Many press the like button. But few have the time, the disposition, and the courage to post comments.
If a blogger were a merchant of emotions hawking his wares on the street, then ‘liking’ would amount to giving him a nod while walking on; commenting, on the other hand, to stopping by and conversing with him.
It’s so easy to press the like button. It’s so little and so dainty. You don’t even have to read the post. Give a like, receive a like…
But commenting is hard, and there are risks to it. Once your words are out you cannot take them back, you cannot delete your comment.
I tip my hat to those who leave comments, not only on this blog, but on all blogs. You are all nice fellows!
Followers press Like.
But friends comment.
(And those who press like and then comment are both followers and friends!)
*
What I meant by this post is that I really appreciate people who take the time to comment. I value likes – which is why they are not disabled – but I value comments even more.
I don’t comment on more than 5 blogs a day, but I ‘like’ a lot more, mostly visual blogs. So I speak from experience when I say commenting is hard.
Please don’t misunderstand me! I’m not demanding more comments, nor am I finding fault with those who like rather than comment. Only that I find a relevant comment more valuable than a like.
(I have changed the title of this post to express more clearly my thoughts.)
boy with a hat 
I hope you found the irony in my like and the redeeming-ness in my comment.
I did, I did, no worries!
There are days all you can give is a like, there are days a comment comes with it…
I agree with you.
Me too 🙂
I think you are all sensible women. And you are right!
I also find the wordpress-like button to be overrated. In the wordpress.com-Blogs I Follow screen you can just scroll down the list and press the like button everywhere. Without reading the post.
A person that is truly interested of what you have to say will engage in conversation. So yeah, like you say: a friend leaves a comment.
I tip my hat Daan!
I comment much more than the average joe. Of all my followers I probably have 5 or 10 who actually say something to me. I say nothing to them haha
I want to carefully read and comment every post I like, but trying to oraginize my day is hard enough. Writing, socializing, going to uni and studying for exams, additional lectures and classes simply don’t leave me more than about 45min on wordpress. I am jealous that you get to write as much as you like while I have to limit myself…
How about you drop out of uni? 🙂
I think it’s questionable whether any sensible person should give more than 45min a day to WordPress. It’s fun, but it can be a distraction.
Uni’s a safety net, I like to be prepared. Oh, and it’s wonderful research for my stories too (I’m doing journalism and political sciences, I actually find it quite interesting)
Remember when you suggested that I quit school to completely pursue writing? I’ve considered it.
School is enjoyable, but I haven’t been writing as much…unless I put my mind to it.
When I push the ‘Like’-button, I really like the posts on blogs. I’m very careful about that. Sometimes a hint says more then thousands words.
Love.
That’s true Cos!
I’m not saying Likes are not valuable. If I thought that I would have disabled them.
Reblogged this on Welcome to Hakes' Virtual Cafe and commented:
Some just don’t have the time as we have more than 500 that we follow. I usually comment when the post is above and beyond excellent. I like when it is okay. I am commenting because belittling and demeaning people by stating they do not have the disposition or courage to post comments is a false statement. The truth part of your statement is that many like and few have the time…you should be in gratitude that they take the time to “like.” 🙂 Just sayin’…. Curious–do you comment on all? Perhaps the problem is you–your posts are not worthy.
Well he asked for comment….hmmmmm 🙂
Just notice the “invisible gift”—I leave you mine: You have received the 13th activation–it too is an invisible gift. 😀
WELL AN INVISIBLE GIFT IS BETTER THAN NO GIFT AT ALL (:
Well said.
Ouch! Iliana, nobody is belittling and demeaning anyone here. Please don’t misunderstand this post!
I was merely observing that it’s easy to like but hard to comment.
I speak from experience. I am liberal with my likes, but meagre with my comments.
I believe most people genuinely ‘like’ posts after reading them, which is why likes are valuable.
But a comment is worth more than a like to me.
Please don’t misunderstand this post!
Hey Vincent…I know…I was crass. I think I wrote that somewhere after the initial rant. Then, I looked at your title–followers “like” but “friends” comment–tis true for some cases. I’m a follower that comments when the blog post is worthy, but I understand your point. I must add that I had received other comments about liking and commenting. So, I wrote a post inspired by yours. Best…
What about those who don’t? What are we? 😉 Now we know.
