace, as opposed to when your having a conversation people might immediately attack you with their opinions or comments. I always respond back to comments. But commenting doesn't even come close to an im conversation which already isn't real. So it's communication but not a conversation. Interesting question. I agree with you that it’s not a conversation. It is a form of communicating with people though. sometimes I like the fact that I get feedback from strangers on something that I wrote in peace, as opposed to when your having a conversation people might immediately attack you with their opinions or comments.

I always respond back to comments. But commenting doesn’t even come close to an im conversation which already isn’t real. So it’s communication but not a conversation.

]]> By: John Wall http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-724 John Wall Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:34:50 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-724 You are on the mark, it's closer to a conversation than just pushing your message out there, but it doesn't scale very well. If you talk to people with high traffic blogs most of them agree that the conversation doesn't scale well past 20 comments. You are on the mark, it’s closer to a conversation than just pushing your message out there, but it doesn’t scale very well. If you talk to people with high traffic blogs most of them agree that the conversation doesn’t scale well past 20 comments.

]]> By: Joseph Jaffe http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-722 Joseph Jaffe Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:49:49 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-722 Great post. Interesting btw that your comment section begins with the phrase, "Speak your mind", which I guess isn't conversation either but response in of itself. My thoughts are that blogs (for the most part) are "conversation starters". However, as SnowBear suggests, it is in the comment thread that the real dialogue and thus, conversation emerges and percolates. What's interesting of course in this scenario is that the original poster (the blogger) isn't necessarily even part of that conversation (or doesn't have to be) One other thing...I do think that conversation can be non-linear i.e. don't have to happen in real-time. I've seen plenty of examples of that and if it can be encapsulated in a phrase it would be "the long tail" which is kinda time-travel for conversations. Love this thought btw....think I'll blog and podcast about it myself and generate additional feedback. Perhaps you want to seed it yourself by calling +1 206 203-3255 Great post. Interesting btw that your comment section begins with the phrase, “Speak your mind”, which I guess isn’t conversation either but response in of itself.

My thoughts are that blogs (for the most part) are “conversation starters”. However, as SnowBear suggests, it is in the comment thread that the real dialogue and thus, conversation emerges and percolates. What’s interesting of course in this scenario is that the original poster (the blogger) isn’t necessarily even part of that conversation (or doesn’t have to be)

One other thing…I do think that conversation can be non-linear i.e. don’t have to happen in real-time. I’ve seen plenty of examples of that and if it can be encapsulated in a phrase it would be “the long tail” which is kinda time-travel for conversations.

Love this thought btw….think I’ll blog and podcast about it myself and generate additional feedback. Perhaps you want to seed it yourself by calling +1 206 203-3255

]]> By: Jason Falls http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-721 Jason Falls Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:19:47 +0000 http://socialhoneycomb.com/my-blog-isnt-a-conversation#comment-721 It certainly can be. If you post something that strikes a nerve, polarizes people in your audience, etc., you can certainly have a voluminous discussion right here in the comments. I'd say in terms of semantics, your blog isn't a conversation, other than a top-level conversation between you and your readers, but your blog posts certainly can be the impetus for such. Unfortunately, that conversation can't be contained. I hate the fact that FriendFeed is stealing my comments away. People react there and on my blog. But that's one of the drawbacks of the open source marketplace, I guess. It certainly can be. If you post something that strikes a nerve, polarizes people in your audience, etc., you can certainly have a voluminous discussion right here in the comments. I’d say in terms of semantics, your blog isn’t a conversation, other than a top-level conversation between you and your readers, but your blog posts certainly can be the impetus for such.

Unfortunately, that conversation can’t be contained. I hate the fact that FriendFeed is stealing my comments away. People react there and on my blog. But that’s one of the drawbacks of the open source marketplace, I guess.

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