Correct etiquette for hubpages

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   LuisEGonzalezposted 9 years ago

   I try to respond to all comments when appropriate, and time permitting. In your case perhaps your view about Americans being "mentally ill ", medically dependent on drugs as well as having a host of other issues because they may or may not support Trump touched a nerve and a reply was maybe rightfully,expected.
   
   So far as your opinion in regards to American's political preferences, more specifically about Trump...for now I will reserve my opinion since this is not the place to post them.

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2. 71

   RonElFranposted 9 years ago

   For me, personally, it's important to try to respond to comments. I consider it a matter of courtesy. So, I make it a practice to respond to at least someone's first comment on a hub, though maybe not to subsequent ones. One exception is when the hub provokes a discussion among readers in which they are responding to one another rather than addressing their comments to me. I read those comments to make sure they are appropriate, but usually won't respond.
   
   When I comment on someone else's hub, I take their response, or lack thereof, as indicating whether they value input from the HP community. If they fail to respond, that tells me my input was not valued, so I won't bother commenting on their hubs in the future. If I read a hub and see that the author has not responded to previous comments of others, I won't make one.
   
   To be honest, when I see a hub where the writer doesn't respond to comments, it shapes my view of that writer. I often read the hubs of others expressly for the purpose of supporting members of the HP community. A writer who ignores comments comes across to me as not being interested in that kind of community support, so I probably won't spend time reading their material.
   
   And that's OK. If their entire focus is on external traffic, my crossing them off my list won't bother them, and it frees up my time to read and comment on hubs where the author may be encouraged by what I have to share.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That's exactly how I see it, Ron.   We all have different priorities.  Live and let live!

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      makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Some people see this place as a community
      
      Some people see this place as somewhere to publish articles and they tend to be much more interested eg external traffic and making efficient use of their time.
      
      I don't make a distinction between hubbers and others - however I do make a distinction between whether a comments needs a response or not

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   Jodahposted 9 years ago

   I agree totally Ron, and have the same approach as you. If someone doesn't acknowledge my comment on their hub I don't bother reading any of their other hubs. I also reply to all Initial comments on my own hubs and try to make time to read a hub by each commenter.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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         Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         But when reading books and magazines you don't have the opportunity to comment on them to the author immediately after reading as we do on HubPages with a built in comments section on each hub. So in my opinion you can't really compare them. But we obviously all approach commenting or not the way that suits our circumstance. However if I was harassed or made to feel guilty for not replying to someone's comment I would probably be annoyed and delete it as well.

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            makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            The fact the comments module is published does not mean people are owed responses
            
            I would however point out to people that there is an option to disable showing the comments module. If comments didn't factor into how a hub was rated maybe people would use that more?

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               Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Do comments actually affect how a hub is rated?

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                  makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  the number of comments a hub has got is on the dashboard - what do you think?

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            Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            ....but if you comment on an article in a newspaper or magazine, do you expect the editor or author to respond to you?    If not, why should HubPages be any different?   HubPages is just like a magazine and we are all staff writers.  At least, that's how Hubbers like me see it. 
            
            I know you see it differently and that's where the different attitude to comments arises.

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               paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Busy beaver you are.

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               Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               I'm just interested to know if the people who don't leave or reply to comments on hubs ever leave fan mail for other hubbers or approve fan mail left for them?? Or do you see that as also totally irrelevant like comments?

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                  Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I very, very rarely follow other Hubbers, so I can't remember the last time I left fan mail.
                  
                  Again, if HubPages is a magazine and we are all staff writers, then I don't see why I should feel obliged to read the work of my fellow writers.  They do their job, I do mine - if I want to chat with my colleagues, I do that on the forums. 
                  
                  I don't have any control over whether people follow me or leave fan mail - so if they do leave fan mail then I will approve it. 
                  
                  And just to clarify, I don't see comments as irrelevant - if the comment is someone expressing an opinion or asking a question about the Hub, then they are relevant obviously.  That's why I provide a comments capsule, as a service to readers who have something they want to express.  In fact I think it would be rude not to provide a comments capsule, as that would prevent readers having the right of reply.
                  
