Is there Blogging Etiquette?

Here's something I have been pondering lately: is there a 'blogging etiquette'?

I.e. do you think it is polite to behave a particular way while blogging and commenting. By that I do not mean the obvious 'don't be rude/insulting'. I mean issues like: do you reply to every comment you get? Do you expect people to reply to you if you comment? If new people comment, do you visit their blog in return? Only if they follow you? Do you auto-follow back?

Phew that's a lot of questions!

I see it this way: certainly if people comment, I reply. I do not, however, always expect people to respond to my comments, if I comment on their posts, which is funny. I don't always go back to see if they have, or sign up for comments, though I often do. Time just doesn't allow it.

One thing I have noticed once or twice is, say, 10 people will have commented and the blogger has replied to 6 of them. Okay, if the other 4 only said 'Great post!' then perhaps there's not a lot to reply to that. But I have been one of the 4 with a chatty comment and wondered why I wasn't replied to. Not that I mind - blogger's prerogative - but it set me wondering.

I hope I follow back most of the people who follow me - I have certainly tried to, let me know if I haven't. I feel like I have been getting used to blogging and how it all works, so certainly I may not always have visited commenters back or followed back as I would like. Sometimes time and life runs away with me, and I can't reply to comments etc. as quick as I'd like.

I'd love to know your thoughts.

I won't be here Wed with a post, but will return Fri to celebrate small things.

Please Answer: How/Why Do You Blog?

As a relatively new blogger, I’m curious about why people blog, and how they choose to do it. 


Is it for yourself? Is it primarily to connect with people? Do you blog to a particular timetable or set restrictions on yourself?

I’m come up with a few wee questions, and if anybody could please bear to answer them, that would be great as I'd love to get to know the reasons behind all of your blogging!

Feel free to reply in your own blog, and link to the post in the comments. If you do this, do go read anybody else’s reply too! But if you reply with the answers in the comments too that would be great!

1. Why did you start a blog? (To record my thoughts for myself, to connect with others, because I fancied it...)
2. Do you seek out followers/people to follow, and how do you do that if so? Do you look for particular ‘types’ of people?
3. Do you set rules around your blogging? (Specific timetable, topic, I always follow back, etc).
4. Do you take part in any groups or ‘meme’s if that’s the right term? Eg YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday or insecure-writers-support-group ? Any to recommend? Any topics you’d like covered by similar?

That’s it! Lastly:

Is there any sort of ‘meet and greet’ that goes on among the writing/book blogging community for the sole purpose of meeting others, that I don’t know about?!


I will answer the above now briefly so as not to make this post too long:
1. I started a blog to record what I'd learned about writing so far, to share it, and connect with other fab writers and learn from them and make some friends!
2. I have followed people I found in forums, or in the comments of posts I liked, who entered the same competition. I'm keen to meet people ;)
3. I try and blog mostly about writing, and I want to post twice a week on specific days, though life is already getting in the way!
4. I took part in Road Trip Wed, I missed IWSG last month and just learned about it so will take part next time!