How to respond to a one-word comment?
By Suzieqmom
@Suzieqmom (2755)
United States
October 2, 2012 7:54pm CST
When I start a discussion, I generally try to answer every comment that I receive in response to the discussion, because I figure that makes for a better discussion. However, every once in awhile, I get a comment that I don't know how to answer. The other day, some one posted a one-word answer ("yes") as a comment, which kind of didn't make sense based on the topic. I didn't really know how to answer, so I just answered with an emoticon: 
. I know I could have written a longer response saying "I didn't understand your response" or something like that, but it hardly seemed worth the effort.
Today I received notification from mylot that my comment was being removed because it was too short and violated some mylot policy. (The person's one-word comment was removed as well). Not really that big a deal, but I am wondering if it would have been better had I not answered at all? Is it because I answered that both were removed, or would the other person's comment have been removed anyway?
Has anyone else come across this issue and how did you handle it? Just curious.
. I know I could have written a longer response saying "I didn't understand your response" or something like that, but it hardly seemed worth the effort.
Today I received notification from mylot that my comment was being removed because it was too short and violated some mylot policy. (The person's one-word comment was removed as well). Not really that big a deal, but I am wondering if it would have been better had I not answered at all? Is it because I answered that both were removed, or would the other person's comment have been removed anyway?
Has anyone else come across this issue and how did you handle it? Just curious. 3 people like this
13 responses
@ShyBear88 (59275)
• Sterling, Virginia
3 Oct 12
Well when someone leaves me a one word comment as there first comment then I ask them yes to what or what ever that one word way so I could get clarification. If they don't answer back okay that is fine. I just don't leave it at all. It's their fault if they leave one word and I always put and afford in even if that person hasn't. Most of the time then the response isn't deleted. I've had some that where at the end of a discussion after a while me or one of my friends will leave one word response and they never get deleted.
2 people like this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
You are more dedicated than I am. . .but maybe that's why their comments don't get deleted. Seems like an awful lot of work for you to protect their comment or response.
@ShyBear88 (59275)
• Sterling, Virginia
4 Oct 12
I don't protect them. Some times I don't say a thing and some times others get there before I do. If it gets deleted before I get there then fine even if I say something it doesn't mean it won't get deleted. I got nothing else to do after I'm doing taking care of my little some so this pretty much my only adult contact I get other then talking and being with my husband.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
Makes sense. . .as long as it is convenient for you. Mylot is great for communicating with adults and expressing ideas. Perfect for a mom with young ones! It wasn't that long ago that I was in the same place you are.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
3 Oct 12
It is good to know if I ever see this on one of my discussions as a comment I will know to pass it on by. I have never posted just one word on anything here.
I have seen it done in a long line of discussion on a box before and that tends to be fine so long as that person has discussed further rather than just that one word and left it. Plus I do not think that even if someone had come into a box that has a lot of discussion with one word - the whole BOX would be deleted because that does away with all the discussion the other people were doing. If that makes sense. That person probably will not get anything for that one word response however. (I do not know if this is true but it would make sense to me is all)
Don't feel bad about it I don't think you did anything wrong. I don't know if you had been able to say more to them if it would be deleted or not but either way you were not getting anything for that one smiley face, it is probably fine.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
I am glad my discussion has helped you as well--it has certainly helped me! Everyone's answers have been great. (Kind of ironic, isn't it, that someone's one-word answer could generate such a good discussion somewhere else).
I agree with you--I think it is ok to leave a one-word response if it is appropriate in the middle of a long comment thread, because then it might actually make sense and further the discussion, so I doubt that would be deleted.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
9 Oct 12
I hope so too. . . In any event, at least we learned something, and had a great discussion, too.
In any event, at least we learned something, and had a great discussion, too.@echoforever (5180)
• United States
6 Oct 12
It is a little bit ironic isn't it? That is the way of myLot sometimes though. And also the way of the world even more so 
I hope the person who left that one word comment has learned from it as we did.
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
3 Oct 12
Your 'comment' was probably removed because the response was a Guideline violation, not because you posted an emoticon only. That is the way things happen here.
Yes, you might have saved time by ignoring that response but, on the other hand, depending on what a comment says, a responder just might learn something from it before both are removed. I fairly often post responses and comments - usually to warn the person that they are violating the Guidelines - in the full knowledge that the discussion or the response will disappear.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
Good point owlwings--and I have seen your posts about violating the guidelines. You know, both you and Hatley made the point that the initial one-word answer was a "response" not a "comment", which might actually be right. I can't remember now whether the person's answer was a response or a comment, because it was a few days ago and now it is gone, and because several of the responses had a string of comments after them. Is the rule the same for comments and responses or is it ok to leave a one-word comment if it is appropriate to the discussion?
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
3 Oct 12
That's a good idea Owlwings. I skip them, but it might just behoove me and them to make a response about their comment violating mylot guidelines. I make a good response and the person learns something if he or she reads the comment. Some people don't go back to read what their responders say back to them.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
That may be right. Certainly the one-word answer didn't do anything for the discussion, and honestly my smiley face didn't either--I was just trying to be nice. next time I will just leave it alone! 
next time I will just leave it alone! @echoforever (5180)
• United States
3 Oct 12
This is what I think as well. Either way it would have been deleted but next time you know just move on 
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
For sure. Next time I will just find another discussion to join--better use of my time!
