Running Out Of Things To Say
By kbourgerie
@kbourgerie (8780)
United States
February 9, 2008 10:56am CST
I respond to every comment that someone leaves when I post a discussion and I won't stop doing that, because I think its important that you acknowledge that someone took the time to answer to your post. Recently, however, I have had some discussions that had more replies than I ever expected and I find that I have difficulty knowing how to respond to each one after so many. It makes me feel bad, because sometimes my acknowledgement will only be one line. It makes me feel very guilty to think that I am responding to them with something that might seem not so well thought out. Do you ever run out of things to say in response to the comments people leave you? Do you give up and not answer after awhile or do you always find something interesting to say?
3 people like this
10 responses
@sminut13 (1783)
• Singapore
9 Feb 08
i don't get many responses for my discussions but i do know what you're talking about as i've just experienced that recently. grins i just asked a question that i needed some help or opinions on, and quite a number actually responded. of course, the answers were basically almost the same so i had difficulty responding back to them. like you said, at times i had no choice but to give one liners. grins. i do try to answer them though, even if it is similar to other posts that i've given in that discussion itself.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
9 Feb 08
Yes, I think the most important thing is the acknowledgement, no matter how short.
1 person likes this
@buwald (271)
• Netherlands
9 Feb 08
I dont comment on each and every post someone makes in my discussion, but i get your point. i'd say that its not something you should feel guilty about, becouse after all, if everyone would comment each comment, it would never end, would it? i think its good of you to acknowledge each response, but dont feel bad if you run out of things to say.
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
9 Feb 08
Thank you, but I would feel guilty if I acknowledged someone and not others. When I see other people do it, it makes me feel that perhaps what I had to say wasn't worthy enough. If I see that they didn't reply to anyone, then I know that its just not their habit to do so and I don't take it personally.
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
9 Feb 08
I am getting to know quite a few people, but there are just so many people. LOL.
1 person likes this
@proslots01 (70)
• Singapore
10 Feb 08
I think you can firstly avoid this by stating that you would reply to a comment if you have something constructive in return to say to it. That would not mean that someone who responded to your discussion said something meaningless, but just that you won't sure of what to say in return. That said, while it is polite to respond to everything, I think you should not worry too much about not doing so. We have all met with such situations where we do not know what to say in return to people's statements, but it does not mean that we were rude. Sometimes it is better not to say anything than to say something at all.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Feb 08
I understand what you are saying and I appreciate it. Thanks.
@Sungolian (377)
• United States
10 Feb 08
Don't worry too much KB. You do a good job with reponding to posts.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Feb 08
Well thanks for saying so. Thats very nice of you to tell me that.
@piatos03 (393)
• Philippines
10 Feb 08
Yeah, it is really hard to acknowledge everybody when there are too many responses to your discussions. I always see that you respond to almost all of your responses and I sometimes wonder how you do it and if you ever get tired of it. I don't post that many discussions. It has only happened to me once that my discussion got more than 10 posts. And as much as I wanted to reply to every single one of them, I got too tired to. So, I just ended up giving the other people a + rating, for lack of anything to say.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Feb 08
Well even by giving them a + rating you are still acknowledging that they visited your post, but they don't have any way of knowing that do they? I wish you were notified if someone did that or marked you as a best response.
@dlkuku (1935)
• United States
9 Feb 08
I try to respond, but sometimes I just run out of steam after so many, especially if there are a lot of responses. It seems when I do take time to respond to my responses it also takes away the little time I have to respond to other's discussions.
After a while when many seem to almost say the same thing, it's hard to find something new to say and it becomes redundant. I often feel like I am repeating myself.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Feb 08
Thats pretty much how I feel sometimes and I think if people read what I've written in response to other comments they will think, "she says the same thing to everyone". LOL.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
9 Feb 08
It is impossible to predict what the other person might find interesting. Some responses I have given and then shuddered afterwards and thought, "I should never have hit that submit button" have turned out to be just what somebody else then PM'd me to say was what they most needed to hear. So I just take a deep breath and reply with whatever I can muster up. I never, never, never give up.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Feb 08
I've thought the same thing on more than one occasion. I won't give up. Its too important to me to respond.
@sergeantrom (5721)
• United States
10 Feb 08
If you read over your post, you already have your answer. Even if you answer with one line, the person will appreciate you taking the time to answer them. Yes I have had this problem and the least I have said is thanks for comment or thats great advice.
@ellie333 (21016)
•
9 Feb 08
I think it is lovely that you respond to every comment. I also do, but there are many people who don't at all on any. It does sometimes get difficult to know what to say, but if I can't think of anything straightaway I usually go back to it more refreshed and can usually think of something. I think it is polite to answer, but I don't if someone has just responded yes, no or i agree. Ellie:)
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
9 Feb 08
Thats a good idea to go back to it later and on a few occasions I have done that. What really makes it difficult though is when their answers are well off base or don't make sense. LOL. I do reply though the best that I can to even those.
