The problem is: Most comments will not be read by anyone (or read by only a few), so what's the point of expressing your thoughts and opinions through comments?
For example on HN, sometimes there are hundreds of comments on a post. HN doesn't notify you of replies to your comments. And yet, people write comments, maybe hoping that someone will reply to them. I just don't know what the "utility" is in these situations.
Is it just to get it out of your system? To document your own thoughts for your future reference? And how does that work? I believe if people want their comments to be seen, they may put them at the top, possibly in response to other comments (and sometimes it can be annoying when a reply has nothing to do with the parent).
And btw, what makes this even more surprising is that most social media, forums, HN posts, etc. have a short life time. What is the benefit of the comment you put on an Instagram post—that gets forgotten in a manner of seconds? Worse yet, IG doesn't even keep all your comments on your profile, so it's like writing on the walls of a city you're never going to visit again.
I write comments not for the ages, or for the engagement, I want to share my perspective in the hopes that it will give others the same joy I've received from their comments.
How many published books actually get widely read? I mean, if you're uncomfortable throwing your words out on the net, then what forum is worthy of your work? Why publish anything if it won't be forced into the minds of every schoolchild by government backed indoctrination systems?
If you think of yourself as a writer, if you think written communication is important, even; what better opportunity to practice the craft? Would you respect a musician who never took up their instrument unless there was a large attentive audience? Or is it still worthy to play the trombone out on the back lot for no one but yourself and the cows?
I comment here because I think I have a different perspective on a thing, and I want to either convince people that my perspective is better or for someone to come along and provide information I hadn't considered so I can be enlightened. Some places I comment to make people laugh, or to get that warm feeling that comes from knowing that you said a thing and other people liked it, because my monkey brain is wired to give me that feeling when I socialize successfully.
You've got hundreds or maybe thousands of comments here yourself, so I assume this is more "I am genuinely interested in hearing people's reasons for commenting" than a rhetorical "Why do you idiots persist in wasting your time doing this stupid pointless thing", so maybe you can return the favor: Why do you comment?
Huh? Weird take, I actually come to HN for the comments. I think those are, by far, the most valuable thing on this site.
That is a non-trivial distinction. It's the difference between talking to one person (or a few people) and talking to yourself.
> HN doesn't notify you of replies to your comments
No, but hn-replies does (http://hnreplies.com/)
> most social media, forums, HN posts, etc. have a short life time
So does the information exchanged in a face-to-face conversation. But face-to-face conversations have value. Comment exchanges are the 21st-century version of a casual conversation.
As for HN replies I think a lot of people use a service like this: https://www.hnreplies.com/ to get notified, it's what I use.
Sometimes it does feel like screaming (or whispering) into the void if it's a post with a ton of comments on it already, though often if there are that many comments then my viewpoint is already represented so I just upvote that instead or expand on it if I have something to add. Rarely will I post a top-level comment if the thread (on HN or Reddit) is already large since I know it will get lost in the shuffle.
You say posts have a short life and that's kind of true but not always. It's less the case with Hacker News (though I do enjoy perusing the "previous discussions" of a link that's reposted years later) but Reddit (rightfully) comes in most search search results for things I'm looking for. The top example being video games for me. I can't tell you how many 7-10+ year old threads I've read to find answers to the questions I have. I've even commented on some of those "ancient" threads to give an update or "how it works today" for the next person that finds that post via search/google. Not all content is evergreen but a lot of it is. Home improvement, cooking, and city-specific questions are some more examples of things I've found years after the fact on Reddit that were exactly what I was looking for.
If a person knew their comment would definitely never be seen, it's probable most people wouldn't write them. But on most sites, people are notified about new comments, and even here, it's possible to look at your own comment history and see replies long after the fact.
People post comments because they have questions and hope for answers--as you did with this post--or because they have comments and hope someone reads them and finds value in them. Same as any other form of communication.
Writing comments ventilates your internal monologue.
Sometimes it is more important to have said something than to be heard by others.
