Lucky Dorito

Originally published in February 2009, I wanted to update and re-post this mainly for my mother-in-law, but anyone else that is new here also. I often get emails (luckydoritoATgmailDOTcom) from those that are either too shy or too new to blogging to comment here and they feel more secure sending their words via email. Which is fine – I love interaction with you any way I can get it, but I do so enjoy seeing a comment now and then. Come on, don’t be shy. I don’t bite. Well, not usually. hehe

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I love blogging because I’ve always loved to write things out. Even if no one ever read the words I wrote, I would still do it just because I LIKE it.

Now, that being said, you have to realize that comments left by readers are the best! They brighten my day immeasurably to know that someone took the time to say a few words in response to what I wrote. I don’t write strictly because of the comments… but I sure love love love to see them!

I remember back when I was a blogging newbie and I didn’t even know how to comment or if I should. I lurked around for months and months, often times feeling like everyone else already seemed to know each other and I felt like an *intruder* of sorts to jump in with my own two cents worth of words so I rarely did at first.

But then, one day someone wrote something that moved me so… I just had to say something. (I would like to be able to tell you WHO wrote the first blog that inspired me to comment but sadly, I’ve forgotten now.) So I left a comment and it wasn’t an hour or so later, that person emailed me and thanked me profusely for commenting because it was a very heartfelt and personal type post that I had responded to and the blogger truly valued my comment.

Wow…. what about that?? I was truly tickled that the blogger responded to ME personally. Now, after 3 years of blogging, I totally understand this all so much better, but at the time, it was all new to me. I didn’t know if there was a *commenting etiquette* that needed to be followed that I was unaware of at the time.

As it turns out, it’s very simple to comment on blogs. Anyone can comment on any post that you inspires you to do so. I still often read many more than I actually find time to comment on but I try to let the blogger know I was there, I read it and I laughed or cried or rolled my eyes.

On my blog, if you scroll to the bottom of each entry, just above the little flower divider, there is a line that looks like this:

If you click on the *dorito bits* part (circled in the image) it will open a new comment box, which looks like this:

Inside the box, you may write whatever your comment is going to be. The only portion required is to fill out your name and email address (you can use your full name, just your first name, or a nickname). The name appears beside your comment once it is displayed but the email address is only visible to the blogger. If you are concerned about privacy, fear not – I would never release anyone’s personal information although I can’t speak for others, I feel confident that most bloggers wouldn’t either. (Although I will probably email you to thank you for your comment the first time you leave one or return the visit to your blog, if you have one.) If you have a blog that you would like to link to, (so I can visit YOU) fill out the line that asks for *website* information but that is not required.

When you’ve completed your comment in the box, hit the *Submit Comment* button below the box:

Easy peasy!

Now, this works basically the same on all blogs, whether they are WordPress, or TypePad, or Blogger or one of the gazillion other blogging platforms out there. (Windows Live Spaces requires you to sign in with your Windows ID but it’s still about the same process) Sometimes you’ll run into a blog that has one extra little step – a word verification box, such as this one:

This is just an extra little tool that bloggers have available to use to protect us from gobs and gobs of random spam comments. I use Askimet, which is a WordPress plug-in tool that automatically blocks comments that it feels might be spam. (I go through it often to make sure no REAL comments get caught by it though.) It’s located on my left-hand sidebar titled *Spam Blocked*. You’ll notice the current count is up to 24,000. That is TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND spam comments just since March of 2008, when I began at this blog. That’s a LOT of junk blocked!

So there you have it… Commenting 101. Feel free to comment on my blog if you’d like. Consider it an open invitation! (Mamma` – that means YOU!)

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