                  As for comments affecting how a Hub is rated - as you know, scores are meaningless.

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                     Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Thank you for answering that Marissa.

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                        Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        ....and thank you for raising the issue. 
                        
                        I have used the magazine comparison before, but only to help newbies understand the quality required.  Thanks to your persistent questioning, I now realise that the magazine comparison extends much further, explaining how comments and following and fan mail etc are treated by those who write for income.  So thanks for helping me work that out!

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                  makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  @Jodah - Why - what relevance does that have to anything?
                  People participate in different ways - period.
                  
                  Why are you suggesting comments are totally irrelevant when nobody has suggested they are.?
                  
                  I think you've completely misinterpreted what has been said. Maybe go back to the beginning and try reading through again?

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                     Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     makingamark, I feel it is relevant to know how others think about this and if they treat fan mail the same as they do comments. No, I don't have to go back and reread....it has been suggested if not actually stated. I don't really care either way..you either leave comments or don't ..up to you..no big deal.

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                        Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        I understand where you're coming from Jodah but like makingamark, I wondered if you had misunderstood our comments about comments (LOL).
                        
                        I can't emphasise enough that comments ARE important - I can't see anyone on this thread saying that they NEVER respond to comments, or ignore them (apart from one person who's got way behind!). 
                        
                        The difference is in the type of response.   I will answer comments if I can add value to the conversation (e.g. when. someone has asked a question, or presented a counter argument, or added a new fact that I wasn't aware of).   I won't answer comments if I have nothing meaningful to say.

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                           makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                           1++++
                           
                           Commenting for politeness is important to some people and not to others
                           
                           Commenting to make friends is relevant to some people and not at all to others
                           
                           Commenting in response to somebody who asked a valid question is of value - and most people do this. (Rhetoric doesn't count)
                           
                           Commenting because somebody made a constructive comment which added value to the hub is also of value and may well merit a response - but it's not required.
                           
                           If you want avoid nasty comments and therefore don't permit the comments module to appear on your hub that is also OK - so long as the content of a hub stays within HubPages rules for acceptable content.

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                        makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        Why is it relevant? For what reason?

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                           Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                           It is to me or I wouldn't have asked it, but you obviously don't think so so don't bother answering.

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                              makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                              No I didn't say that I didn't think so.
                              
                              My question indicates I can't think of a reason why it would be - which is a completely different point. I was asking you to enlighten me.
                              
                              For what it's worth, I think fan mail has little value unless it is a genuine expression of real value to the author.
                              
                              I also think fan mail is used a lot by people who want other people to like them. Whether it achieves that aim I have not a clue.
                              
                              I know the fan mail I get that I really appreciate is the email that comes from people having taken trouble to find my email and to write to me personally in a way which is not advertised to all and sundry. That's the fan mail that I always answer.

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                                 Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                                 Thank you for "enlightening me", I just wanted to compare the correlation between how comments and fan mail was viewed. I personally think it is a compliment to get fan mail, more so than just being followed. Now I am happy and can spend more of my precious time answering comments on my hubs, and catch up with the reading and commenting on the hubs of all those I follow.
                                 I've been spending too much time on the forums lately, it really isn't my preferred scene.

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         makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Spot on Tess
         
         The issue seems to be whether or not you are participating in HubPages as some sort of community or because you want to write

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4. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

   Be forewarned. I never respond to comments, leastwise so far. I never reciprocate, leastwise not recently. I am a slacker and have accepted that.

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      SmartAndFunposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I have so many comments that I've never even approved -- nearing 150 or 200, I think. I let them stack up too long and now I just can't face the task. Plus I just don't feel like it. One of these days... maybe.

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         paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Sounds like life.
         
         The hard part is to just start.
         
         Start.
         
         Then do however many you feel like and call it a day.

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   willmcwryterposted 9 years ago

   you should just reply to the comments made by hubbers who are popular you don't want to lower yourself by giving every person aknowledgement then you will lower your own reputation.  it doesn't matter whether the comments are good or not just kiss the right butts and then you will get more popular.  i appologize in advance if you are popular already i am new here and don't know who the big kahunas are yet.

