LOL! Look at all the long, thoughtful replies to this! ^.^ Well, great job in getting that out there! The site's commenting rules simply say things like: don't harass people, spell properly, and use good grammar! But there's no rule for writing good comments, as you described! ^.^ I imagine this would help a lot of the newer members seeking some good friends!

Hehe, makes me think about the kinds of comments I get If I got rid of the people who left pretty much one-sentence comments or skipped to the questions, I'd lose half my comments! XD I don't really mind if people skip to the questions, because it's still rather interesting to read their answers and get to know them a little better (unless they leave super short, vague answers as well...) ^.^ Anyways! Great article/essay you have here! *^.^*

I agree with several of your points wholeheartedly. I know that whenever I get a good long reply, it makes me feel very happy. Heck, whenever I get any comments at all, I feel ecstatic! I truly don't understand why more people don't comment on artwork, fan words, and worlds, because if they can take the time to look at such things, why not take a few extra seconds to tell the creator what they think? Of course, I can't totally say that I comment on EVERYTHING, because I, like almost everyone, am usually busy (and quite a lazy bum).

Sometimes people simply don't comment because they don't really have a view, are busy, or are simply content with voting/hugging. Others don't even know what to say.

Comments are appreciated, but they certainly can't be expected.

As I scrolling down the comments, I saw it was mentioned that people often don't write long comments for people they don't know well. I agree with this as well. If I come across a fan word or world where I don't know the creator, I'm not going to write extremely long comments because I simply don't know the person. I'll write good things about what they've done, and hopefully begin to create a friendship with the creator. Once I would become better friends with someone, then I'd start to write longer comments.

I think this was a great point to bring up and I'm glad you wrote this article. I'm equally glad it got published, otherwise I might not have seen it. P:

Thank you! (And I'm hoping this comment was up to your expectations! *laughs*)

Well I finally took a long time to check and read the article.I been wanting to read it for some time but things are always getting in the way.Well fast typing is surely something I need to finish all the things that have to be done.

I like the direction that you took with this article.My article was a more artistic criticism but your´s took a wider area on friendship and interaction with your friends.I liked that part,surely comments are the way we mainly interact in this place.I also feel the same way about people that want to use you .I really have my main objectives in having friends not fans lol.And so I just have friends and you can be sure of this because I get more comments than hugs in anything I do.

Lol need to go to comment take care!

Angel

Hi there^_^

I can see your point, and I will always try to write 'good' comments^^ Personally, I'm kind of starting to hate those careless one-liners as well... I mean, sometimes, I think, one-liners can be enough for a comment, as long as you can still see the thought behind it - if you know what I mean...^o^' (no offense to you, really!) And yes, I also like to get longer comments, of course.

So I think it's a good thing that this article was posted as a Fan Word. You might just have helped the entire Otaku community to become a better one^_^ Keep this up! *hugs*

~SG

(I hope this was a 'good' comment...:P)

What a wonderful article. I do believe that the good commentators around here are rare. Though it could be probably due to most of the people around here are after popularity, rather than just connecting to others.

I do know that having someone leave a comment, means that they have read your words, and for a brief moment, they understood you. Commenting is just a way of completing the communication cycle.

Finally, an article that encourages people to comment.

Good work!

-Jomz

That was a fabby post (on your other world, about the value of comments). Hee hee i just thought of another point - sometines typos can be amusing. I'm currently half asleep and I went to type 'post' but i wrote 'pist' XD *coughs* hee hee...

Anyways, i agree with your points, and I always try to write decent things, unless I am very pressed for time or i am tired (in these cases i try to let the recipient know so they don't think i am being rude), good article Steph!

Exactly!! Awesome article Dranz-chan, u got it exactly right. I admit I've been guilty of leaving short one-liners from time to time, I think we all have, but I try to be more elaborite most of the time. Its a very demeaning feeling when ppl just say "Well thats great, later! ^_^" Seems like all anyone cares about anymore is popularity, and not actually trying to make friends, which is the whole point of theO. If u just want to be popular, then go to MySpace or something XP
Honestly I dont mind getting short comments on art; its a nice feeling when someone even just says "Awwww, kawaii!" Cause those are the kinds of comments I often leave, but still, at least say what ur favorite part of the drawing is if ur gonna say something like that >__< At least try to be a little constructive when u comment. But its always different on posts; if u take the time to pour out ur soul (maybe thats too dramatic...) to ur would-be friends here, then they can at least take the time to leave a half decent comment, and vice-versa.

