Bloggers – Hugh's Views & News

An image of the letter W in lots of blue badges.

Astonishing! Some Bloggers Kill Off Comments On Their Blogs. Why?

Published on Apr 28, 2025Apr 28, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts87 Comments

I’ve always believed that engaging with comments is at the core of what makes blogging so vibrant and interactive.

While I won’t reiterate what has been said about bloggers who choose not to respond to comments, I was taken aback to learn that some bloggers are opting to turn off comments entirely. Some claim that it’s the future of blogging, where people no longer want to engage, mainly because they don’t have the time.

Wait a minute. A silent blog? No comments? No space for discussion or interaction with fellow bloggers and readers? Will these blogs be relegated to ‘library’ status – a place for reading but not engaging?

Is it possible that some of those who neglect to respond to comments are also the ones shutting down comments altogether?

What drives the decision to turn off comments?

The leading reason appears to be time constraints. Many bloggers argue that responding to comments diverts precious time away from creating new content. This perspective honestly frustrates me.

If your content generates a lot of comments, managing responses can indeed feel overwhelming. While it’s true that time spent responding might seem more effectively allocated to writing new posts, with proper time management, it doesn’t have to be a significant issue.

Is there a limit to how many comments are too many?

In my 11 years of blogging, I’ve managed and replied to over 25,000 comments. Whether that’s excessive is debatable, but as a blogger, I continuously seek more engagement. I always feel sad for those blogs that generate little to no comments from readers. What are they doing wrong?

At times, responding to comments might take up an entire morning, time I could dedicate to crafting additional blog posts or short stories. Nevertheless, I’ve always believed that if someone takes the time to read my work and leave a comment, it’s only courteous to return the favour with a response.

“Treat every visitor to your blog, just as you would a guest in your home.”

This advice stuck with me early in my blogging journey, given by a blogger with an awe-inspiring follower count. She made it a point to respond to each comment (except comments from spammers or trolls), a lesson that remains ingrained in my approach.

A priority every morning when I log into my blog is to respond to comments. Not only does this affirm that my writing is resonating with readers, but it also establishes a friendly atmosphere, showing visitors and commenters that their contributions are valued.

Are all comments created equal?

Absolutely not. Comments vary widely. Some reflect that the commenter has read the entire post, generating fresh ideas for future content. Others, however, leave you wondering if they merely clicked the ‘like’ button without engaging deeply with your work. Some find it difficult not to leave a comment, regardless of what it is. Perish the thought that they may upset a blogger by not leaving a comment every time.

I acknowledge these lighter comments by liking them. At the very least, it signifies that I’ve read their input. However, I’ve grown tired of the short, non-engaging comments from the same bloggers all the time, especially those who obviously have not read the posts and who see my blog as a quick way to get some free marketing for their own blog.

Do I have a meaningful quote about comments?

Indeed, I do! This quote has resonated with many over the years:

“Not addressing comments left on your blog is akin to inviting someone over for coffee and ignoring their presence.”

The broader impact of comments.

Comments can spark rich debates among readers. It’s always enlightening to see two or more bloggers engage in discussions about the subject I’ve tackled in my post. I regard this as a ‘healthy debate.’ A blogger once told me that encouraging dialogue through comments showcases your engagement with the audience, even if not every comment is directly addressed to you.

But let’s revisit the question posed in the title: Why should bloggers eliminate comments from their blogs? I understand why some might temporarily disable comments (e.g. when they’re taking a blogging break), but turning them off completely seems contrary to the essence of blogging.

After all, don’t comments facilitate communication between the reader and the author? Isn’t that what most bloggers aspire to do—to connect with their audience?

Are you thinking about turning off comments on your blog? Are you somebody who can’t resist leaving a comment on every single post you check out, or do you just never bother to comment at all? Jump into the chat!

The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. Spelling and grammar mistakes were checked with the help of AI.

I’m getting tough with non-engaging comments. Any non-engaging comments, such as ‘Nice post’, are marked as spam.

