Livejournal // Flist
Jul. 15th, 2010 11:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xfirefly9xI was talking with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
weird_fin the other day about LJ comments - basically, how numbers of comments vary depending on whether the post is a sad or happy one.
I've found that I get 50+ comments easily on posts which I'm sad or depressed in. Most of those consist of *hugs*.
To compare, I've made a few happy posts lately and have received on average, one, maybe two comments on those.
That brings me to these questions. Curiosity, I guess you could say. Copy & paste them & leave as a comment to this thread. A simple yes/no answer is fine. (Thanks!)
Edit: Just realised how this must look.. posting this and then a happy post.. :P Don't feel you need to comment there unless you absolutely want to. Not trying to guilt trip with comments or anything. *huggle!attacks flist*
weird_fin the other day about LJ comments - basically, how numbers of comments vary depending on whether the post is a sad or happy one. I've found that I get 50+ comments easily on posts which I'm sad or depressed in. Most of those consist of *hugs*.
To compare, I've made a few happy posts lately and have received on average, one, maybe two comments on those.
That brings me to these questions. Curiosity, I guess you could say. Copy & paste them & leave as a comment to this thread. A simple yes/no answer is fine. (Thanks!)
Edit: Just realised how this must look.. posting this and then a happy post.. :P Don't feel you need to comment there unless you absolutely want to. Not trying to guilt trip with comments or anything. *huggle!attacks flist*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:03 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I think happy posts are like yay I'm happy so I think okay great! But maybe I should actually stop by to say that out loud rather than just think it? :/
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Nah, other people's happiness makes me happy. My problem is that I rarely see the post but I think it's because I scroll to fast. No, seriously. I need to stop and read what I'm scrolling past. :P
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) lol... maybe, maybe not. It is a good question and I think it happens to me a lot too. xD
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:12 pm (UTC)Hehe, maybe? I guess I tend to do the same. I skip a lot of posts, forget to comment or get sidetracked and.. yes. Not sure if I've leaned more towards happy or sad posts with comments I do make. Maybe a mix. But.. Hm.
Scrolling.. lol. True. Slowing down may be a good idea. :P
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:12 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Sometimes.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No. Sometimes you need to poke the bear to see if it's alive.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:13 pm (UTC)Sometimes. That's my answer too. Though I haven't actually typed out my answers.
Interesting.. not sure I'd actually poke a bear, but.. yeah. Get what you mean. ;D
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:17 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No, but when someone is sad, you want to cheer him/her up and when someone is happy, you feel like there is no need, it also depends on other things---look above.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? When things are bad, I usually dont respond, I am afraid that I will start to ramble about myself.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Everyone needs a philosophical hour once in a while:)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:20 pm (UTC)That's a point
Aww, mkay. Well. I don't mind if you ramble if things are bad.. Can be good to vent.
Heh, I suppose that's true.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:18 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Not really, no. It just seems like comfort is needed more than shared excitement. That's why sad posts sometimes jump out more than happy ones.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Sometimes. Usually not.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Possibly. But, then again, maybe not. I don't know. ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:24 pm (UTC)Hmm'kay. That was one theory we had.
:P
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:21 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? yes, apart from "yay" it can be hard to find something appropriate to say. And depends on what your own definition of "happy" is I suppose and what you feel about it.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Yes. Which is bad and responding might help put me in a positive frame of mind.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Maybe :)
Also, I think when someone is sad, I feel more inclined to leave a quick note because they need that contact more then than when they're happy if that makes sense.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:28 pm (UTC)Good points there. I feel the same way sometimes with the 'yay' thing or just a simple 'that's great' even.. And subject matter does indeed impact on it.
Not sure that's a bad thing or not. I mean, it'd be almost like burying the bad awhile.. which is kinda denial-ish-like? And denial rarely solves anything. So maybe not commenting to happy posts when you're not in that frame of mind could be a bad thing..? That's if the bad mood has more behind it than say, just a bad mood. I think. I don't know if I'm making much sense here. Please feel free to tell me to shut up.
:)
Makes sense, yup.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:27 pm (UTC)That's pretty much my reason. It's summer, and I thought I'd have lots more time but this summer became busy! With large Flists, it's hard to go back through them after a day or two being without internet.
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts?
Nah, I don't think so. I'd much rather leave fluffy, happy comments! Then again, if someone is feeling down, I want to be there to comfort them.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you?
Nope. I mean, unless I'm totally devastated about something, sharing in someone else's happiness usually helps mine!
