Hi-diddly-oh, readereenos! I’d like to take some time to talk about the comments some of you have been leaving on this blog. Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those “We need to talk” discussions; those still fill me with dread, and I wouldn’t want to inflict that on someone else. Mostly, I want to talk about my experience with the comments so far.

First things first: I do read them. This blog is so far low-traffic enough that I can take the time to read each comment individually. And since most of my readers are people I know in person (I assume), I haven’t run into the GIFT. Comments have been encouraging and constructive, and I really appreciate that.

That being said, I don’t reply to comments near as much as I’d like. Mostly this is a result of wanting to take my time to form a good reply. Taking that time, however can easily stretch to awkward lengths if enough time passes. Case in point: the whole year I was in France, I couldn’t work up the courage to email my friends because I had waited days, then weeks, then months to reply to a simple “Hey, how’s it going?” letter.

So I guess I just wanted to say that yes, I do read the comments, even if I don’t reply to them. If I do have something to say, I may turn it into a post in its own right (like the one recently one one of my SCA fighting posts). I do appreciate the feedback, as it lets me know that people are reading in a way that viewing stats do not. If you feel the urge to speak up, that’s fine; I’m a perpetual lurker, myself. But if you have something to say, then by all means do so! And feel free to ask for more clarification if something strikes your fancy, whether via comments, Facebook, or email.

Side note: I’m starting to get some spam comments now. Does that mean I’m becoming a R33l Bl0gg3r on t3h Int4rw3bz? Some of them are even in Russian!

Far Side note: I’ve gone back and replied to several comments, and I hope to reply to more in the future.