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

What Do You Call A Group Of Bloggers? #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Published on May 8, 2024May 8, 2024 by Hugh W. Roberts48 Comments

Wordless Wednesday – No words, just pictures. Allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Black and white group photo of the bloggers who attended the Bloggers Bash held in London in 2018. — Bloggers attending the Blogger Bash held in London in 2018.

Not sure what Wordless Wednesday is or how to participate? Click here for full details.

Linking to Sunday Stills hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt – Theme: Groups.

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? Although I am not hosting this challenge, you can leave a link or pingback to your post in the comments section to help promote it to other bloggers.

To help those with eyesight-impaired vision, please remember to complete a description of your photo in the ‘alt-text’ and description boxes of the picture in the WordPress media library. For more details, check my post, Adding Images Or Photos To Your Blog Posts? 4 Essential Things To Do.’

If you want to know more about the photo featured on this post, ask me in the comments section.

Did you miss last week’s Wordless Wednesday?

Would You Eat Here? #WordlessWednesday #Photography

Do you have a favourite place to eat?

Let me know in the comments section.

by Hugh W. Roberts May 1, 2024May 1, 2024

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, click the ‘Subscribe’ button to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Blogging Simplified: It’s Easy, Isn’t It? Things I’ve Learned

Published on May 7, 2024May 6, 2024 by Hugh W. Roberts104 Comments

How obsessed are you with your blog stats and blogging? And what essential points have you learned about blogging?

Light blue image with the words 'Blogging Simplified: It's Easy, Isn't It? Things I've Learned' in white text — How obsessed are you with your blog?

When I first started blogging in 2014, I was obsessed with my blog stats. I checked them almost hourly to see if anybody had visited my blog. We all know that wonderful feeling when somebody clicks the ‘like’ button, or better still, when somebody leaves a comment on one of our posts for the first time.

It didn’t matter what that comment said. Even if it was, ‘Great post,’ it made my day. How times have changed!

Taking the advice of other bloggers

When another more experienced blogger and somebody who had been blogging much longer than me told me that most of the hits my posts were getting were probably from people who didn’t stay more than a few seconds on my blog, my whole blogging world began caving in.

Even worse, that blogger told me that many of those who hit the ‘like’ button probably didn’t even read the post. What?

I was so deflated that I thought, ‘Why bother?’ It wasn’t until another blogger told me to stop obsessing over my blog stats and to put the energy of stat-watching into writing blog posts that I took that advice.

More trouble

A few months later, I found myself in trouble again. ‘Concentrate on the comments rather than how many people have visited your blog or how many have hit the ‘like’ button,’ another blogger told me. ‘Most importantly, don’t forget to visit, read and leave engaging comments on other blogs.’

But I took that last bit of information to heart and soon found myself spending all my blogging time reading and leaving engaging comments instead of writing posts. I was following over 500 blogs and I believed I had to read and comment on every single post.

Blogging guilt and stress crept up on me, and I thought I’d upset people if I didn’t read their posts and leave them comments, or, even worse, people would unfollow me if I stopped reading and leaving comments on their posts. After all, they were reading and commenting on all my posts.

Once again, I found myself on the edge of packing in blogging. I was going to delete my blog and find something else to do that was more fun and enjoyable.

How do you find the right blogging balance?

Thankfully, I never deleted my blog, but I know of bloggers who have done so, some of whom came back and started afresh. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out, and some of these bloggers went on to abandon their blogs for the same reasons they left blogging in the first place.

Finding a balance between writing blog posts and reading and commenting on other blogs can be a significant task. Thankfully, I found it.

I know some bloggers who balance blogging by reading as many posts as possible in as short a time as possible. They’ll often leave short, non-engaging comments on all those posts. It works for them, but not for me, but good for them if that’s what works.

What works for some won’t work for others.

Then there are the bloggers who reduce the number of blogs they follow without worrying that they’ll probably lose followers in the process (and they will), giving them more time to write. Good for them.