~Ja ne!

I agree with your article over comments. Despite the fact that sometimes, there is barely anything to say back to someone, longer comments generally are the more acceptable and intelligent out of the bunch. I remember posting long, involved posts, only to recieve a "hi! *glomp* *runsaway*" in the comment box. That's really no way to interact with someone, whether on the internet or real-life.

ummm, let's see what i remember. [sorry i have a really bad memory...that explains my comments. XD]

you brought up some good points here. it's tiring that ppl just go around and leave a one line comment just so you will go back to their sites. i try to read it all [and i'll admit that sometimes i leave horrible comments] the one line comments are almost as annoying as the one line guestbook signings. if ppl really want to be popular or make friends they have to put some effort into it. they can' just expect it to happen.

btw, that's a very good guide for ppl to comment. [nyaaah, i'm becoming self conscious of my commenting now. XD] i think that i will use it abd put more thought into what i write. after all the reason ppl come here is to meet ppl. if they really cared they should put effort.

great writing!!! i think more ppl should read this. it might help them open their eyes. *nods*

I do actually have to agree with you there, and on that front, it frustrates me when the main focus on TheO, is the artwork, as opposed to the actual people who post day in, day out to link with people.
I have always found myself rather offended when people only glance over posts, and don't get into the nitty-gritty which is the situation of my life. People rarely like to put across their feelings of terrible situations, and MANY of them have pricked their way into my life! :D
If I don't comment with absolute depth, then I don't feel that I have done my job. On MyO from the beginning, I have always felt that there is more good for me commenting to somebody then them giving me a comment, though I do feel good about it.
These people are supposed to be your friend, and they are also on this site for a similar reason.
I do not feel that other sites are as open to making friends out of strangers than this site. I think it is more because we all have one similar grounding- we like anime, to varying degrees of course.
For me, this site is about helping me through the catharsis of writing posts to get through life, and it is your job to aid others. I comment out of the sense of an 'inner duty' of sorts, and I tend to write what I think, but that is my own personality trait, and I always like asking the hard questions, and usually as a post, people do not like to answer it. I have always found that a strange truth.
I also find that comments are kind of different from PMs as well, I find a more frankness and appeal to draw from personal experience to find things out.
Hope that wasn't too long, but I found the post very intereesting!

Rishi really agrees with this article. Sometimes, when Rishi has a bad day, people just say things like 'Why do you always talk in third person? It's so cool!' and things like that. People are supposed to be your friends for that kind of thing...

I shall add this here:

This article does not include mention to first time comments on sites. I tend to be the first one to visit anyone with whom I have subsequently formed a friendship. Because of this fact I have little to no experience on the nature and charecteristics of first time comments on the sites of members you have never met before. These guidelines are as thus to be used when you visit the sites of someone you have already met and have formed something of a bond with, or someone with whom you plan to form that bond seriously.

On a more personal front, if someone came by their own volition to my site, and left a comment like mentioned in this article, I would instantly warm to them and wish to be their friend. The fact they would take the time out of their schedule to visit my site, read what I have said and commented on depth, would make me want to return the favour. Other people are different though and I would need to do further research to look into that matter.

I hope this helps to clear up any misunderstandings and thank you for sharing your views on what is written, they have helped me to gain a better understanding on the views of other members.

Dranz

@Magnus Lensherr:

Uhm... I don't really know how to elaborate further from what I have. About personal experience, I believe I've mentioned it but to say it simply, it's really about the urge I get to want my comment to blend in with others and not to stand out (well that's just me, everyone should have a different opinion about that). I just thought that it'd be weird if some "stranger" like me suddenly writes an uber-long and overly-personal comment for a friend who isn't that close to me (maybe way longer than other visitors who comment much more frequently on that friend's site) and acting as though I'm his/her best friend.

If mine isn't enough, you can always look at what others said:

From master hiko: "And when I meet someone new on here and I start commenting on their stuff I will leave small comments because I don't know them that well."

From cutepresea: "Not because I don't read what I'm commenting, but because it takes a while for me to open up to people and start acting like myself around them, in real life and over the internet, and even when I do, I usually have a lot of trouble thinking of what to say."

It's a great article, however, at the same time I think it's too easy to think length of a comment somehow means quality. After all:

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had. ~Author Unknown

Sometimes a long comment is warranted, other times, just a simple few words to keep in touch works too. It depends on the people really.