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      theraggededgeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You mean just act like a creep?
      
      No thanks.

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         willmcwryterposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         i don't consider you creepy for commenting on all my comments

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      shanmarieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the laugh!

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   psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

   I reply only to comments that ask a question.  There is no 'reply notification' so I assume most commenters will never return to the hub and so never see any comment I made in response to their comment.

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      paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You come here often?

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   Ilonagardenposted 9 years ago

   Generally online, a policy of "give freely, expect nothing in return" works best all around. Hubpages or not, every community has its culture, and in some cases subcultures. Because no one wants to say that there is a particular culture for Hubpages overall, you will find subcultures reign.
   
   Inside a subculture you find greater expectations, but greater rewards if you are a good fit.
   
   I haven't quite made up my mind just what Hubpages is, but it seems that people here fit in a "forum" style. You have to toughen up your skin if you're sensitive or stay under the radar.
   
   That is my two cents. Basically it means do whatever you want, but don't be surprised when you knock into someone and get a consequence or two.
   
   I am still smoldering about some things, but revert to the first attitude, which helps me move on.

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      calculus-geometryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      good observation, i agree.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It's a excellent point - but I'm not convinced all Hubbers fit into the "forum" style.
      
      There are definitely two extremes of Hub culture - those who see HubPages as a community first and foremost, and those who see it as a place to earn money first and foremost.  Most Hubbers are probably somewhere between the two.
      
      Those who see it as a community first, set great store by reading and commenting and thanking and following etc etc.  Some mistakenly believe that's the way to make money on HP - others know it isn't, but have decided earning an income isn't their priority.   In that sense they are using it more like a writers' Facebook or Linkedin. 
      
      Those who see it as a place to earn money may barely participate in the community at all.  They will follow very few other Hubbers, won't respond to comments unless they have something meaningful to say, and won't read or comment on other Hubs.  In that sense they're treating HubPages more like a blog. 
      
      I think the second group tend to be on the forums more, because the first group does so much of their socialising on each other's Hubs.

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         Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Spot on Marissa.

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         Ilonagardenposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Funny you should say "treat it like a blog" which probably has more to say about what blogging has become Old time blogging, like I did  before 2005 was very much about sharing, commenting on each others posts, etc.
         
         Having come over from Squidoo, the culture here is not one I find easy to access for some reason. They are all communities of some sort, just as forums are... I was calling that "subcultures". While I learned alot about monetizing from the community at Squidoo, maybe I am naive when I say there can't be too many that are here just to make money.
         Yes, I probably am ignorant of that whole sector. I have gravitated toward trying to turn my writing into more of a business than a hobby, personally, and that is why I like to analyze and observe what goes on in these communities (for my own information).
         
         Besides it is kind of a fascinating social phenomenon.
         
         I used to spend LOTS of time on forums, and believe me, whether on their hubs  or here all who interact with each other very much behave in a manner like the forums.  Maybe it is just how online communities organize themselves? I don't know.

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         Ilonagardenposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         LOL! I have to say something about FB: using facebook like a forum is just plain scary- no moderators!

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            TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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               makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               That's a really good way of putting it.
               
               The interesting thing is that some of those I met on Squidoo I now hang out with and have as friends on Facebook. Who they are very largely depends on whether we would have found things in common anywhere we happened to meet. It's not just because we met on a writing site.
               
               Thinking about it - the real communities I belong to are now all on Facebook.
               I just love Facebook Groups - always subject focused and we all like the same stuff!

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                  TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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                     makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     1+++++++++

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         shanmarieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. Good point. And I rarely participate in forum discussions because of I don't go looking for discussions, but this one came up in my feed and caught my attention.

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   Robilo2posted 9 years ago

   For me, I try to respond to all comments provided they relate to the topic in my hub.  My challenge is the response time - sometimes I go 10 days without having time to check HP as my day/night job and family take priority.
   
   BTW - I have a sister who never responds to email or text messages unless she wants something.  She treats our communication like I am feeding her information and no response is required...  people are people and will do what they want without regard to etiquette...

