Wednesday, June 25, 2008

An odd observation..or rather my thoughts

You know...I have gotten no less than 7 emails tonight through my groups from designers complaining about not getting comments...and it made me wonder why everyone gets so worked up about em. I know, I've been guilty of snagging on the fly and not leaving a comment, but I try to on EVERY designer who demands it. I've always wondered why it is so important that people get comments, haven't you? I mean people who come and download my stuff are comment enough for me, and sure I like to read the comments left to me, but I certainly don't have time with two kids, a house, household chores, outdoor work, doctors appointments, and family to read them all. And I certainly don't get bent out of shape and threaten to quit designing just because I don't have enough comments. I'm probably going to catch ten kinds of hell from people over my views on this, but what can I do...it is MY opinion, right? RIGHT. What are your thoughts? Do you think people downloading your stuff is good enough...or would you rather wade through tons of comments?? Personally, you all don't have to leave me anything, you'll notice I don't say please leave a comment when snagging.....if you like it enough to download, then YEA for me, lol But I'm gonna say it now...please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on comments. lol

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

lol Lynne! - I personally dont mind if people dont leave me a comment as I dont have loads of time to read them anyway and I havent got my comments activated on my blog for that reason!lol! but I do try and leave a comment when I download stuff from others as long as they have their comment box on view but cos I have the 4 shared direct download activated on my account I dont get to comment on the 4 shared anyway and have to rely on commenting on the blog itself xx

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you. I do leave comments on those that really want them tho, or when I read their blog and they say something funny, or when they are having a crisis, or are looking for an opinion but sometimes I only have a short period of computer time and just cant leave a comment.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with you and I'm glad to see one of you withing the scrap making community who actually feels this way and brave enough to say what some of us are thinking. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi from Australia. Hey, you know, maybe they don't know that really, to get comments, you generally have to first leave a comment.

I appreciate that you don't make a fuss and carry on like a pork chop about not everyone leaving one. Good for you!

Now, of course my biggest bug bear is when I DO leave a comment, then the blog owner answers me back on their own blog, in their own comments.

I personally can't cope with that as I think if I have been polite enough to comment on theirs, they can do me the courtesy of returning the compliment - if they want to reply to me.

No one is making them reply - but why are they replying on their own blogs? :) Just my pwn personal feelings here.

Anonymous said...

I try to comment on all the sites that I receive gifts from. However some sites you need to have a username. Those I do not because I don't have one and I don't want to register for one. I always appreciate the wonderful work you designers do. I have tried to create my own papers and elements and they are never as beautiful as yours.

Maggie

Paula said...

I agree with you and think you are brave for speaking up/blogging about it. I am new to the digital scrapbooking community and blogging also so I'm still trying to learn the right etiquette. I have been leaving comments if the designer is very clear that they want comments. But I do agree with you that obviously if people are downloading your stuff, they like it. Good luck to you on this one. And I agree with Leslie's comment about people commenting back on their own blog. What is that about? I wouldn't even think to go back to see if there was a reply to a comment, I would expect it sent to me directly. Wow, things to think about. :)

Anonymous said...

Personally, if someone requests comments, I try to leave one. But, if they already have a bunch of comments, I don't--I figure a ton of people already said what I would say--thank you for sharing! How many people have time to read 350 comments anyway?

Anonymous said...

I know what you say. I use to have a stationery site. I spent hours of enjoyment making them cause that's what I loved to do. Then I would put them on my site for people to DL them for free. Sure it was nice to get an email once in a while from those that took it, but hey..I didn't expect it! Like you say if they liked it enough to take it and use it...that was thamks enough for me. I didn't need to be overly showered with praises for doing something i enjoyed doing anyway.
On that note, thanks so much for all your free kits sweetie. You are appreciated, but you already know that ;-)
Big Hugs

GingerScraps said...

Well, I do like getting comments on my blog... but I don't make kits I post lists of all my favorite freebie finds. It lets me know people are enjoying my site.
But I do find it a bit strange when designers threaten to quite creating just because they don't get enough comments.
I agree with you.. downloading their creations is a compliment! I don't download anything unless I love it.
That is why I come to your site, because I love your goodies!! :) Ginger

elizlom said...

I don't design, but have been reading on some of the blogs the comment complaints. I always try to leave comments, but once 4shared changed their format, for a while if you left a comment while downloading it ruined your download. Average comments seemed to drop from 10% to 5% overnight. They seem to have fixed that but maybe people don't realize. It works to comment first, too.
Okay, so here's my rant, from the "consumer" side: some only like comments on their blog, but only have one type of sign in. I don't even know how to sign up for some of these open ID ones, or what wordpress (which is all one designer had) is. Some of those capchas (I think that's right) make me think I'm crazy. Notice, I ranted on your blog because yours is great, you can even be anonymous here! I don't mind if someone filters in some way, I understand the need, but expect that to reduce comments some, please!