Why do bloggers suddenly stop leaving comments?

I’ve lost followers because I cut down on the number of blogs I followed. Now, I’m following around 75 blogs, all of which I’m interested in. That gives me more time to write, more time to read and more time to leave engaging comments on the blogs I follow.

I no longer get comments from people who always used to leave me comments, however, the fall in non-engaging comments is something I’m delighted with.

Some bloggers seem to have disappeared from the blogging world while others are still around, but have lost interest in what I have to say or no longer have anything interesting to add in a comment. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not worth worrying about.

Are you more of an engaging or non-engaging blogger?

Someone once told me that a non-engaging comment indicates that the person who left it does not want to engage with you (or anybody else). This is usually because they’ll say they don’t have the time to engage. All they want to do is say, ‘Hello, I visited,’ before moving on quickly. They may not have even read the post.

And then there are the bloggers who leave comments like ‘Subscribe to my blog!’ or ‘Nice’ without saying anything else. Do they want to engage, or are they simply number/follower-hunting? I often wonder how would they react if I left them an engaging comment on one of their posts.

Of course, blogging isn’t only about engagement. Many people blog just to express their thoughts online. Some bloggers do not respond to comments. Some bloggers simply thank people for leaving a comment without engaging with them, even if the comment they’re responding to shouts, ‘I want to engage with you!’ thus taking the person who wants to engage down a dead-end.

Many bloggers want to engage, yet I’ve heard from some bloggers who say the comments section of blogs is a waste of time and should be removed. I don’t agree with that, but if a blogger does not want to engage then there is the option to turn off comments.

How often should you blog?

I’ve learned the only answer to this question is – ‘blog as often as you like without feeling obliged to publish something.’

It took me a while to find that I’m happier publishing two or three posts weekly. Any more than that, and I find I’m forcing myself to write posts, which makes blogging less enjoyable. Sometimes, I may only publish once a week.

I do not want to get myself feeling stressed because I haven’t got a post ready, so my advice is not to blog to any schedule of when you’re going to publish posts. If readers are interested in what you write and publish, they’ll read your posts regardless of how often or when you publish and sometimes that could mean days, weeks or even months after the publication of a post, so don’t close comments off to force your audience to read your posts within a particular time-frame. Blogging should always be a leisurely activity.

I also witnessed a drop in the quality of the posts I publish when publishing more than a few times a week. For me, quality is much more important than quantity, but it may not be the same for you.

I also tend to stay clear of blogs that publish more than once daily as they tend to bring an overwhelming feeling that I don’t like. Once again, it’s about finding the perfect balance that works best for you.

Blogging! It’s a fascinating subject, isn’t it? I could go on, but it’s now over to you. Can we discuss blogging honestly without fearing upsetting other people? What do you think? Let me know in the comments section. Let’s discuss blogging.

Did you enjoy this post? Then you may also like –

Blogging

How To Use This New Easy Feature For Your Blog’s Settings On WordPress.

This new WordPress dashboard feature includes settings like privacy, site tools, and domain management for your blog

My post tells you where to find it and how to use it.

by Hugh W. Roberts Apr 15, 2024Apr 29, 2024

Blogging

The Power Of Pingbacks: How To Create One

Pingbacks are a vital tool in the blogging world, fostering connections and increasing site traffic. Are you making the most of pingbacks or missing out on their benefits? This post details their benefits, creation, and anti-spam measures.

by Hugh W. Roberts Feb 19, 2024Mar 10, 2024

Follow Hugh on social media. Click the buttons below.

What Do You Feel About Blog Commenting? This Is What Two Bloggers Think

Published on Oct 5, 2023Oct 30, 2023 by Hugh W. Roberts

Comments play a vital role in fostering vibrant discussions within the blogosphere. They are the lifeblood of meaningful engagement, adding depth and diversity of perspectives to any topic.

But recently, commenting on blogs seems to be going in the wrong direction.