@adnileb (5256)
• Philippines
3 Oct 12
I haven't experienced receiving one word comment. Instead, I sometimes receive a phrase.
I don't respond on them actually.
First, I really don't know what to say.
Second, I don't understand their comment because it isn't finished as one sentence. 
In some of om my discussions, there are at least two that comments that way. So, I lost the two of them.
I don't respond on them actually.
First, I really don't know what to say.
Second, I don't understand their comment because it isn't finished as one sentence.
In some of om my discussions, there are at least two that comments that way. So, I lost the two of them.1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
I've had a few of those, or responses/comments that are written in text-speak so I don't understand them, although I am sure they would make sense to my kids! Interesting that the "phrases" that don't make sense are sometimes deleted as well.
Interesting that the "phrases" that don't make sense are sometimes deleted as well.1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
3 Oct 12
Yes, and thank you violate the guidelines... so I would just skip it. I have answered thank you to someone who made a comment that I didn't know how to respond to because it was off topic and the person got mad sort of, and said something about it, but I didn't comment back because the commenter didn't comment in a way that I could think to respond to. Mine didn't get deleted.
Yours probably got deleted because of the yes comment above your response.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
I have done the same thing. . .sometimes, a response or comment is just way off base or very confusing and I can't think of anything to say (and I don't want to say "your comment is way off base or very confusing LOL)so I just say thank you. Maybe from now on I'll just skip it altogether! I have to say, I have never had a "thank you" deleted before, even though it does technically violate the guidelines.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71659)
• United States
3 Oct 12
I just act as though there was no comment. A yes or no is not what kind of comment mylot wants us to leave. People who leave one word ments will not earn money for it and we will be rated negatively so put star score will drop. Just dont pay attention to the one word commentors.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
I agree with you--that is what I am going to do from now on. It had never actually happened to me before. Learn something new every day!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
3 Oct 12
suszieqmom just wait you only had your comment deleted because it was on a response that broke mylot rules, they could not keep your comment as it w as o n the response,picture a discussions as a tree the branches are responses and the leaves are comments so if they cut off the branch where your comment leaf is you will go with it, you did nothing wrong, look you must have noticed that some of your responses were deleted only because they were on the discussion that w as deleted,. here you were not at fault' and you just lost your comment as it was on the stupid response,.I have at ti mes just reported the bad response and not commented on it.so it was not yo ur comment they were talking about it was the too shortone word response,. so do not fret it.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
I am not too worried, I was just surprised. I have had a comment of mine deleted before because the question or response or comment I was replying to was also deleted, but never for this reason. I have only reported a "bad" response once, and that was because it was really offensive. Seems like too much effort for just a one-word answer. Thanks for the kind words and the clarification, Hatley!
Thanks for the kind words and the clarification, Hatley! 1 person likes this
@lampar (7584)
• United States
3 Oct 12
If it doesn't make sense to you, just ignore it and move on. Don't waste time on him anymore. May be he is drunk at that time, or is too busy to give you a longer comment. It is just hard to tell the real meaning behind such one word comment. 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
4 Oct 12
Yes.
Seriously, it is better to ignore that sort of comment, because it will e removed, unless you can manage a good response. That's pretty hard to do when you've only got one word to work with.
If someone has responded to me with a very short response, or a generic comment like 'I agree with everything you say,' I just walk on by that box. If they can't be bothered to write a proper response, I can't be bothered to comment on it.
Seriously, it is better to ignore that sort of comment, because it will e removed, unless you can manage a good response. That's pretty hard to do when you've only got one word to work with.
If someone has responded to me with a very short response, or a generic comment like 'I agree with everything you say,' I just walk on by that box. If they can't be bothered to write a proper response, I can't be bothered to comment on it.@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
Yes, I agree (especially after this experience). Although, every once in a while, a one-word answer makes sense and then I can legitimately respond to it. But usually not. . .
@allknowing (130067)
• India
4 Oct 12
I am not clear whether these one word comments or responses are guideines or activities that do not earn. Sometimes I have seen users having fun, exchanging one word repartee. Anyway, why not?
@allknowing (130067)
• India
6 Oct 12
There was a typo in my above response. What I wanted to say was whether these one word comments or responses are guidelines violations or whether they do not earn.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
I have seen that too, but usually it's in the middle of a comment thread, and the one-word responses actually make sense or do further the discussion (at least somewhat). I guess those don't get deleted, maybe because it still is a form of give-and-take and so is a legitimate discussion.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
3 Oct 12
That would work too, and is nice as well. Good suggestion!
Good suggestion!
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
5 Oct 12
I think if someone is just willing to comment a single word it borders to rude so we shouldn't actually have to answer after that. I know that I don't. It feels like the person is thinking something else, is willing to end the subject, is bored or want to discuss something else... or maybe just be left alone. It doesn't feel like it should continue.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
6 Oct 12
In this case, I almost felt like the person had meant to write more, because the one-word answer really didn't make sense at all. Or maybe the person was trying to be funny or witty. I do wonder why people bother to respond at all if they aren't really interested in the discussion. I have sometimes seen answers like "I don't really know anything about your topic, but have a nice day" or something like that. A response like that is often worse, because then it really seems like they are just writing gibberish in the hopes of getting paid.