Nobody perhaps this post may get him less followers, I LEARNED THE HARD WAY NOT TO PREASURE BLOGGERS, I MEAN REALLY WE ARE STANGERS W A COMMON BOND…THATS IT THATS ALL!
It was the first blog post I read–should have just let it go but….
It hit a note of “dislike.” I love how you put it: “We are strangers with a common bond.” Love it.
Please don’t misunderstand me!
I’m not asking for anything.
I am just making an observation.
i read before i like, therefore i do not like as much as i´d like, but i find i like myself much more when i don´t like without really liking. by the way, when invisible gifts arrive, are you supposed to know it?
They will arrive soon, and you will get a special one for your comment, which I like much!
thank you. i came back to read your post again and had the feeling you were misunderstood by some. but perhaps the will to misunderstand was strong in that moment. anyway, i liked reading your post and realized i forgot to “like” it. and so it goes… i do love your 50 word stories, they fit quite neatly into my day.
This is so true! You know who your friends are when they go the extra!!
Great post!!
I agree, the like button is easy to push; but, those who take the extra step by commenting are the ones that perhaps will reap the rewards. I like comments, too.
You often comment on this blog Mary, so I tip my hat to you.
As a general rule, I’ve found that personal friends are more likely to comment. And I agree with you that it takes much more of an effort to comment. But I appreciate both likes and comments on my pieces and feel they are all hard-won.
I agree with you!
What I meant to say is that I find comments more valuable than likes.
I agree with the commenter above. I appreciate both likes and comments, though I’d choose comments first as it suggests a greater engagement with the writing. I prefer to comment than just to “like”, but if I’ve hit “like” it means that I have both read and appreciated your work.
I appreciate likes, especially when they come from people like you who I know actually read the post. 🙂
I like many photography blogs every day but I rarely comment on them.
Pressing the ‘like’ button means I find something of value in a post. I don’t automatically press like just because I follow a post. Comments are precious because the reader has taken the time to engage. PS I’m astonished that one of your commentors follows 500 posts!!!
It’s easy to follow blogs!
I have the same philosophy as you when it comes to likes.
I guess this makes me both a follower and a friend! 🙂 Very good points and a great post!
A friend with a proper hat and a penchant for painting frogs!
I hope you are well Danny.
I had someone “like” a post of mine a few seconds after I’d posted it. This made me in a bad mood, as I knew they couldn’t have read it in that time.
Happens sometimes. But if your post had a nice picture and appeared in the Photos feed, maybe they liked the picture!
Well, that’s some comfort, as I was the photographer. Maybe I’ll forgive them, then!
OMG, I AM SO SORRY, I HAVE JUST BEEN THINKING OF THIS, AM I A BLOGGER OR A FOLLOWER. WELL, A LITTLE OF BOTH. TIME WONT ALLOW ME TO COMMENT, I WORK 55 sometime 60 hours a week. My job is emotionally charged, I am one cemester away from my degree 5 flippin classes, WHEW. A bipolar cat and a schedule that is unpredictable. So honey boo boo I apologize. You dont have to worry about likes and comments because whoever is supposed to comment will and whoever is supposed to like will. Blogging is just that way sweetie (:
Why do you have the impression that I’m demanding you to comment?
What this post is about is that I think comments are more valuable than likes, and that I really appreciate people who comment on my blog. That doesn’t mean I don’t care for likes, or that I expect everyone to like or follow.
I don’t comment on more than 5 blogs a day but I like a lot more. Mostly photography blogs.
Sometimes I would like to comment, but not always it’s easy to expose my thoughts about what I just read. That’s why is less complicated just ‘Like’ (and I read the post before ‘Like’ it).
I sometimes feel the same.
Nor do I think it’s always necessary to comment on a post you’ve read. Sometimes it’s better to like than to comment.
But I do appreciate comments!
“Insert comment here”
HAH!
You’ve already ‘liked’ so no need. 😉
Okay, guess I can’t just hit the “like” button on this one…you’re right, we need to be brave and actually read the post and comment. 🙂
i comment only when i feel like i have something to say. pressing the like button doesn’t mean that i didn’t read the blog, i wouldn’t press the button without reading. i pressed the “like” button only after i read the article so…
do you want me to bring the irony/sarcasm/whatever even further? than “thank you” for all your likes and comments! :))
Why not turn off the ‘like’button, then?