My recent blog post, ‘What Kind Of Comments Are The Best To Leave On Blog Posts?‘ got many of you discussing various types of comments, but more importantly, the non-engaging comments that sadly seem to have become more popular than comments that spark valuable engagement, discussions and conversations.

If you haven’t read the post, please do and add your voice to the various debates.

Today, I have the pleasure of presenting two captivating blog posts penned by talented bloggers about the subject of comments.

These insightful pieces delve into the diverse range of comments they receive on their blogs, offering a glimpse into their personal perspectives and emotional experiences.

The first is from blogger and writer Brenda, who blogs at Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops. Click the following link to read Brenda’s post and join the discussions her post has sparked.

Introductions over Coffee #11

The second post is from blogger and author Erika, who blogs at Share Your Light. Click the following link to read Erika’s post.

JUST A THOUGHT… – HAS IT CHANGED?

I urge those of you who enjoy engagement, discussions and conversations on blog posts to read both posts and add your thoughts to the discussions that Brenda and Erika have ignited on their posts.

I’m closing comments off here so that comments can be left on the posts I’m promoting today.

A big thank you to Brenda and Erika for taking the courage to open up about leaving comments – a subject many bloggers shy away from.

Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, enter your email address and click ‘Subscribe’ to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

What Kind Of Comments Are The Best To Leave On Blog Posts?

Published on Sep 4, 2023Sep 4, 2023 by Hugh W. Roberts132 Comments

My blogging friend Brenda, who blogs at Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops, publishes a series of blog posts where she introduces a new blogger and shares some wonderful blogging tips.

In her recent post, Brenda talks about using prompts to get ideas for blog posts, especially when we struggle to find something to write about. She mentions the daily WordPress prompt, which asks a question bloggers can respond to in a blog post.

I won’t go into all the details of Brenda’s excellent advice, but it got me thinking about the subject of comments.

Light blue image with the words 'What Kind Of Comments Are The Best To Leave On Blog Posts?' in white text. — What kind of comments do you leave on blog posts?

I left a comment on Brenda’s post, which sparked a conversation with another blogger, Laura, who blogs at Keeping It Creative.

The following screenshot is just a small part of the conversation Laura, Brenda, and I had about the subject of comments.

Image showing engaging comments between bloggers on a blog post. — Are your comments engaging?

Our conversation got me thinking about the overall subject of comments and how I’ve noticed a big difference in the comments being left on blogs.

When I first started blogging, the majority of bloggers had conversations and discussions in the comments section with each other about the subject of the post. But over time, that trend seems to be dwindling which had me asking the question –

‘What has happened to the art of conversation and discussion in the comments section of blogs?’

Gone are the days when many readers left comments that not only proved they’d read the post but also gave feedback that opened discussion and conversation.

Now, it seems, some bloggers leave comments with little, if any, way of responding to them other than with a ‘Thank you.’ Comments such as –

‘I enjoyed this.’
‘Wonderful.’
‘This is a great read.’
‘Well done.’
‘Great interview.’
‘You did a great job.’
‘Another great story.’
‘Great authors and books.’
‘Great post.’
‘Thanks for sharing this.’

Or worse, a comment that includes nothing but emojis.

Yes, some of those comments sound encouraging, but as Laura said in her comment, ‘Sometimes a comment is so generic, it feels like the person leaving the comment never read the post.’

None of the above comments mention anything about the contents of the post.

Why do people leave short, non-engaging comments?

There are probably some genuine reasons for leaving non-engaging comments all over the blogging world, but what are they?

I hope some of the reasons will be left in the comments section of this post. I’m interested in knowing.

Some bloggers claim they don’t have the time to leave longer, engaging comments because they don’t have the time to leave them. Some have too many other blogs to visit. Some rush around the blogging world because they only have so much time to visit and comment on as many posts as possible.

But in contrast, if they didn’t feel obliged to visit these blogs to leave short, non-engaging comments, they could free up some time to leave a few engaging comments that open up discussion and conversation.