One of the techniques of Gestalt Therapy is the Empty Chair:
> This is a role-playing exercise that allows a client to imagine and participate in a conversation with another person or another part of themselves. Sitting across from the empty chair, the client enters into a dialogue as if they were speaking with that other person or that other part of themselves. The empty chair exercise can be very helpful in drawing out important perceptions, meanings, and other information that can help clients become more aware of their emotional experience and how to start healing.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gestalt-therapy-4584583
It is nice to know that you can get some relief from not having said what you wanted to say to someone who has since passed away, by speaking to an empty chair.
And it is nice to know that if you struggle with someone actively crossing your boundaries, it makes a difference that you object vocally to it, regardless of how they react. Seeing yourself say something that is not received has a different mental impact than seeing yourself say nothing.
If all else fails, pick a fight with the void.
I like to read comments just to see another perspective. I write comments to give my thoughts. Sometimes writing them down makes you recheck your own opinions and you think more about a topic.
Of course sometimes I also write comments because I am angry at the internet and the internet has to know.
Sometimes I comment because happen to know a lot about the topic or can add something useful or insightful that isn't common knowledge, but that is not that often.
Some people are chasing "internet points." I see the allure and understand why it works.
Over the years, I've gotten more selective about commenting. I've mostly grown out of commenting just because "someone is wrong on the internet" and I will usually skip commenting if the thread is old and no one will see my comment anyway.
I'll never comment on popular FB/Instagram/etc posts where the comments are read-only trash and there's no chance of being heard.
Hacker News is really the only forum outside of IRC where I bother to do this these days. I am also somewhat perplexed as to why you frame writing comments as wanting exposure and permanence. All I want is brief exposure to peers whose opinions I respect and whose feedback I can rely on. I get that here, but pretty much nowhere else. Permanence is manifested in the gradual betterment of my mind; my comments are but a means to an end.
The comment section in a place like HN is convenient for thoughts produced by articles linked here. Moderation takes care of the rest.
I also have a blog despite its slow posting schedule for unrelated thoughts where I want to bring up my own topic, and also have some files lying around on hard drives just for my own notes of no conceivable interest to anyone else. So it's not just "HN" thoughts, it's all kinds of things, technical, philosophical, personal, many different things. In many cases, honestly, these thoughts aren't even that good. I have sometimes read my stuff from 5 years ago sitting on my hard drive and it's all but useless. But it was going to stick around for a long time if I didn't get it out, and then there would be no room for the next thoughts, some of which were useful.
Your mileage may vary, but I know I'm not unique, either. I've seen this attested by many other people as well. We may be the minority case, or we may just be the ones who have learned this lesson, I dunno. I completely lack the data to know how widespread this effect is.
(Some similar concepts may also undergird the effectiveness of talking therapy; if you've got personal issues that you just keep hammering away on in your head, try just writing them down privately. I absolutely, positively can not promise anything, but you may find that simple act gets them out of your headspace. You may then find the next thing, but hey, it can be the beginning of a journey of progress. In the case of talking therapy, it would be getting them out to the therapist in the open, but I think there's a certain amount of evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that the therapist is not always necessary; simply getting it out in any manner may be the majority of the helpfulness for many people. "It's complicated", of course; there are times and situations where another person being there may be very important.)
Our impact may be limited in scale of how many people we touch, but touching a few people a bit feels enormously real, and happens some. We ourselves get to hear feedback, so valuable for understanding ourselves & the world. It is enormously satisfying to participate & engage in truth & meaning diepectics, and there's always the potential for iseas to be referenced & resurface & come back. I take great joy in finding other previous related topics & discussions, in connecting dots. Since everything is on web.archive.org, our positions & views might perhaos inform & illuminate in the future. Being in public, acting in public, is amazing.
People do reply to them, you just have to check manually. Real time communication is good but not everything needs to be real time. Sometimes things are just better without it being real time - I think it helps dampen the temptation to just post for attention slightly (but not completely).
I've had numerous comments result in good feedback or further discussion here.
> The problem is: Most comments will not be read by anyone (or read by only a few), so what's the point of expressing your thoughts and opinions through comments?
This has caused me to pull back from commenting quite a bit online. I don't post aimlessly on social media or anywhere anymore, really, unless I'm convinced someone in that space is going to care or I'm contributing something. I wish more people were like this, because ...