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.)
I don't think so. It's something I've noticed too, but haven't thought about much.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:30 pm (UTC)Aw mkay. That's sweet. :)
Awesome.
Yeah, usually I don't pay it much attention. But then I brought it up in comments with
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:38 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Nope, I'm glad you're happy. Probably should tell you more often, though.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:43 pm (UTC)Okay, good to know.
:) Aww.
:D
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:38 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Not really.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? I try not to but it might happen occasionally when you're just feeling down and don't want to respond to someone's happiness and mess with it. But most of the time I try to use the happy posts to make myself happy :)
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) I couldn't say, I know more people comment on posts where i'm either sad or have some great news to report so it's a mix?
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:45 pm (UTC)Using the happy to make you happy. Now that's a good idea. Shall have to try that myself. I tend to.. vary with commenting when I'm sad on.. various posts. Sometimes comment, sometimes don't. Depends on my mood.
Okay.. A mix is good.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:40 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I think maybe it feels more useful to respond to a sad post than to a happy post.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? I think it's the other way around; when I'm feeling sad I tend to avoid sad posts.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Well, I don't doubt for a second that it's true that sad posts get more responses than happy posts. So, nope, not looking too much into this.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:50 pm (UTC)Possibly is more useful, yes. That seems like the most popular theory.
Aww okay. Can understand that. Avoid the sad, means less getting sad.. Happy posts could OTOH, help the mood. That's cool.
:) Good to know.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 02:54 pm (UTC)and don't want to bury you in comments.Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? More like with sad posts, I want to give you support.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Nope... just been busy.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Not really - I've noticed it too - but I figure, it's your journal, write your happies down :)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:12 pm (UTC)I don't mind being buried in comments on occasion. Can be fun, comment wars and such. I miss comment spam/comment wars.
Okay, makes sense. Thanks.
:)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:02 pm (UTC)Also, sometimes I don't comment because the post is a couple of days old already when I finally get around to check my flist and I'm not sure if it still makes sense to comment.
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No, not really. But I think they tend to get under rl's wheel. When somebody writes a sad post you want to comfort them. With happy posts it's probably the "I'll comment later"-curse. Maybe it doesn't seem so important to comment asap so you put it aside for later and then you simply forget about it.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Depends on why I'm sad and what the happy post is about. If the two don't have anything in common I'm more likely to comment anyway then otherwise.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No actually... I never thought about it. But maybe I should have.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:07 pm (UTC)Is everyone on my flist busy with RL and simply not commenting? Kind of have been, yes.
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Well, I guess it depends on what the happy topic is..if I know the topic personally (or fandom joy) I'll be able to go into a high frenzied squee of comment. Otherwise, its more 'I'm so happy for you -I'll try and think of something to express that joy later'...
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Sometimes. Not usually though.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Probably. But that's the fun of it! ^^
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:13 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Hmm, can be. But I like happy posts more because I can say "congratulations" and squee with the person!
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Hmm, usually no. Sometimes I probably just won't respond because I'm not in the mood to type.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Questions are good!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:43 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No. They're not, I just have sucky internet, as in, NO ISP AT HOME, so when I do get to browse the flist, it's skimming, and if a thought comes to mind, I post it.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? No, not at all. I'm happy for my flist when they're happy and I'll use one of my awesome icons appropriately and squee with them. That's unfair if I didn't comment just because I'm not happy too.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) FOR CURIOSITY'S SAKE, it's fine, but if you want more comments and this is a way to be like 'LISTEN TO ME' cries, then it's a little over the top. Everyone has their season of popularity. Right now I think a lot of people are having sucky lives, myself included, so it happens.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 03:51 pm (UTC)I'm afraid RL just hasn't let up lately. I've been away for a holiday I was very lucky to have time for, and I have had rehearsals almost every other day, and between all that I have a heap of assignments. So yeah, very busy with RL. :(
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts?
Sometimes. A lot of the time I am terrible at wording on happy or sad posts. If I can think of something to say then I generally say it. Mostly it is when fandom comes into play. :P
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you?
Not really, I like reading about others being happy, although I try to restrict replies to when I am in a good mood so I don't end up upsetting others.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.)
Hahaha, maybe a little bit. But it is an interesting pattern to think about so it's fine. :P
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 04:35 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? A bit. For happy posts I usually just go "yay" or something like that and then feel stupid for doing that. For sad ones I tend to have advice or some sort of "I've been in a similar situation" kind of comment.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Yes.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No, it's brought up some questions I have about my own comment tally (not that I keep track).