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      Ilonagardenposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      you will never be sorry giving your family and RL your priority

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9. 61

   Mark Ewbieposted 9 years ago

   

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      TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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         paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I missed that one. Thanks.

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10. 59

    paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

    What! Am I here?

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    paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

    You want "etiquette "? I'll give you "etiquette ".

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12. 0

    Farawaytreeposted 9 years ago

    Not responding because you are busy doing other things, forgetful, or don't feel you have time to stop and respond is just life and understandable.
    
    Making the time to respond is preferable and definitely common courtesy. Isn't that one of the reasons we write? To influence, entertain, and provoke commentary? Comments are fantastic in my book!
    
    Not responding because you think a particular hubber is "not popular" or you don't want to damage your reputation by interacting with them is something I vaguely remember from high school or even elementary. Wow. That kind of attitude is extremely off-putting and I would avoid those writers (hubbers).
    
    Good luck everyone out there and enjoy the comments you do get as I do, because they are a confirmation that people are reading!

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       Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       great points

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       Shadrack2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       well said my friend.

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       TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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          shanmarieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Aside from informing, uses you write for an actual paying site and not a revenue sharing site like HP, you need to focus more on Google requirements rather than the information, or at least make sure the SEO is not overlooked. Because it is not the reading that earns the money, assuming a person stays long enough to read. The income is from people clicking on ads to other sites.

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             makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             Google's requirements for a page or site to rank highly is that it is informative and adds value to the reader
             
             There's also more than one way of making money.
             
             Some people make far from Amazon than they ever do from the adverts. That's because irrelevant adverts get served up on niche topics whereas if you highlight the right product on a niche topic with a niche audience you're far more likely to get a positive response.

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             TessSchlesingerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

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                shanmarieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                I never said or assumed what anyone here knows or thinks. I merely stated my opinion on the original question  and .made my point to a reply. That's all. I have no intention of offending anyone not to argue.

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13. 59

    paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

    