Anonymous said...

myscrapbook says.: I also don't always leave a comment especially when I unsuspectingly go to a designers blog that sudenly blares out music at me. then I hurriedly check to see what the designs kits look like and then Im out of there. Haven't got time to search for the off button. Yours is one sight that I can stop read some at my leisure enjoy looking at the great kit designs and not worry is this designer going to go all huffy because we don't all say thanks glad you cleared that up.lol. I do love you kits the colors and designs are great.

Anonymous said...

I found you thru my friend Sansai, and I agree your have such a sweet readable blog. To give the whole kit, wow! thank you soo much. Keep writing you got fans out here!

chelle said...

I'm new to digital scrapbooking and enjoy my daily look at what neat stuff has been designed. I do try to leave comments on what I download, but some days that is easier said than done, especially when some are only available for 24 hrs, I'm trying to get other things done, and my daughter is wanting me to play. It's not that I'm not grateful, it's me wanting to get part 4 of 9 downloaded before it expires while taking care of daily distractions.

Not to mention 4Shared is freaky for me when there's a password, so I can't leave comments on half of those and by the time I've found out I can't, I've navigated away from their blog.

What I do have issues with are the "comment police" with the "omg, i can't believe 5 people before me couldn't be bothered to leave a comment." Stop being so judgemental. The funny thing is, sometimes I've noticed that those people before them (by timestamp) posted to the blog comments and not 4shared....

Carmen said...

Wow you have quite a pointe here. Although 90% of the time I do at least manage a thank you. You have a really nice view of this. I mean if 1200 people DL it is quite obvious your work is loved. To which I say thank you .

Raeven said...

Ok lol you know I love your kits, as a Tut writer I tell people who are doing my tuts to download from the kit designer, and to thank them for sharing, I guess its just my way of saying thankyou for sharing, instead of just grabbing all that is out there as some do, I am new to blogging too and have only just put up my tutorials, and yes it would be nice if one or two people left me a note saying the tuts are good or easy to follow etc, that way I know I am on the right track, but I guess seeing the stats and seeing that there have been 60 returning visitors that day says it all really ... they wouldnt return would they if they didnt like it lololol

Anonymous said...

I agree with you. I'm greatful for all the freebies. As I just don't have a lot of money. As for leaving a comment I leave one if there is only a few but if there is alot then I don't. Most of them say thank you, very pretty, the same thing over and over. Which is what I would say. I would thing that the designs would not have the time to read all the same comments or to get upset because they didn't get more. I have seen some that have had 1500 or more downloads and the designer is upset because they didn't get more comments. You would thing that many downloads are comment enough.

Anonymous said...

a thank you once in a while is nice and it doesn't take long to do. But, having said that, I love your viewpoint that being downloaded in itself is a compliment :-) I'm going to adopt your attitude on it :-)

Michelza said...

i agree... i leave comments if people ask or want them and try to say thankyou when i can but you do forget or just busy doing other things. and truthfully wouldn't you rather someone that loves your work and have 650 downloads with a few thanks than no one downloading your work

Anonymous said...

OK hon, you're getting me up on my soapbox....

I was just over at another blog earlier today. The designer had a long post about people NOT leaving comments or a thank you. She kept saying that it took her longer to make the kit than it did to leave a thank you.

I usually do leave a thank you. I wanted to leave a thank you for this designer, but (1) she had the comments section on her 4shared account disabled, (2) she had no "c-box" on her blog and (3) she only allowed comments from "Google/Blogger" and "Open ID".

Now how the bleep does she expect to get comments when she doesn't allow the majority of people to leave them?? !!!

Last year I got a blogger id just to leave comments. I did not make a blog. After about a week blogger canceled my id on me.

Please feel free to copy&paste this message and pass it on to your group!!! Pretty please just in case she is in your email group!!!

Laura @ live.laugh.photograph said...

hi i'm a first timer here! i got your blog through gingerscraps. anyway, I do agree with you though. i would think that downloading your kits are compliment enough. i guess some people just need their egos rubbed! LOL

CraftFairy said...

I do my best to leave comments as I am so thankful that designers like you share your work and time, so why not share mine. I am guilty of sometimes not being able to especially if I don't see the comment box right away.
I say a little prayer every night for friends, scrapping friends and designers, included!
Sometimes I just leave "x-x-x-x-x" and I hope everyone who received them knows that this means HUGS and lots of it, and it also means "Thank you so much for sharing, I love you!"

Anonymous said...

I agree too!