I *like*
Because I value likes. But I value comments more than likes. That’s what I meant.
When I really enjoy a post I hit “like” but I generally only add a comment if I have something to add to the conversation. It feels sort of pointless to comment to say “I like this post” or “I agree.” Personally, I appreciate both likes and comments. 🙂
I agree with this comment entirely, so instead of adding a comment that says the same thing, I will just endorse this one. When I “like” I mean it big time, but I can understand if you have a blog that gets a lot of likes, you may not feel them sincere and I as the reader may come to the correct conclusion that the likes don’t mean much because they are a dime a dozen. I don’t get many likes so I like them all, but I do learn more from some comments.
I so agree that leaving a comment is a risky affair. It’s like leaving your kitchen curtains open, at night, so people can see that you haven’t done your dishes – yet! Vulnerable! But true living means truly engaging and taking risks!
Blessings ~ Wendy
PS – I did my dishes last night…
PLEEEEZE COME DO MINES,,,UGGG (:
🙂
Sorry, it’s my day off! 😉
Just leave them a little longer – they won’t mind…
I wrote on the same topic a week or so ago, but I think I ended up deleting it…LOL. I totally agree with you…. it’s a commitment thing I guess. If I write a comment, it means I either agree or read the entire post and wanted the writer to know. Once in a while I skip leaving a comment if there are a hundred or more already… LOL
Love the point… 😀
🙂
ha! I pressed like and didn’t leave a comment. I’m the worst person in the world!!
The best of friends understand that sometimes a like is better than an empty word…
Wise aunt is right!
Reblogged this on littleshygirlmadehappy.
Yeah, some people condemnthe “Like” button but it’s probably better there than not. I have never pressed a “Like” without reading the post and rarely do i press “Like” without commenting. Sometimes my “Like” is in acknowledgment that the writer put the effort in, at least. A sort of pat on the shoulder “hey, you did good. Could do better but it’s a start.” When all said and done “Like” is at least some sort of positive feedback. If Bloggers just scroll down their reader page and press “Like” then who are they doing it for ? – Why have a Reader page ?
Like like this post 😉
Is everyone ‘liking’ this post in a spirit of friendly irony now?
The idea that folks hit the Like button as the post is just “okay” or not good enough to get a comment makes me laugh out loud. Seriously. Everyone fancies themselves a critic is seems. Who needs it? 🙂 Writing is subjective, and if someone thinks my post is “okay” enough for them to grace me with their pressing of the Like button, I don’t really need them.
That being said, sometimes there’s nothing for me to say as the post is obviously good and the writer communicated it perfectly. So I just Like. But rarely do I not comment. Or if it’s just a photo or something I may just like it.
A like is enough sometimes Pete. I don’t think that it’s necessary to comment on every post you read. What I meant to say it’s just that a relevant comment means a lot to me.
I like scores of photography posts every day, and I rarely comment on those. Words are not always needed. 🙂
I like photos too and don’t comment. And I never said Like isn’t enough I said Like isn’t enough for me personally haha (meaning I like to take the time to comment).
Your original post here differentiated between those who Like and those who comment, being that “friends” are the ones who comment, so this is the crux of my response.
And yes a relevant comment is very nice!
I fully concur to your point that MOST people press LIKE 😦 that too even without reading!
Most times being an ordinary fellow,and other times being an amateur writer, I have many experiences, even with my friends. Many of them LIKE, as it is EASY and risk free. But I am a ‘comment’ person, who don’t like to just press ‘like’ wherever possible…..And I don’t think all who comment are our friends, only a few among them comment when some followers may feel free to do it…..so I think it has to do more with the personality of the people rather than the relation they share with us
I tip my hat to you, ‘comment person’!
I think you have a good point there with the personality of the reader…
Oh Oh! 🙂
http://yourstoryclub.com/short-stories-friendship/friends-short-story-one-day-someday/
Vincent, you are right . A “like” without any comment leaves us helpless somehow. Why did he/she like my post ? Why is there no “like” with the other one ? We are left pondering about the “like” or the “not like”, which may not mean dislike, but a sort of at least indifference.
