What makes a good, thoughtful blog comment?

So now that we've all started posting about our reading, it's time to begin interacting with each other by responding to each other's blog posts.

By going through The Starry Void, you can read your classmates' (as well as my other two classes') blogs listed in the blogrolls on the right.  Start perusing their blog posts, and find some that are interesting to you.  (You can even start 'following' your favorites on your own blog!)

You are required to comment on the blog posts of 808, 810, and 812.  I will be checking these responses.

A good, thoughtful blog comment might:
* praise interesting ideas in the original post
* ask for clarification of any unclear parts of the original post
* add the responder's own thoughts to original ideas to build strength
* contradict or challenge (respectfully!) by explaining another aspect or asking a question to further dialogue
* contain connections (to the self, the world, another text, or another part of the same text) to deepen thinking about the post

***  AND good, thoughtful blog responses always
* are respectful and coherent
* use standard vocab, spelling, and grammar (so that everyone can understand)
* show consideration of the original blogger's work and thought

When someone comments on your blog post, it's a great opportunity for a dialogue.  Also, it's just polite to respond when someone comments on your thoughts.  Answer their questions or respond to their ideas.  Turn it into a really deep "conversation"!  

Here are a few links to comments from past years that push the bloggers to think more deeply about their original posts:

Xinyuan and Nallely have a back-and-forth about what real-world benefits there might be to reading a book:
http://19xweng.blogspot.com/2019/03/synthesis-page-blog-post-red-thread.html#comments

Bassie and Lousig discuss whether or not performance-enhancing drugs would ever be a logical choice:
http://18lmorris.blogspot.com/2018/04/an-explanation-of-how-doping-affects.html#comments

Louise and Ivy have an interesting dialogue about how Ivy's book can relate to a real-world issue:
http://16iaukin.blogspot.com/2015/10/ya-book-report-madmans-daughter-by.html#comment-form

Daniel gets some great feedback from multiple classmates on his thoughtful post about an article detailing racial disparities and marijuana arrests:
http://18daaraoreisartu.blogspot.com/2018/05/non-fiction-critical-analysis-x-blog.html#comments

Rafaella thinks about a book in a new way because of Henry's post:
http://groovyela.blogspot.com/2015/05/ive-found-that-in-past-ive-read-books.html#comment-form

Eileen and Aziza have a dialogue about an important societal issue:
http://in-the-atmosphere.blogspot.com/2014/12/when-everything-changed-amazing-journey.html#comment-form

Elinor and Georgia add their thoughts to Fiona's post here:
http://whenyouwishuponabook.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-kind-of-funny-story-blog-post.html#comment-form

Izzy asks a thought-provoking question, and Amelia responds (with a little encouragement from me!):
http://allflyby.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-evolution-of-calpurnia-tate.html#comment-form

Leah, Alison, and Alex elaborate on a post and reach new levels of understanding: http://leahlevine2000.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-virgin-suicides-by-jeffrey-eugenides.html#comment-form

Pietro and Sophie even plan to discuss something more in-depth off the web!  http://pietrocosta.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-review-of-perfect-match-written-by.html#comment-form


See if you can find any really great comments from your classmates to each other.  Can you join in the conversation?