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Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

Do You Care About Comment Responses?

I have attempted to respond to every comment on my art since time began. I figured if someone was going to actually make the effort to say something nice about my art, responding to said comment was the least I could do. The problem is that now that I have over 1000 images and I've really upped my uploading frequency, it would likely take me an hour or even more each week just to respond to comments. I'm beginning to think this may be too much of an unwise time commitment. So, my question is to you, how much do you care if an artist responds to your comment? I mean, I know it's nice for everyone if they receive a response, I guess what I really want to know is how much/if it bugs you if you don't.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

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Jeff Iverson

5 Years Ago

I have wondered exactly the same thing. I'm eager to see how others respond.

 

David King

5 Years Ago

I always respond but apparently I don't get nearly as many comments as you do. If you don't want so many comments stop participating in groups.

 

Lois Bryan

5 Years Ago

Hey Susan ... good question and I'll be interested to hear the responses. Basically, I understand time is a premium and if someone doesn't respond back that's absolutely fine. I sometimes check back on those images where I've really been moved by the work and put my thoughts and feelings out there. But honestly not often.

For myself, I try hard to keep up with comments on my newest work but beyond that, I had to let go.

You said an hour a week? Susan, I was spending at least an hour a day, responding to comments then visiting the other person back.

I do try to get back to folks who find an older image and really leave a detailed comment, but ... the whole thing sort of takes on a life of its own.

I just hope folks know that I do care, and I do read and appreciate each note.

As to not responding to my comments, I hope they read them and hope they realize that what I say comes from the heart. But it's okay not to respond to me or to comment back!!

Spend your time creating something else for me to oooh and ahh over!!!

 

Patricia Strand

5 Years Ago

Yes, I do respond. I am genuinely appreciative of comments.

However, since I stopped participating in group promotion threads and only do contests now, I can go days without any comments. The only way I know I have a comment now is if I get an email notification. That is fine, no problem at all.

 

Laurie's Intuitive

5 Years Ago

I respond to every comment but I have no where near as many images as you, Susan. If I ever got to that many images I might put a thank you in advance type of statement in my description and explain how much I appreciate the comments but just do not have the time to respond at this time. I can certainly understand how time consuming it must be. I feel comments are very important...buyers may look at them, and of course when our art resonates with someone in a special way...it's always nice to try to respond and to me, it means a lot. With that said, there must be artists here who do not respond at all. Or you could be the first to comment on it and put the statement of appreciation there?

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

WOW, seriously David? If I "don't want comments?" Where did I even hint that I don't want comments? Quote me please, I'd love to know what encouraged such a ridiculous and snarky response to my question.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

VIVA Anderson

5 Years Ago

I thought I didn't care whether someone replied to my comment, but, I did finally get p'd/off after 10 to them, to support and boost them,but utter silence
back at me.......I didn't expect comments on my work back, no........,but, am much happier to know if they got my comment, via their 'thanks'.
.I.. comment a lot b/c I follow an artist I admire,and hope the comment boosts their presence here. I have so few comments, so,
lots of time after replying/thanking,lol.
No sense becoming distressed about the whole procedure/process.......rather......keep creating......your followers will understand, am sure. I do

lol, tsk,tsk, ohhhh, Susan, I just love when you get mad, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Frank J Casella

5 Years Ago

Yes, I have come to believe that saying a simple thank you has more benefits than not. I used to not reply to comments, because I noticed many top sellers don't reply (unless a question is asked). Though its low on the list, comments rank an image, but, more importantly comments are for eyeballs. I'm not sure if the people you reply to see your comment, but the people who come to find your images see you are alive and engaged with your fans.

I have to say that making a comment on images is more productive, I think, than posting in a group thank you thread. For this reason, I don't allow them in my groups. But that is for another thread.


EDIT: In fairness, I do have to say that since I pretty much removed all the social media that I used to be active with, gave me more time here to reply to comments and the like.