I think there are those that are very needy. If no one comments they don't feel cared for, and not so important. So they are very demanding. It's an immature way to be.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you and all who have posted! It is very nice to come to your blog and see your comments about this subject also. :-) I do my best to leave comments when and if I can but there are times when it isn't possible because of all the things mentioned in everyones posts before me. :-)

~*Jill*~ said...

I completely agree with you!!!!!! Although it is nice to comment and to recieve comments, I feel that people should only leave comments because they want to honestly and not because they feel they should. Some people thrive on attention I guess!

Anonymous said...

Just how 'free' is free? In order to dl freebies, I have to pay to have a connection to the internet. Downloading uses bandwidth and if you have a monthly bandwidth limit, you have to make sure you don't go over or you are paying even more for the 'freebies'.

If giving something away for free, is it really free if you are expecting something in return?

I no longer do downloads at a digi website because before a dl link will work, you had to leave a thank you. No Thank You!!!

I will not leave a thank you when someone is begging or ranting about not receiving any comments. Most of the time too, I will just leave the blog and not dl their freebie. I don't want it anymore.

I have gotten to the point of not even trying to leave a comment. So many times I have tried, only to find out that I can't. What a waste of time!!! And most designers do not want comments left on 4shared, because the comments can't be saved. Okay, so they want comments, but they also want to save the comments???

With all that said, thank you for your freebie! :) And for offering your designs in full size too! :)

Anonymous said...

I am like you - the request for a tag I make or a download count is good enough for me - I do leave a comment when they have to have one or get bent out of shape - I have a life and don't have time to read everything when comments are made. You have the perfect outlook - we have a life other than on the internet. SMILE

For the record I LOOOOOOOOVE your scraps girl kat - keep up the awesome work - and you have the best 'tude going in life too. SMILE

HUGS!
Fringe

Gems said...

Hi Hun,
i try to leave a comment when i can though i have missed doing so on occassion, its like for us tut writers i am just happy if someone likes what i have done enough to have a go. but i spose each to their own, lol always leave ya some lurve though hun..lol
Hugs Gemsxx

Lisa said...

Personally I think it's just good manners...it's to easy to just download and run..but hey, I say thank you to shop keepers when purchasing anything in real life as well. I guess I was brought up that way.

However, I don't think I'd ever give up designing just because of lack of comments.

I can't say I think downloading is a compliment though..anyone can do that.

What I find complimentary is seeing my stuff used in tags, stats, tuts, LOs etc!

That tells me they like my stuff and gives me warm fuzzies I guess.

Mystii said...

You know I love your kits (I certainly have enough of them LOL) and I love how you feel about comments! I try to leave a comment in 4shared when I download and I'll take the time to comment if I am reading the blog and a comment is appropriate. But, some people get enormously worked up about it and I've never understood that!

Anonymous said...

Normally I visit your site most days. I love your designs, and I always try to say thank you as I appreciate your generosity.I have just spent ages downloading all your lovely kits from the past two weeks (I've been on holiday) so a BIG thank you for all that. But, like you, I can't understand why some folk get so worked up about not getting comments from everyone. If you offer freebies then you have to accept that a large percentage of people will not leave messages..that doesn't mean that they value your work any less. If they didn't like it they wouldn't waste time downloading it!Getting so upset is a waste of energy... either do it for your own satisfaction and enjoyment, or don't do it!!

Anonymous said...

I've compltely given up going to one site where a digiscrap designer got bent out of shape over people not leaving comments. Her downloads had 1500+ downloads per kit, and she had some 500 comments on each kit. Even though I say thank you mabye 4 out of 10 times I visit a blog due to my schedule, I find it a big turn off to visit a blog where the owner rants about it every time they put out a kit.

cjpeterson38 said...

I think all of the designers are marvelous! I am so busy downloading all these wonderful kits that I haven't enough time to send comments. Besides I always say pretty much the same thing. "They are beautiful".
Your freebies are more lovely than most and I love your colors. TY

Jenn said...

I know that this post was made a long time ago, but I wanted to let you know that I agree with you. I can understand mentioning leaving comments once or twice, but to get mad and quit because people don't comment? That's just ridiculous. I love your stuff, and hopefully will actually be able to buy something very soon in the future. Oh and I try to leave you comments whenever I can on 4shared, I'm not too good at leaving comments on the actual blog though... :)

Anonymous said...

Hello, BabyCakes, I'm glad I found your blog recently. Like "Jenn", (above) I realize this is an old post. However, the problem is not old; not going away and is getting worse! I believe that it is slightly ill-mannered to not say Thank You for something you've received, but it is definitely ill-mannered and slightly sickening to BEG for gratitude. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I appreciate your attitude, BabyCakes, it's very sweet. Thank you very much for sharing your hard work and talent with all of us. Your Scrap Kits are drop-dead gorgeous and your spirit of generosity speaks for itself!
Pickles :)