Then I got this comment from Janice, who blogs at Mostly Blogging.Com.

Image of a conversation saying that it is no longer trendy to leave comments on blog post. — Is it no longer trendy to leave comments on blogs?

I was shocked by what Janice told me. Is it really no longer trendy to leave comments on blogs? Are readers only wanting information, not a community?

The other side of the blogging coin.

It’s not only some of those visiting posts at fault for leaving short, non-engaging comments. Some bloggers respond to engaging comments that clearly show they want to discuss the contents of a post by saying nothing more than a ‘Thank you.’ They instantly cut off engaging with their audience.

What are engaging comments?

They contain information that proves the post has been read.
They are written in an engaging, friendly manner.
They are at least a couple of sentences long.
They indicate that you want to discuss the contents of a post further with who wrote the post.
Include any questions about the contents of a post.

And let me reassure you that you should never feel guilty for not leaving a comment or feel obliged to leave one on any blog. There is nothing wrong with clicking the ‘like’ button and moving on after reading a post if you’ve nothing of value to add.

I don’t enjoy having to reply to any comment with just a ‘thank you.’ I want to get into a discussion or conversation about the contents of my posts and what made whoever left a comment say what they said.

For example –

Why did they think the post was good?
What was it that made them enjoy reading the post?
Why was it a great read, story or interview?
Was it the way the post was written or some of the answers given? If so, which ones?
Did the post strike a cord? Why?
What parts did they like/dislike the most?
Was it something new they learned? If so, what, and how will they use the new information?

I’ve stopped leaving comments on blogs unless I’ve something of value to add.

And I never feel guilty for not leaving a comment.

I don’t need to prove I’ve visited a blog.

I don’t need to make anyone think I’ve read their post.

I don’t feel obliged to follow and read posts on a blog simply because that blogger follows me and leaves me comments.

And nor should you.

So, what has happened to the art of conversation and discussion in the blogging world? Is it dead, or have I, as a blogger who enjoys discussion and conversation, become a minority in the blogging world? Is it no longer trendy to leave comments? Join the discussion and conversation by letting me know what you think in the comments section.

My post, This Is Why It’s Important To Leave The Right Comments On Blogs: 9 Ways, may also help you to improve the types of comments you’re leaving.

Follow Hugh on social media. Click the buttons below.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, enter your email address and click ‘Subscribe’ to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

Confessions Of A Holiday Let – A True Story And Guest Post By Judith Barrow @judithbarrow77

Published on Mar 22, 2021Jan 30, 2022 by Hugh W. Roberts35 Comments

I’m delighted to welcome Judith Barrow to my blog today, who shares a true story about the perils of holiday letting an apartment.

Having read some of Judith’s other stories of holiday letting, there’s always a humorous side to them which I believe would not only make a fanatics book, but a television comedy show.

Confessions of a Holiday Let – A true story by Judith Barrow

Will Judith’s story have you laughing as much as I did when I read it?

***

For many years we summer let the apartment which is attached to our house.

We had many visitors from other countries staying in our apartment and shared great times with them.

Couples from the USA, Australia enjoyed barbeques on the lawn; long boozy evenings of wine and slightly burned kebabs and steaks, of tall tales and laughter.

Visits to restaurants with people from France and Italy. Long walks and talks on the coastal paths with a couple from New Zealand that we’d met from there on holiday in Christchurch, followed by drinks in local pubs.

We had a German man stay with us for three weeks who’d come to participate in the Iron Man Wales event. He’d worked hard for twelve months, he told us and had to acclimatise himself to the course. Three days before the event, he caught a chest infection and had to drop out. Despite his anti-biotics, he still needed to join Husband in a double whisky that night.

Oh dear, I’m sensing a common theme here.

This is the story of our last visitor for the season one year.

He was a single man. We’ve had people come on holiday alone many times over the years and thought nothing of it. When he arrived, we quickly realised he could only speak a little English, and we couldn’t speak his language at all.