 

Uther Pendraggin

5 Years Ago

I like to know that the artist saw that I appreciated their work.

A "Thumb up" would be sufficient.

May I slightly derail this and ask, because I have read a lot of comments and the number one response seems to be "Ooh the colors, the colors!" It seems as though if you don't know what to say you say "The colors..."

Am I wrong?

PLAU
UPD

 

VIVA Anderson

5 Years Ago

yes, Uther, b/c, it's often............'ohhhhhhh, the ........."...........too. heheheeeeeee

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

Yeah, I don't go visiting Lois. I'd never have time to do any arting again for the rest of my life!

Patricia, the question is if you care if an artist responds to a comment you have left. I'm pretty sure everyone likes comments ;)

Laurie, you are Superrrrrrr Geeniussssss of the day! Great idea!

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

LOL VIVA!! And to think you only get to see the heavily edited responses ;)

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

Patricia Strand

5 Years Ago

Oh, I see, sorry. I don't always click in to see if someone has responded to any comments I have made on their work. If it's on my mind, I will, but not always. So, I guess it doesn't matter that much, to me.

Uther, sometimes I can be so numbstruck by a piece of art that words escape me. I use the word "amazing" a lot, and I do mean it. Maybe it's not the most descriptive word I can come up with at the time, but I'd hate to think I am being judged by that.

 

Kathy Anselmo

5 Years Ago

Actually, I hope they don't comment.

 

Mike Savad

5 Years Ago

i don't reply at all unless they ask a question.

there is only so much one can say about:

nice!
good camera
nice color
$ale etc


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

 

Mike Savad

5 Years Ago

i just checked, i have over 17,000 comments.... it would take years to reply to it all. and i think there is a limit of what you can see on a page before it truncates or gives you a button.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

 

Hans Zimmer

5 Years Ago

Until now every(!) comment has been answered by me - and i try to do it individually each time ... it may not always be successful due to my limited ammount of english words but i try to the best of my abilities. :o) Oh and - i am HAPPY (what else lol) for every single comment :o) I have to admit tough - short comments get shorter replies - longer comments get longer replies :o)

Especially for abstracts i often only like/fav without comment because it´s hard for me to find the words or i just have not the time. I look however at almost every newly uploaded image in my activity stream and i only like / fav an image if i like it - not as a favor or in return.

EDIT: sometimes comments "slip" through or get burried in the activity stream. I do that then, if i find the comment later or in the weekly summary e-mail.

 

Val Arie

5 Years Ago

Susan, I try to say thank you to every comment but never looked to see if someone said thank you to a comment I left. I don't care if someone says thank you.

When I first came here I did do a lot of commenting on images that I liked but as you said trading of comments can take on a life of it's own. So I stopped and now for the most part I only leave likes. Of coarse since I stopped trading I don't get many anymore.

I kind of wish we could leave unanimous comments, rather than the trading of comments back and forth. I guess it improves our ranking if we have a lot of comments but the few I get now feel more heartfelt.

 

Abbie Shores

5 Years Ago

No, I have no issues with people not saying anything back.

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

I respond to all comments. Although I do not check for comments more than once per month. I am not notified.

I do not allow comments on my AW.

Comments on my profile on Pixels are to a certain degree shared marketing. I do not mind. In fact I like comments.

I pay to market my AW.

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

Lindley Johnson

5 Years Ago

I don't respond directly to comments, though I appreciate them. I generally go to the member's page and comment on one of theirs. That way I get to see some wonderful art.

 

Roy Erickson

5 Years Ago

I have several thousand images - and less than .01 ever get comments. I do try to respond to each comment - don't think I've ever missed any.

 

Judy Whitton

5 Years Ago

I always say thanks for the comments. They took the time to comment so I feel that I should thank them. Honestly, I don't think too many people go back to see if you did say thank you. So, whether you do or not really depends of if you want to or have time to.