> Is it just to get it out of your system?
a lot of people do just this and it pollutes spaces. Facebook, Twitter, and countless subreddits are just full of post upon post of people bitching, whining and complaining and I just don't need it in my face. I know things suck. What are you doing to improve them or your situation? I am not the world's therapist or punching bag.
On Reddit, where threads seem to hang around for longer, I might comment on an older thread if I think my response will be helpful to others, but not just to voice my opinions.
How could you even quantify that? Aside from smartphones tracking your eyes as you read, pageviews/impressions would be worthless.
With that said, I comment because we shouldn't succumb to self-censorship. People do read my comments, and even occasionally respond (when they aren't censored by the mods). It's those few people who read my comments, and take the time to think about them that I'm trying to reach. It doesn't matter to me whether it is 1 person or 1 million.
It also doesn't matter whether they agree with me or not. The fact that they took the time to read it, indicates they may also take the time to relay my message. As such, as long as the message doesn't get censored, it will likely still get passed on. Isn't that the goal of all messages, that they want to be shared? (aka memetics).
Sometimes that helps me change my mind if I'm less able to defend what I think, sometimes it solidifies that I was right because the response isn't substantive.
If I leave a comment, it's because I feel it might be useful/interesting to the topic being discussed. It's also nice to read similar experiences from other commenters and there are nearly always some handy links that take me off on a whole new Internet journey (a bit like catacombs). QED!
I often find commenting is a good way to add some clarity to messy thoughts I have. When I write something publicly I find I'm forced to be more critical of what I'm saying. Often I'll need to do a little bit of self fact checking, or re-examine the logic of what I'm saying.
It's nice just adding some value to a conversation too. I generally try to avoid writing comments where I'm basically just reiterating what's already been said, but if I can add a new perspective then I think that's a good thing.
I suppose I'm really talking Reddit and HN comments here though. If I leave a comment on YouTube it's normally just a joke or something silly because that's all people look at YouTube comments for.
On the internet comments are the mean of communication as part of an online community. That is no different to talking to a bunch of friends in the pub. It's like asking "why do people talk to each other in a pub. Most conversations in pubs will not be heard by almost everybody in the world. Conversations with one person are only ever heard by one person, so what's the point of talking to them and expressing your thoughts and opinions?"
Do you see what I mean? There is no point in the same sense as there is no point in life if that is what you think.
A secondary reason is as a way to improve my writing. I feel good when I'm able to express my thoughts accurately to others through language.
Of course, the community is nice here overall. In other areas, leaving comments tends to not be productive because of the trolls and overall negative commentary, things which aren't accepted here.
I comment myself to add to the discussion and maybe learn something.
As far as lifetime and all of that, it doesn't matter to me. A verbal discussion is gone immediately, but it's still valuable to have had it.
Thats not true at all. Lots of people will read it. Like 1/3 comments gets a reply.
I read comments on almost everything. I like having varying viewpoints. If I am reading something about a subject that I am not very familiar with I might not know its opinionated unless there are user comments.
I think you may be wrong. I've been quite surprised at who turns out to be reading my comments and tells me much later, or my comment shows up quoted on another forum.
I guess "most" are not this, but it sounds like you're understating the odds.
It's my slightly-more-intellectual social outlet, with a topic trend I'm very interested in.
The reason I do this: It makes me think.
Getting recognition is my best guess
Usually comments mean discussion, which can lead to learning.
I’ve retired most of my shitposting accounts this summer though which was my other reason (the main one) for posting online.
I am not so certain about non Ask HN posts.
This forum tends to be one where I get a lot of mocking, patronizing responses, but every now and again someone actually engages. Asks a question or asks for citations, and we can have an interesting few moments of sharing ideas and comparing notes even though we vehemently disagree.
I like those moments. I see myself as part of what keeps this place from being too much of an echo chamber worshipping at the altar of capital. :D (that was tongue in cheek, don't take it too seriously.)
Are they worth the mocking "hurr durr all communists are Nazis" moments? So far yes.
Seriously though, multiple reasons.
Sometimes to ask questions that are both very specific and highly relevant to the post.
Sometimes to share an odd thought that passed through my mind once, which I never planned to share with anyone, but turns out this one poster on HN seems like they might be very interested.
Sometimes just to crack a dumb joke, knowing that if it makes one person laugh somewhere in the world, it was worth the effort.