He hadn’t been in the apartment before he came to the door brandishing an empty bottle of washing up liquid.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, “I thought there was plenty in it.”

“Used it.”

An hour later, washing powder was asked for by a demonstration of vigorous scrubbing at a pair of underpants.

“There’s a box of it under the sink.”

“Used it.”

Sunday brought him to the door twice. First, with the sugar bowl.

“Used it.”

Then the salt cellar.

“I thought I’d filled it—”

“Used it.”

‘Used it’ quickly became the watchword whenever we supplied tea bags, vinegar or handing over shoe polish.

Monday, he arrived with an empty tube of glue.

“Sorry, we don’t supply glue.”

He stands, smiling, waggling the tube. “Used it.”

Husband went into his Man Drawer and produced a tube of Super Glue. Scowling. We never found out what the man wanted it for, even though Husband examined everything he could that would need to be stuck the following weekend.

Each day, at least once, the man came to the door to ask for something by waving the empty bottle, carton, container or label at us. Unlike most holidaymakers, he didn’t knock on the back door but always came round to ring the doorbell at the front. In the end, Husband and I would peer through the hall window.

“It’s Mr Used It,” one of us would say. “It’s your turn to go.” Pushing at one another. “You see what he wants this time.”

On Wednesday, he arrived with a cardboard roll.

“There are six more toilet rolls in the bathroom cabinet to the right of the hand basin,” I offered helpfully.

“Used it.”

Seven rolls of toilet paper usually last a couple the whole week. I handed over four more.

“What’s happening in there,” Husband grumbled, “do-it-yourself colonic irrigation?”

On Friday, Husband produced a list. “We should charge for this lot,” he declared. “See?”

It read like a shopping list: milk/salt/sugar/vinegar/butter/tea bags/ coffee/soap/soap powder/toilet paper/shampoo/glue/shoe polish.

“Really?” I said, even though I knew the chap had been a pest. “You’ve been keeping tabs on our guest?”

“Too true.” The husband was indignant. “We could even charge him for overuse of the battery in the doorbell.”

“Except that it’s connected to the electricity.”

“Even worse!” Husband grumped off to his shed.

Saturday morning came, and the doorbell rang. Smiling, the man put his suitcase down onto the ground and, vigorously, shook hands with both of us. He waved towards the apartment.

“Used it,” he said. “Very nice.”

***

About Judith Barrow

Judith Barrow is originally from Saddleworth, a group of villages on the edge of the Pennines, in the UK. She now lives with her husband and family in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where she has lived for over forty years.

Judith has an MA in Creative Writing with the University of Wales Trinity St David’s College, Carmarthen. She also has BA (Hons) in Literature with the Open University, a Diploma in Drama from Swansea University.

She is a Creative Writing tutor for Pembrokeshire County Council and holds private one to one workshops on all genres.

She has written all her life and has had short stories, poems, plays, reviews and articles published throughout the British Isles. She only started to seriously write novels after having breast cancer twenty years ago.

When not writing or teaching, she enjoys doing research for her writing, walking the Pembrokeshire coastline and reading and reviewing books.

Connect with Judith

Judith’s Latest Book – The Heart Stone

1914 – and everything changes for Jessie on a day trip to Blackpool. She realises her true feelings for her childhood friend, Arthur. Then just as they are travelling home from this rare treat, war is declared.

Arthur lies about his age to join his Pals’ Regiment. Jessie’s widowed mother is so frightened of the future, she agrees to marry the vicious Amos Morgan, making Jessie’s home an unsafe place for her.

Before he leaves, Arthur and Jessie admit their feelings and promise to wait for each other. Arthur gives Jessie a heart-shaped stone to remember him. But with Arthur far away, their love leaves Jessie with a secret that will see her thrown from her home and terribly abused when she can hide the truth no longer. Faced with a desperate choice between love and safety, Jessie must fight for survival, whatever the cost.

Click on the book cover to buy The Heart Stone

More Books from Judith