 

Frank Wilson

5 Years Ago

1700 comments.... most of them read; "Congrats on your sale!" No mention of anything about the art. I do not respond to spam. When I comment on another's work it is because I am moved or touched in some way by their image ... I never expect a "thank you" or any other response.

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Debbie Oppermann

5 Years Ago

I have tried to keep up to comments, love getting them and really appreciate them but I have been so busy for the last few months that I have not responded and am barely thanking the admins for features
I know that the majority of people do not check back to see if I said thank you or acknowledged the comment but I do feel guilty for not having the time recently to respond

I do not care if others respond to my comment or not as I do not check to see if they said thank you or whatever

I also do not allow comments on my AW site

I am hoping that within the next month or so, I will have the time I used to have to acknowledge the comments

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

Gina, what Abbie said (err, linked).

David, still wrong, LOL!

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Susan,

Clearly I am in the wrong thread. LOL

No matter how you cut it, comments by others I respond to.....eventually......It is nice to get some comments. But it is not the center of my social needs.

Dave

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

David... clear your mind and listen carefully. Assume nothing.

1. You leave a comment for ANOTHER artist on THEIR art (not what this thread is about).
2. The artist (NOT YOU) responds to YOUR comment on THEIR work (also not what this thread is about).
3. Do you care if that OTHER ARTIST responded to YOUR COMMENT on THEIR work? Do you even check for OTHER artists' responses to YOUR comments on THEIR work? (EXACTLY what this thread is about).

I cannot fathom why this is so hard to understand, it's blowing my mind.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

ah.....the great number three in the sky.

I have never encountered that.

Never mind LMAO

Dave

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Susan,

Seriously, is someone responding to your comments in someone else's comment section? Good or bad?

I think you said it was good with you up top somewhere. Right?

Addition: Susan is that a new thing since you became a mod?

Dave

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

::BOOM!::

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 
 

Doug Swanson

5 Years Ago

I care about them and do appreciate them, but I'm also guessing that commercially, they count for not much, but not nothing. I've never had (that I know of) a purchase by a commenter, but views, likes and comments to amount to countable traffic and, if you get enough of that, it's possible that the numbers could help you eventually...or at least not hurt. I'm guessing, however, that it's like a 2 mph tailwind when you're riding a bike up a mountain and you really want a jolt of steroids.

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

911, I've been shot.

are you okay?

Well there was some bleeding today at the beach.

when were you shot?

Over night some time.

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

Alan got it, that was just my head exploding. I'm better now.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

Alan Armstrong

5 Years Ago

In Chinese wisdom; it is known that there are three types of water lilies, one that lives above the water line, while another lives on the water line and one that lives below the water line, never to see the light of the sun.

 

Dave Bowman

5 Years Ago

I used to respond to every comment, but that was a long time ago. Now I simply don't have the time. I respond when I can and when I have a spare moment, but I'd like to think people comment on my work because they feel they want to rather than expecting a reply in return as a nod to their comment. The way I see it the artwork is my statement which may or may not initiate a response - it doesn't really need to go any further than that. An alternative is to chime in with a comment thanking everyone for any features and comments rather than trying to respond to every one.

 

Lindley Johnson

5 Years Ago

No, it doesn't matter if another artist responds to my comment on their work, and I don't check back to see.

 

Shana Rowe Jackson

5 Years Ago

I honestly couldn't even tell you if anyone has responded to comments I hs e left on their work. I don't usually do not have time to check back with them.

When I am responding to comments on my own work I go back and forth depending on time. Sometimes I respond to individual comments and other times I will go in after a batch of multiple comments and say something along the lines of "thank you so much everybody, I appreciate your support!" Or something like that. Depends on my time and how many comments there are, but I always try to have some kind of response even if not individualized.

