Do you feel that people post comments without reading only to get comments on their work? A tit for?

There are probably some people on here that perhaps do that. For the most of us though I think we actually do read the articles that we are commenting on, or at least I hope so. Just because someone leaves a comment on one of my hubs does not necessarily mean that I will go to their profile and read something they have written on one of mine.

This would make an interesting hub should you decide to write one :).

There are a few characters that enjoy doing that. That's the nature of the beast, I suppose (the beast being writing in online communities). I have found the best way to immunize yourself from drive-by fluff commenters is quality writing that sparks an interesting discussion.

One can always delete inappropriate or useless comments, in any case. Sometimes Hub Pages leaves me scratching my head. This question is about comments on articles, and it is filed under the Religion and Philosophy category.As I write this, under "related hubs" to the right I see, among other things, an article asking if Power balance wristbands "really work" (filed under Personal Health and Self-help), and another one about the best big screen orgasms (filed under Entertainment and Media).

In such a confused environment, perhaps irrelevant comments are the least of our worries...

Well I should hope not. I read hubs because their titles catch my eye and I comment accordingly. I have found myself reading hubs more than once in order to get a better understanding of the theme and be able to comment accordingly.

If people are posting comments without reading, then there is a chance that their comments will stray off the mark.

For me ...I go back and forth..I may read something earlier without commenting and come back to comment later..as I may not have time..I think if would be hard to comment on something unless you know what you have read..unless it is a generic comment..I am up and down on the computer..so it is sporadic for me..I would hope people are being honest and not just faking it..but I guess it can happen.

I don't care one way or the other. You can tell if a person has read the article by the comment that they leave. I always respond accordingly.

If someone wanted to be an ass and leave a nasty comment, I would welcome that as well. No one has done that yet, I believe in free speech and if someone wants to look like an ass, I believe others should know who those people are. I do read the hubs that I leave comments on and hope the comment is relevant to the hub.

I don't always necessarily leave comments on everyones hubs who leave me comments unless I have read their hub.

I don't think I have gotten fake comments - that's kinda really bad in my books. I am happy people refrain from giving me a fake smile. You wouldn't want to try that on a wolf though (speaking in general not you as in You) ... I do recall having to accept a fan comment once that said something along the lines that I have some very good articles, intriguing and all, blablabla ... my ego was being over-fed so, I went on that person's profile, looked at her (ya it was a her) activity and saw that she was posting the same line as fan mail for everyone ... I have very little time to teach manners to adults but perhaps I can give some private lessons?

If you think you need them, feel free to contact me (that's for all the fake commentators out-there).

I don't know what other people do, but I only comment on things that I actually read and then only when what I have read makes me want to say something specific. I have read hubs that I "vote" on without leaving a specific comment if I appreciated it, but didn't feel motivated to make a specific comment. Sometimes I read a hub that I can't identify with in any way and when that happens I do nothing.

I hope there aren't many people out there just making a generic comment on things they haven't read, but I believe there probably are some that do. They are probably the same people who start following twenty or so hubbers in less than five minutes without reading any of their work.

Because people abuse the commenting feature it devalues it. To restore the value we need to add value. Instead of just saying "thank you, great hub" we need to give a meaningful reason why the article was of value.

Then the writer is getting proper feedback and other readers gain benefit from the comment too. If someone wants to just give a quick encouraging word why not follow them and send some fan mail. After following them a fan mail box appears below their list of hubs on their profile page.It is probably a good idea to deny any spam comments and keep HubPages clean.

Oh, by the way, love your picture, thanks.

We see people doing this in Youtube, here in Hub Pages or anywhere we're people have their own pages. It's selfish to just go around posting insincere comments, without even reading the article or watching the video, just to have more chances of other people clicking on your page. So yes, many people do this just to get more traffic.

That's why most of their their comments are very short and basic, just like the one you mentioned "you're great! " It doesn't necessarily mean that an answer like this one shows that the person didn't read the article though. But many people are sincere and do read your article and put some nice comments, or their opinion on the matter, some short and simple, some long and more detailed.

What a cute and interesting hub! I like how you are "real"..please don't ever lose that quality. I did read this!

And you are so right! There is nothing fake about you or this hub! I voted up.

Really Great Question! I got a lot out of it and it really helps me understand! (...sorry, could not resist...lol)Being relatively new to this online writing community, the most basic value I get from seeing a Comment is (the) acknowledgement that another person has read what I have written.

Of course, a Comment that addesses a point I may have made or even a criticism is even more enjoyable. Hub Pages serves to give me a break from writing for my (own) blog, which is demanding in a different sort of way, so when I get a Comment, I do not think it is a bad thing.

Having read the previous comments to this question I agree with Susan it would make a good article. I also agree with secularist10 about where to put an article and referring articles. Generally speaking someone is commenting to compliment or add to dialogue, yet isn't the audience the author.Is there a possibility someone comments knowing the hub score system and they only seek to influence that?

I have received a vote up on all four categories - useful, funny, awesome, beautiful, and the readership is low. Logically I presumed someone was helping me out. Yet, there was not a comment.

I tend not to get a bunch of comments. I still don't know what to think of that. I do notice my hubscores can skyrocket up and overnight drop like a lead weight in a barrel of water.

And, comments not change. I have wandered now.My comments are based on when - after work, which is after midnight or morning with a cup of coffee. My mood, purpose of reading at that time - hub-hopping, looking for an answer to an emotional or pondering thought, similar articles on like subjects, or something just for fun, affect my commenting.

Then there is the social question.

If you are reading hubs that are of interest to you, and if you really want to help Hub Pages grow, and to encourage new comers, there is no need to fake. It would be better to read and comment on 1 or 2 hubs and do it well. While it is nice to have a big following, it's nicer to enjoy writing and reading and learning from other hubbers.

The numbers will follow eventually.

I do not know about others but for me, I choose those that I find interesting to share my views. It is also interesting to read others as they might share something that I do not know. So with all these comments, I find myself learning something that I do not come across and it helps to enhance my knowledge.

I always believe in learning through sharing of comments and ideas. So, with what I had read and see, it has widen my knowledge and ideas about things. Best of all, we are all from different countries and cultures, so sharing these information are just great.

I think people post questions to get followers, that's why there are so many dumb questions on HP... I guess people do post to get comments on their work, that's the game everyone is playing, and it's the way HP is setup. It encourages that sort of thing. BTW, don't comment on my stuff, and don't go following me either, thanks!

:)Also, can't believe vinsanity and rampaknaong were voted down for giving straight answers. Guess I'll be joining them soon, wouldn't want to ruin the cosy party. Lol.

Sometimes they do, other times they are just very active on Hubpages or have bots doing it.

I don't care of it. It is a risk of socialization. We find it in any kind of life side.

What to do is to let the people who do it. Let's see and wait, The time will prove.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.