~*Aaryanna*~

this article is much appreciated, the topic is one to be stressed. however, no matter how much emphasis is placed on the subject, people still don't understand! you can still find people saying "thats so kawaii!!" or "i agree!!!!!!!!!!^.^". i wont deny the fact that i too used to comment in such manners but now i try not. this isnt the first article on this commenting issue, others have been written; yet why cant people comprehend them?

I suspect that people will have long comments on this one, to show that they have long comments.
But for me I always read everything in a post, I might not comment, I might not write a lot but I always read the post :D
When I read a post and do comment, I usually comment on everything that I have a comment about, I try not to just comment like this 'Well thats cool that you got that' or just something robot like that!

And when I meet someone new on here and I start commenting on their stuff I will leave small comments because I don't know them that well.

But this was a very good article! I hope people will start having a little longer *gets distracted by a commercial* oh sorry, comments. Also, I hope that when I say 'I hope you have a good day' at the end of the comments isn't demoralizing 8x

Great article, Dranz! I hope this gets published. The tips are very well thought out.

Number four was a good one. Don't comment just to be popular. I can't stand meaningless one line comments for the sake of popularity. Sometimes it lookes like they just copy and paste it a hundred times.

I don't usually comment on art unless I know the person a little more. Art comments are usually all more or less the same from me since I only comment on something with good shading, coloring, or mastery of a body part I find difficult (hands, feet, ears). Commenting on world posts or myO is just so much more personal without it getting all touchy-feely.

The length on my comments depends on many things. One of thoses has to do with my fingers. They're starting to hurt from too much typing.

I can't see this not getting put in FanWords. I'm interested to see the reaction people have to this.

Here's to hoping the quality of comments go up!

@Mizukage:

Oh wow I never knew that people could feel that they have to write short comments. I have submitted this for FanWords but we shall see. ~ Monster hugs you ~ I really love your comment here and appreciate the honesty of your experiences as well. I have never felt bad when I have commented long on people's post. My comments tend to be the length of the thoughts I have, so if I think alot about someone's post then the comment will just end up long (and sometimes I fear confusing!). I am intreged about this short comment peer pressure thing, could yoou explain more of it to me? Like in detail of the experiences you feel? I am honestly intreged. Many thanks once again ^_^

Wow, nice article! I've never been caught up reading like this before :P

Your accounts are very true on a site like theOtaku. Although this issue has already been brought up by many users already, yours really add more to whatever has already been mentioned and is definitely deeper and more detailed.

I've seen lots of people (in the old version of myOtaku) who pass by my site (probably through a friend's list of another user) and sign my gb by saying that my site is cool and sometimes they would ask me to be their friend. I do the same in return just to be fair but after a while, it seems meaningless as there's little contact with the person at all and so, the name's just sitting there on my friend's list untouched.

All those friends who frequently comment on my posts are really those that I treasure and remember. For some of them, we don't just talk on theOtaku, we share comments on deviantART as well. I'm the sort of person who would open the same comment box again and again just to re-read the comments my friends left behind, whether they're meaningful or not, and this is partly because I rarely update, lol. I agree with you, I do this more often on posts rather than artworks because the comments on posts usually connect with me more than those on my fanarts (especially with those common "this is awesome/cool" one-liners. But then again, there're some comments on my fanarts that make me feel that my hard work has been greatly rewarded :) And also because I hardly update, I get excited easily whenever I see comments on my posts or fanarts :P

Talking about long comments, I feel uneasy whenever I write something long for someone because when I scroll down the comment page, other comments are relatively short in comparison! And some of these people are probably a closer friend to that person than me, and therefore I feel inappropriate to write a long comment for someone I'm not as close to. I also don't want my comment to stand out. Call it peer pressure if you will, but the "trend" of short comments can prevent me from writing as long as I want to. But then again, even with some word-count restrictions, my comments can still be long.

Since I'm one of the first to comment here, I hope the length of my comment can have the same "peer pressure" effect too, albeit the reverse of my case! :D Moreover, with the sheer length of your post, I suppose it would only be natural for you to expect long comments as well.

Your article's really convincing and thought-provoking ^^ Why waste your written hard work on a World page? You should go submit this in the Fanword section or whatever it's called here!

You make very good points ^^ The people you're commenting on are more than just names on a screen, they are meant to be your friends.