Why You Should Opt-in for Blog Comment Feed

If you're like most bloggers, you leave several comments on other blogs in a single day. And of course, they are 'meaty' comments with high nutritional value, fueling that blog's community. Your comments often trigger a reply by the author or another commentator. So unless you have photographic memory, the only way to see their reply is to subscribe to comments. On the other hand if you could care less about the author's response then why bother leaving a comment?

There are a few ways to opt-in to our community and get in on the conversation.

Get Notice of  Followup Replies/Comments for One Post

We have a WordPress plugin that lets you receive an email each time there is a subsequent comment on a particular post.  Until recently we were fervent, some might say 'sneaky', by telling the plugin to check the box by default.  That way you didn't have to worry about remembering to check it BEFORE you press submit.

But the latest release of the plugin removed the option to pre-check the box. The developer had received too many complaints about unwanted mail & being forced to opt-out  --- even though you could always uncheck the box before submitting your comment! So now you must take action to opt-in! Bummer... from our point of view and for those who forget to check the box. On other sites I've noticed the option after I submit my comment --- too late.

Here's what you see in your mail box once you opt-in for new comments on a favorite post:

Notice you have the new comment text, a link to go to the post and one to unsubscribe at any time.

Get List of ALL Post Comments in a Feed

To keep up with all discussions, you can order an RSS feed of all new comments for any post. In the lower left hand corner you can press the text link "Comments RSS" to trigger a drop-down menu asking which feed you want to use: a Reader or Live Bookmarks.

Selecting a Reader for the Feed.

Many people add the feed to their favorite reader like Google or Bloglines. The All Comments feed shows only comments. Within Google you can specify whether you list should be on your homepage or in the Reader.

On Google Reader the list view looks like this, but you can show 'expanded' and get the full comments, gravatar, text and all without going back to the blog!

Selecting Live Bookmark for the Feed

If you depend more on your browser and don't visit your Readers often enough, you can direct the Comments feed to your toolbar.  I like to do that with comments I want to check often.  Select "Live Bookmark" from the drop- down menu and you're prompted to select your browser folder. Here's a snapshot of the list on my bookmarks toolbar, after I press the yellow RSS icon.

The list shows most recent comments on all posts. The favicon instead of the blue RSS icon  indicates I've already read that comment. If I click on a comment title, the browser goes directly to that comment on the blog.

Summary

The writers at Blogging with Success encourage dialog and interaction among readers. The conversation helps us and other visitors. Leaving your comment is only the first step in Joining the Conversation. You also need to be aware of what else is said or what new information comes to light.  Be sure to check the comment notice box before you press submit. If you're not ready to leave a comment, then grab the All Comments RSS feed.

Remember, we look at your website to put your comment into perspective. Our reply often includes suggestions for getting more value out of the article or tutorial.  We've been known to draft favicons or give you the customized code or steps you need. Our longest and 'living' comment list is on the Grab My Button tutorial with about 70 comments to-date. We try to make our response one that neither the original commentator nor the others who left comments on that post would want to miss!

You know what to do at this point... if not leave a question.