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14. 57

    rjbattyposted 9 years ago

    You really opened a kind of Pandora's box by commenting upon comments.  I read through the thread of responses and was surprised to find the level of passion people conveyed on their individual perspective regarding the subject.  Most of the stuff I "publish" to HubPages receives a zero comment response, although I can see from the stats page that I get a fair amount of traffic.  Getting a zero comment response leaves one to wonder whether the Hub was entertaining or not.  Maybe because of this, I tend to leave very long (probably too long) comments for fellow writers who wrote something of real interest to me.  I'm pretty conservative about the number of people I follow, and consequently I don't have a huge following myself, and this is how I prefer it.  If a Hub moves my mind to any degree, I feel obligated to let the writer know how his/her material had an impact upon me.  Either a Hub moves you or it doesn't.  Sometimes I leave negative feedback, but even this seems to be appreciated by the more erudite writers.  They, like myself, welcome comments -- even if the comment represents some level of opposition to their point of view.  I'm not alone in being a writer who usually receives zero feedback.  I've read some great stuff that may have been posted years ago and will find that they also received no comments.  Sometimes I'm rather astonished because the subject can often be controversial ... yet there are no comments.  I've come to accept zero response as the norm.  When I set up my account I did something wrong so I've never earned a dime off the HubPages site, and I could correct this but haven't bothered.  Maybe some are earning a thousand bucks per month -- good for them.  I'm living at a subsistence level and should be eager to try and make a few dollars of my own, but I'm not into writing for payback.  It's not logical but I'm just happy to be included in a forum where my junk can be read -- even by a few.  For me that's gratifying enough.  I write because I can't help myself to do otherwise.  I have a drawer full of short stories and even two novels that just sit there.  Most probably no one will ever read this material because I make no effort to see that it gets any kind of distribution -- free or otherwise.  Putting it another way, I simply write for myself.  Like any other writer, I feel gratified by getting a comment or two here on HubPages.  Writing a response to a response seems unnecessary unless there is some bone of contention.  My stuff doesn't seem to generate much contention -- in fact I don't think I've ever received anything other than compliments.  It seems ridiculous to say thank you to everyone that has left favorable returns.  However, anyone who spends even a few minutes to provide a comment is someone I will end up exploring myself.  Since my returns are modest, I can take the time to do this because I'm interested in those who find some merit in my work (if I can call it work).  Nearly 90% of the time I'll find that the commenter has posted some really interesting writing of their own, and so I'll subscribe to them.  So, leaving comments can pay off if you are at all interested in expanding your own articles/poems/stories/whatever.  Writing is a lonely "business" even if you are doing it for your sole satisfaction.  We don't get a pat on the back for every well-written sentence.  If you are in it for the cash -- good luck to you.  Maybe getting even a tiny check is equivalent to that pat on the back.  I cannot say because I receive neither one or the other.  My idea can be reduced to the following:  Be generous.  To the degree possible be supportive.  Leave as many comments as possible -- just for the other guy/gal to know that he/she isn't operating in a vacuum.  Take the time to leave meaningful comments.  Hearing someone say "I liked this," is nice to receive but we all want to know specifically what impressed them or left them cold.  Since I write as a hobby and not as a source of income, I can feel generous about my time in leaving detailed remarks.  Providing a comment is an art in itself.  You are still writing, still trying to communicate something, so don't be stingy unless you are in the money-making group and feel you must commit your time toward producing rather than offering any kind of insightful feedback for a fellow writer.  As previously stated I'm operating at a subsistence level, yet I enjoy providing comments if a given piece is well-crafted.  I suppose most Hubbers are into this project with the intention of earning some extra cash.  So, they have a different focus than my own.  Maybe after I've written a thousand Hubs of my own I'll wake up and smell the coffee.  I kind of doubt it.  But even if you are into this for a few extra bucks, try to be generous with your comments.  Providing feedback is the only pat on the back we're ever going to get.  And if we cannot support each other in this easy fashion who else may we rely upon?  I guess some number of "outsiders" drift into something posted on HubPages, but they are the least promising audience to leave a comment.  Being mutually supportive is not incestuous.  The intercourse is all intellectual, not physical, right?  You don't have to offer thanks to everyone who may shower you with a bit of praise.  I don't expect to be thanked for leaving my remarks but I sense that a lot of authors feel obligated to recognize almost every response with a personal "thank you."  It's absurd.  If I offer you kudos on an article, I don't want to be thanked for it.  Saying that you liked/disliked an article and explaining why is sufficient.   The author is going to read your remark, and it's up to him/her to digest whatever you have to say.  Giving thanks to thanks is a bit too much.  As a fellow contributor I enjoy receiving any kind of positive response.  But blessing the commenter leads to a kind of Mobius Loop.  If you thank someone for responding to your stuff, is the responder supposed to then thank you for thanking them?  This could go on ad infinitum, ad nauseum.  Just let the commenter's statements stand on its own.  You wrote your piece (for better or worse) and you have to just let it hang out there and accept whatever response -- even if it amounts to a zero response.

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       Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       +1000 very well said rjbatty. I am off to check your hubs.

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          Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          RJBatty raises a very good point, which I omitted.
          
          As I said, I never respond to comments unless I have something meaningful to add to the discussion.  So that means I don't thank people for comments. 
          
          However if someone has left a thoughtful and relevant comment, I will go and look at their Hubs and see if I can find some which interest me and where I can make meaningful comments in return.  Which takes more time than just saying thank you.
          
          As Kylyssa points out, meaningless comments and thank-yous can actually damage a Hub - leaving relevant comments for each other is far more valuable.

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             Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             +1 great stuff

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       makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Personally - and as a matter of principle I NEVER (except this one time) comment on writing that lacks paragraphs appropriate for online reading - or just lacks paragraphs period.
       
       i.e. I can't comment as I find it difficult to read.

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          rjbattyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Gee wiz, kids, I'm sorry about not inserting paragraph breaks.  Just as a heads up, don't try reading any Russian literature.  I'm not comparing myself to the likes of Dostoyevsky, but some of the best writers composed entire pages without paragraph breaks.   I mean, come on, guys.  You have difficulty reading text without paragraph breaks?  Really?  I suppose if you stated so it must be true, but, well, okay.  I'll remember that in the future.

