ActiveRain Has Comment Linking?  Where’s Yours?
(This post is a bit long but I think it’s worth the read…especially if you plant comments in the rain)

Today I saw a few comments on ActiveRain that simply shocked me.  They honestly left me in awe.  Comments on an ActiveRain post written way back in 2008.  Over the years I’ve subscribed to quite a few blogs and individual blog posts here in the rain.  So when comments do come in, even years later on those older posts, it’s nice to get that email notification from AR prompting me that someone has commented.

Have you ever read a comment that just made you cringe?  Made your heart start pounding?  Literally made you want to pick up the phone and call that person and share your thoughts?  You know the ones I’m talking about, I bet you even have a few that quickly come to mind?  See, comments are impressionable, and remember, they’re also out there forever.

I received one such ActiveRain email this morning.  After reading the new comment and even some of the older comments, all I could say is WOW!!  I wanted to share it here but thought “no” that wouldn’t be very cool. ( I was tempted though…lol )  Has this ever happened to you?  Were you shocked?  Even worse, maybe it was your comment?  Yikes! :-O  Did I really say that?  There it is in writing, black and white and it can’t be undone.

Here’s the worst or best part of it.   

THERE’S A LINK TO YOUR COMMENT in the lower right corner.  Every comment on ActiveRain has a link to it. There are over 1,000,000+ blog posts on AR meaning there has to be over 10,000,000+ comments here. Hmmm… those are staggering numbers.  Once you comment, only the author of that post can delete your comment.  (I think you only have 24 hours or less to make edits to your own comments)

Every comment on AR is numbered and that number contains the URL and link to it.  What?  A Link?  YES, for anyone that wants to share that your comment with the world, it’s right there.  (I resisted the temptation today, but others may not)  A simple right click of the mouse to “copy the URL” and it could be pasted and plastered anywhere and everywhere folks want to share it.  I wonder if the author of the comment I’m referring to knew about this?

Is your comment being tweeted about or hanging out on someones Facebook wall?  If it’s a good comment, great… but if it’s a bad, mean, or nasty comment, then all I can say is OUCH!  Got you thinking now?  Take this “sharing” concept a little further, how would you even know?

YEP! This could be Bad, or this could be Good, that remains up to you.

People can easily litter the information highway with good or bad stuff.  Be careful what you say, the online world is listening. Each comment you make on ActiveRain is like a mini blog post.  Make sure you leave a trail of patience and kindness in the rain.  ActiveRain blogs and comments go as deep as the stars go high so really think twice before you “strike” in that comment box.

To test this, here’s a comment I just tweeted from a post written last week.

Here’s the actual comment:

It worked just as planned, my visitor counter was proof~ 

Seriously, have you ever really thought of the consequences your comments could have out on the Blogosphere?  Sharing links to a comment is a great way to bring your Blog post and other members blog posts back to life.  It’s also a great compliment when you show off commenter’s on your Blog posts. (like Frank and Sharon above)  Great comments deserve to be shared, and then there’s those comments that if shared, wouldn’t be so great, at least not for that person.  I’m just sayin…

Here’s another example:

OMG!!  Did you all hear what @Sara Bonert from Zillow just said on Brad Andersohn’s post?  Brad said, “Who Cares about your local Real Estate Market?  WOW!!  And Sara said… See her comment here~

Imagine if I put out a tweet or an update on Facebook that read something like that, do you think folks would click on it to see what it said?  I’m pretty sure it would drive some traffic, but depending on the comment, it could have a variety of results and impact on you, your company, or your business?  I’m hoping that by sharing this with AR members, it will heighten your awareness and hopefully have an impact on some of the blog commenting demeanor I’ve seen through-out my travels here in the rain.  Dare to comment now?  :-O

Some Alternate Ideas for a Title on this Blog Post:
ActiveRain Comments – A Powerful and Mighty Tool
My Comment on Your Post – OMG! Did I Really Say That?
I’ll Give You 20 Bucks if You Remove/Delete My Comment
Thanks for Tweeting My Comment – I Just Picked up a Buyer
I Face-Booked a Link to YOUR Comment Today & Doubled My Traffic
The Result-vs-the Reward of your comment on my Blog
THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY, YOU READ IT WRONG!