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 05:20 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Kinda. With happy posts there's the smiley thing I wrote about. With sad posts, on the other hand, I always know I can comment with "I'm so sorry! *hugs*" So, I guess, I just feel it more appropriate to comment to sad posts. *shrugs* Sorry.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? No. My friends being happy always makes me feel a little bit better. But I don't think I can comment with that either 'cause it has the whole "me, me, me" feeling. lol!
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No, it was actually fun feeling this. I had never actually thought about why I comment more to sad post but it is true and now I realized why. :)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 05:49 pm (UTC)Is everyone on my flist busy with RL and simply not commenting?
I'm not busy with RL as such, I'm just unbelievably bored because I have NOTHING to do. The internet isn't interesting to me anymore, so I tend to pop on for an hour and then realize I cba anymore.
There's also the issue of how I know get my flist updates to my LJ inbox rather than my email inbox. Before I'd open every entry and therefore commented on more. Now, however, I can read the entry first and only comment when there's something I just HAVE to say.
I feel bad. I've felt bad about my lack of commenting for ages.
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts?
They can both be difficult. I suck at sympathy so if it's a sad post usually the most you'll get is "*hugs*" and I never want to say that because it sounds like a cop out.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you?
It doesn't make any difference how I'm feeling because seeing other people happy usually cheers me up. If it's a happy post I'll comment if there's something specific to say, but I don't want to just say "YAY" because that doesn't sound enough.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.)
Possibly, idk. I can only say for myself.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 06:22 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I think, for those of us who only have time to skim their LJs once or twice a day, a sad post just needs more of an effort to acknowledge the other person and let them know you ARE listening, even if you can't chime in all the time
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? probably, subconsciously
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) yes :)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 06:58 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I think yes, just because unless the happy is about something I can directly relate/squee to I don't know what to say other that "Yay! Go you!" Though I suppose that is sometimes worth writing. You are teaching me a god lesson here I think ;)
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? I've been really happy lately too, so I have no such excuse.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) No, I find the same thing on my comments. But I also find that if I go into depression mode on my journal I don't get too many comments either (besides the somewhat obligatory *hugs*.) I try to keep my journal light so I can try and let the internet leak it's positivity on me. lol.
But I can say, for me personally, I usually comment more often on happy posts than sad ones. I think I'm just crappy with the commenting volume... :S
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 07:04 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? About the same, I guess? Depends on the situations.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Not really.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Nah.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 07:16 pm (UTC)Is everyone on my flist busy with RL and simply not commenting?
I will typically only comment if something is said that I feel the need to comment on.
Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? No, not really.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? I'm neutral. As I said above I'll comment if I feel the need to comment.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Probably, but at least it gives you something to do.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 07:31 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I don't think so, but generally for me I tend to comment on posts about tv shows that we have in common. I'm not that close to a lot of my "friends" on here, so sometimes I feel a little weird commenting on real life issues.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Nope, I'm an equal-opportunity non-commenter!!
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Yes, but for me, I get really busy, so just because I don't comment doesn't mean I don't read what you write. I have tons of posts on my journal that don't have a single comment. Sometimes I get in the mindset that if you don't leave me comments, why should I leave you comments? I get annoyed with certain icon makers who are always adding the "comments are love" lines to their posts, but they never respond to the comments. That bugs me too. If I take the time to reply with a "Awesome icons, love #6" then at least take two seconds to respond with a "thanks." Know what I mean?!
Apparently I have strong feelings towards this!!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 09:03 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? Yes. You can only say "Yay! That's awesome" so many times before you feel like an idiot and run out of new ways to phrase it.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Nope.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) I'm not sure. It's interesting and seems to get lots of comments though. :D
no subject
Date: 2010-07-15 09:11 pm (UTC)Are happy posts more difficult to word appropriate comments for than sad posts? I think it's just a misery loves company thing. If you're happy then you don't need support of the f-list, however if you're having a shitty day then a bunch of *hugs* and stuff might make you feel better/more loved/more appreciated/not alone/etc.
Alternatively, do you avoid responding to happy posts if things aren't so great with you? Not really. These days I catch the f-list five minutes at a time which doesn't leave a lot for any kind of comments.
Am I looking too much into this? (I think I might be, but again, curiosity.) Probably. I rarely get many comments on anything but fandom related stuff so I just don't worry about it too much. I've resigned myself to the fact I'll never have a "following" on the blog, but if I'm lucky I make some good friends along the way :)