Commenting on MyO and TheO worlds
Disclaimer: This post is in no way meant to imply that I am a better commenter than the other members of this site. These are just my opinions on how I believe comments should work on MyO and theO Worlds, and you are, of course, entitled to your own opinions. To my friends this is largely not aimed at you since most of you are also amazing commenters. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this article!
Numerous articles have already been written which deal with constructive comments in the creative spheres of Version Vibrant (also known as theO), and yet little has ever been written about the comments on the actual life posts of MyO or theO worlds. I can imagine more than a few funny looks being sent in my direction now, and I accept that, but for me and other members these are probably the most important comments we receive.
Without trying to put anyone to sleep, this is a little something about me to help you understand why I wanted to write this article. I have trouble connecting with people in reality, so I use the internet as a way of forging and maintaining human relationships. Granted it is not the best way to do it since you can never actually physically connect with people, but it is the way I have chosen to work things, and for the most part it does actually work. But I can only be around certain conversations and certain people, for a certain length of time unless I am in a certain mood. I can manage to be around other kinds of people if I force myself, but I get drained quickly and then have to recharge alone.
The nature and value of the comments I receive works in the same way as conversations in reality, raising and lowering my moods depending on the level of thought that has gone into them. Caring comments make me happy, and thoughtless ones have the opposite effect. In my opinion posting about negative life events and getting a bunch of ‘have a great day’ one liners in response is probably one of the most demoralizing things imaginable. They cause you to seriously question the value of, and motives behind, the commenter’s interaction with you since they clearly weren’t there to offer you support or even read your post.
And it is that fact which brings me to the point of this little piece of writing. When I comment on theO worlds and MyO sites, I do my best to come across as a friendly and open person. I am aided by fast typing, a crazy mind and the simple desire to connect with people. Through random travels around MyO sites I have met some of the best people on this planet; I have met people who, like me, will take the time to read what someone says and then direct their comments to that person.
Sadly though, it sometimes seems that these people are actually rather rare, and I am unsure as to why this should be the case. I, myself, find it pointless and rather painful to go to someone’s site and not leave a detailed comment. It’s like travelling for an hour to see someone for a second, to me it defies logic and I can only assume that these people are commenting solely to get popular. When I go to a site I like to let the person know that for those precious minutes they are centre of my attention, and I believe that this something a true comment should encompass. Only those who know me could say whether I have ever managed to achieve this yet, but it is my goal.
This brings me on to a list of 5 things that I believe go into the creation of an awesome, and ultimately, worthwhile comment:
1. Your comment shows that you have actually read what the person has said. Not just the first line of the post, but the whole post. All the writer’s words have passed through your mind and been absorbed. They don’t have to remain there when you leave, but they have to be there while you are on the site. (This of course may be limited by the power of your memory so just try your best.)
2. Your comment should appear caring and considerate; you laugh and joke with the writer. Comfort them; cheer for them, pretty much act towards them as you would to yourself or to your best friend.
3. If they have questions on the site you do not zoom to the end of the post to check what they are and then leave after answering them. The writer puts the questions there because they are interested in you; the least you can do is be interested in them in return. If you are not interested in the writer then there is really no reason for you to be on their site.
4. Quality really is the most important thing in a comment. If you are like me you will feel better after writing something thoughtful, and that warm fuzzy feeling will only increase when you get a thoughtful comment in return. You should not comment just to be popular, take it from me this has no redeeming features, and certainly won‘t give you a sense of personal fulfilment. It may also have negative effects on you moods, particularly in your times of need when you may want those people to be more than passing visitors.
5. Lastly, just be yourself. Your comments are likely to reflect your post style. If your posts are only a couple of sentences long, then your comments can be only a couple of sentences long. Your post demonstrates that you may not like to write a lot for whatever reason, and so such things will not be held again you. But the writers of long posts who expect long comments in response to all parts of their post should do the same to everyone else. Really, it is only fair after all!
To conclude: If you want to be popular and happy around here, then show that you are a good person. Think about what you say and how it affects the reader. Your friends are more likely to stick around if they think you care about them, instead of believing that you are just using them to further your own goals! Online, people can only be attracted to you by your personality, and one of the best ways to get that to shine is through your comments. I believe that comments are little works of art in themselves when done correctly and that you should enjoy the act of commenting in much the same way you enjoy the act of communing with your friends. They are in essence the same thing, they just inhabit different spheres of existence.
Thank you for reading ^_^
Dranz 