I’d like to comment on everything I see or read in the blogs, but time is short. So I often just let people know that I’ve recognized their words, their pics or whatever they did by “liking” them – a kind of salutation, a simple way to say “hello, I’ve been thinking of you and visited your blog”.
I press ‘like’ on the blogs that I read or view to show support for that blogger. To tell them that I appreciate their effort. It could be art,writing,photography etc. I do comment on some but not all as some don’t require a comment. I love comments on my blog too to show that people are interacting with me. So I think both comments and likes are important. cheers Judy 🙂
I “like” a lot more than I comment, but it’s because I don’t want to just leave a meaningless comment. I only comment if I have something to say that I believe truly contributes to the subject. The exceptions are when I believe the blogger needs an encouraging word.
I can’t wait to see my invisible gift. Oh…wait. 🙂
Hot topic Vincent, and one I often think about- one being the time issue and secondly, something that irritates me esp when I feel I dont have much time: the fact that I have to scroll right to the bottom to post a comment. I would like the newest comment and facility to comment to be at the top, but yes, rather a LIKE than a ghost reader, and definitely a COMMENT takes preference above a LIKE….so, point taken.
That’s a really good point about the comment section being more visible… I think it could be above the like button.
Great post. As a blogger it is always nice to feel that people actually read and have opinions on what I have posted. Even negative comments if given constructively are nicer than nothing at all. The sound of silence is sometimes deafening..
I do like the LIKE button though, at least its a form of saying it pleased me/ carry on with what you are producing.
Love this post (because it’s a thought I’ve had but never shared). I find myself just liking a post sometimes because I’m in a hurry, sometimes because I don’t know exactly what to say in comment form, and sometimes, a lot of times, because I’m a little lazy. On the flip side, I’ve written posts that get a ton of likes and wonder where the comments went. Most of why I love writing in a blog format is the conversation and interaction with other readers/writers. I like to hear what people have to say, to disagree or agree or share a personal experience in response to a post. The “Like” button kind of squashes that!
I have a small handful of blogs that I follow that I like and comment on (both). Generally, I will “like” something and not comment if I feel I have nothing of value to add but I liked what I read, or agree with it in some way. I don’t generally “like” for the sake of liking, although I imagine some might use it as a way to say, “hey, I stopped by and read this post.”
http://horseflyandhoneybee.wordpress.com/
Very nice, and I definitely agree with you. Thanks for the insight; it’s made me step back and think quite a bit.
YES. People rarely comment on my blog. Its disheartening… on less it symbolizes a dearth of words.
I absolutely dig the point! And I agree. 😀
Yes, indeed! I often think about the “like” conundrum – if there were no “likes”, would there be more comments? Maybe a teeny bit, but they’re both useful things. I value “likes” (both on the giving and receiving end) as a simple, uniform, way of expressing acknowledgement and appreciation for a post when you don’t necessarily have anything to contribute, and comments are great for when you do.
Does having the outlet of “likes” make us lazy readers? Perhaps a little, but considering those who wouldn’t have commented anyway, it’s probably overall a net gain! (>^-‘)>
Strangely there are more comments than likes on this post! 🙂
haha, this is what I was thinking too!
😀
🙂 clever way to get comments!!! si si, really clever. makes me smile.
Ha, I agree. I don’t devalue likes either but a comment does mean more because someone has taken the time to engage with the post. That said, I don’t always comment myself because there isn’t anything more I can add. It’s a good topic.
Vincent, I agree, correct the ‘like’ button are overheated!!! Meaningless at times… But it is an easy tool for some to read and click… for many it is a tool serving for politeness when people visit your site and you return to theirs, you read something that you completely do not find amusing… But that is the colours of life for some… I always think that we are losing our speach and enjoy clicking buttons instead… Is it our future? Hidding behind buttons and forget to communicate and express our true feelings???
hey Vincent, thanks for the Like (ha ha) on my recent post on artcalling, cheers, sarah
Hey Vincent thanks for the like…nicely put! I agree with others…sometimes the words flow sometimes they don’t, but at least a like has left my mark!