It’s too easy to add comment options to webpages. Because of that, and out of FOMO (fear of missing out) I include them, but in my experience over twenty years, they rarely generate responses, unless there’s some current, communal interest.

I’ve also come to appreciate that ‘no comment’ can be OK, just like ‘no news’ is good news. So if you don’t reply, I won’t cry. There is a like button — that’s one of the good things coming out of Facebook. Like most people, I like to be liked.

The comment box can be just a quick way of communicating with me. It doesn’t go live until I approve it, so if you see a typo or have a question or just want to say hi, by all means use it. I can read and respond without publishing.

I am open to all suggestions, corrections and questions.

If you do want to share something with a larger audience, keep a few things in mind:

• Adding to the information is always good
• Your emotional response to events is worthwhile
• Public comments are not appropriate for chatting or catching up with me or any other
  • I can respond privately or connect you privately with someone else
• Do use public comments to reestablish lost or distant connections
• Middledom will endure much longer than your attention span

Henry J. de Jong