However, blogging platforms are not ideal for true conversation, and commenting online has become problematic for many reasons (people are routinely unhelpful, inappropriate, superficial, tangential...). So, it takes a bit of effort to improve on the default kinds of commenting one does online. This is how I'd like my students to make that effort.
- Be inclusive
Draw into the larger conversation those posts that have not yet had comments. Better yet, relate what one person says to another. - Be brief
Make your comments at least a sentence long. Shoot for 25 words. 50 words is fine. 75 words is pushing it. 100 words better be really, really good. - Don't be superficial
Don't just say "good job" or "great post!" The best way to avoid this is - make specific reference to something said in the post (a point made, a reference given, or even a direct quotation), and
- add to this somehow (see further suggestions)
- Make connections
- Connect what this post says to what another post/author on the blog says
- Connect what this post says to class discussion or to readings not mentioned in the post
- Connect this post to your own experience, or to what you've discovered through self-directed learning
- Connect the post to a different historical period.
- Refer to a supportive or contrastive document, post, or online resource
- Challenge ideas
- Respectfully disagree or offer an alternative viewpoint. It's always good to restate what one is about to challenge (accurately and briefly), and then go on to give a constructive critique.
Anatomy of a Good Comment
You can see the comment in its original context in this post, but here is a breakdown of why this a solid, engaging, concise comment:
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