 

Robert Yaeger

5 Years Ago

I try to reply to every comment that is left on my work. Sometimes I miss a few, but feel that if you are taking the time to look at my work, and to leave a meaningful comment, you deserve a response. I have had some mean spirited comments, especially on my political artwork, but I guess that is just part of the game. With that said, I use the reply to comment option, which adds my response, but I don't think it notifies the person making the comment that I have replied.
I do not really care if the artist/photographer whose work I comment on replies to thank me. I guess that isn't really consistent.
If you were to follow me on Instagram ( @robyaeger1 ) anyone who comments on my work gets a like and a response (which the software alerts them to) Might be a good, small software addition to FAA.

Thanks for posting, Susan!


Please follow me on Instagram @robyaeger1

 

Alan Armstrong

5 Years Ago

There are more ways to communicate than ever before and less interesting things being said; do you agree?

Are thoughtless compliments realistically worth responding to?

A genuine compliment can make my day and when taking the time to compose one of my own for someone else, I also feel good about myself.

Copy and paste compliments when made for my art makes me sad, I would rather not receive anything ; as this type of compliment is systemic junk mail.

 

Lisa Kaiser

5 Years Ago

This is a clever thread and I am enjoying the responses.

I wonder sometimes if thanking the person making the comment is even necessary, but I try to thank everyone who writes, I certainly don't feel guilty if I dont get to the task a year after the comment was made.


Occassionally the wine might make me over respond
to a comment and in these moments, I've been a fool.

As I get a little older in this business, I am slightly wiser...sometimes.

There have been a handful or more comments that have been much better than a sale, no doubt about it! I appreciate cooments on my work! I feel that many of you are personal friends of mine, but how silly is that!?

One time an artist put my words in his book, that was better than a sale.


Getting on Bubblebathing Gene's list of middle class artist snobs was epic for me. That entertainment was better than TV.

I have a list of peeps, myself, right here on FAA that amaze me so much, but the list gets longer and longer and I get slower and slower with my response time.

So, my theory is that the more time we have, and fewer clients to respond to or responsibilities at home or in our galleries, the easier it is to check back on something or anything.

I sometimes have checked to see if someone responded to my comment and I used to do it a lot more than at the present time.

Anyhoo, great thread.







 

Lisa Kaiser

5 Years Ago

And just one more thing, I will take all the compliments I can get, no need to be honest or real, thx.

I may not be able to respond in a tmely manner, tho.

One way to support artists without spending a penny is to respond to that which moves us.


 

Lisa Kaiser

5 Years Ago

I'm having a great time talking to myself. I think I have said enough.

....


And one more thing, oops lost that thought.

Oh yeah, I remember.

I love Dave Farrow's words. He knows how to romance an artist's art better than anyone. And he is the one who deserves a bunch of Gold medals, not only for his comments, but his fabulously skilled hands.

 

Janine Riley

5 Years Ago

it'll be okay Susan. It. will. all.... be... o...k.....

Patting Susan on the head, and checking to see if she responds to this comment.

now ducking and running.
popcorn is long gone.

 

Lisa Kaiser

5 Years Ago

Oops, I meant his painting skills!

I am not checking back, it's a full moon and wndy day outside. Lol

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Janine,

What will be okay? LOL

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

Janine Riley

5 Years Ago

The Responses David. the responses will all be ok. Lol

its just funny.

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

It really is funny.

I had never thought to have a conversation on someone else's comment section to someone else entirely non related about other stuff.

I guess the question, LOL, is would I keep track of such a discussion? Without a doubt I would.

Help....LOL

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

Susan Maxwell Schmidt

5 Years Ago

Whut? I'M AWAKE! Dreamed about calming head pats. I am awakzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZzzzzzz

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Susan,

We have a changing of the guard coming up soon.

My bed time approaches.

First I got to figure out if I want a mid night snack. Then I have to figure out not to eat it.

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Reporting back from the fridge, I had a piece of rye toast with some Kerry Gold.

Dave
Bridburg.com

 

This discussion is closed.