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    TeriSilverposted 7 years ago

    I receive a number of compliments on things I've written.  I usually respond to say "thank you," or. I am glad you enjoyed it," or thank you for sharing your experience "... or ... something. People like to know they're being heard and, in this day and age, social interaction has become important to the success of internet and its social sharing needs.  For me, it may not be much, but unless something just absolutely needs to be deleted completely, I try to be polite.
    
    When people ask if I can help them find something, I give it an easy try but mostly direct them to sources or give suggestions that might help on their search. I have a lot of folks ask if I can help them find such and such product or cartoon that they vaguely remember. I cannot help everyone and I certainly don't have much to go on with someone's vague memory.  But I always want my readers to know I appreciate their patronage and am listening to their questions (even if I cannot answer them).
    
    We journalists have become more than disseminators of information; the social aspect has opened up that fourth door. Personally, I have had to adapt to this new way of business because the word-of-mouth aspect is now very important.
    
    Writing and editing articles are only part of the package.  There is good public relations and social sharing and promotions and all the rest.  It's a different world for journalists, to be sure.

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       Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Any online writer will agree with you. It's not enough to just write the articles - you have to engage with your audience if you want to build readership. However, the people who leave compliments on your Hubs are not your audience!   The culture of posting compliments on articles exists only on writing sites like HubPages.  The people who post compliments are overwhelmingly other members of the site.
       
       Some Hubbers are here mainly to socialize - and for those Hubbers, whiling away the time exchanging social niceties is what HubPages is for.  They'll never make much money because their focus is inside HubPages.   If you're in that camp and enjoying it, good luck to you - that's your privilege.  But if you're here to make money, then getting involved in the never-ending circle of reading and complimenting each others' Hubs is a dangerous thing, because it diverts your attention from your real audience.  Therefore, I don't thank people for compliments because I don't want to get sucked into that culture.  If someone leaves a compliment and is upset because I don't say thanks, they won't do it again on my other Hubs - and that's fine with me.
       
       A more common reason for posting a compliment is self-interest - the person wants you to reciprocate (in other words, you're expected to go and say nice things about one of their Hubs even if they're a cr@p writer).   Or they are a non-member, and if you check their name, you'll see it's a link to their website (which they're trying to promote).  If someone is posting for their benefit, then I don't see why I should thank them!
       
       Go and take a look at any popular blog.  You'll see lots and lots of comments.  Occasionally you'll see compliments, but generally they're part of a bigger comment (e.g. thanks, this blog is great, and I wondered if you can help me with....").  The blogger will likely offer a newsletter or ebooks too, and have a Facebook page on the same subject area as the blog.   Thanks to all that, the blogger will have direct contact with his followers and know exactly who and where they are.  THAT's engaging the reader.  You can't do that on HubPages - it's the major disadvantage of HubPages as a writing platform (however, there are several advantages that for some, outweigh that issue - but that's another topic).

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          Sherry Hewinsposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          I have one hub that has become almost a forum. People come and share stories and advice in the comments. I pop in once in a while to add my two cents, but mostly I just approve the comments, and it takes care of itself.

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             Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

             Sounds great.

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    TheAlexisChantelposted 7 years ago

    I haven't gotten many comments in comparison to the majority of people on this thread, nor am I as active but when I do get a compliment I have a similar confusion on how to respond. All of mine have been 'thank yous', which have been nice but I am rather shy and don't know how, or if, I should respond.
    
    The best advice I've gotten is to reply when there is an opening to, such as in response to a question or when I have something to add. Which seems to be advice given here too. As someone in the short story section, this isn't a common thing to receive in comments. It's good to know that I am not the only one questioning this though.

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       Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for dropping by, because I hadn't thought about fiction.   My advice was related to factual articles only.
       
       If you're writing fiction, the whole purpose of the comments section is (usually) to get feedback on the quality of writing, the structure, the language etc etc. Most of that will be from members of HubPages, and the best way to show your appreciation is to go and comment on some of their fiction.   Because you're not relying on search engine traffic, you don't have to worry about "meaningless" comments damaging your keyword density, so from that perspective it doesn't matter what you say in the comments.

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