On Reading and Commenting on Other People's Hubs

This Hub is in response to the following question, which appeared in the HubPages "Questions" Section:

"What about followers who never read, or give feedback? Should we continue to read & note theirs?  "...can we get a Nudge button? LOL"  

I think it's up to you. I would very much like to read and comment on everything every follower, and everyone I follow, writes. And I'd like to read stuff written by a lot of other people I'm not yet following or don't even know about yet. But, I can't. I know that saying there's really only enough time to do so much on here (or at least enough "chunks" of uninterrupted time for reading) sounds like an excuse; but, for me, there is that time factor when it comes to writing, answering comments, reading, commenting, etc. I'm here in spare time that's my "break" from "real" work.

Sometimes I'm even too tired or too busy to do anything other than just pop back and forth on the forums and don't get involved in anything other than "plain, old, fooling, around" (as a way to just take that "mental/stress break" from writing (or whatever project I'm doing). I'm amazed (and happy) to be fewer than 20 followers away from a thousand, and I don't know how many people I'm following; but a whole lot of Hubs I'd like to read and comment on aren't getting read. Then again, lots of times there are Hubs I'll see show up that aren't written by followers or someone I follow, and they'll just catch my eye; and I'll read (and vote, if not comment) on them. I think all anyone can do is their best, and keep in mind that other people do whatever they do for their own reasons.

Sometimes people will follow others, thinking it will be a reciprocal thing; but, ideally, (and according to the HubPages team) the idea of following is supposed to be to follow people because you're interested in what they write - not just because they follow you. (Somewhere in the forum Paul Deeds made that remark a long time ago.) But, I think if someone feels slighted because he comments on someone else's stuff and the other person never comments back, there's nothing wrong with "unfollowing".

Sometimes All Is Not As It Seems

Everyone on here kind of does his own thing when it comes to this kind of stuff. In fairness to anyone who doesn't seem to be commenting, it can be pretty hard to tell who has what kind of time or who has some other reason for not appearing to comment. The only reason this occurs to me is that I know (even though I do comment as much as I can) is that I struggle with a stress-related reading problem that means I'm pretty much at the mercy of my brain chemicals when it comes to when, during any day, I can concentrate on reading even something as simple as microwave instructions. I don't think anyone who sees what I write would ever guess that.

It's something that I've never talked about to anyone other than family or close friends, and I've never written about it. I've found ways of working around it, and I suppose I've always been worried that if I said I can't always read someone will think I'm a "basket case" of one sort or another. The truth is I've been pretty much like the EverReady Battery "Energizer Bunny" since 1992 (followed by my mother's death, as well as a bunch of other loss), when I had to leave my marriage, and when all kinds of mess and spin-off legal matters resulted from a mishandled divorce. I lived on adrenaline until about 2003 and (this will sound awful, I know) even amazed myself at my ability to keep going and keep my energy level up under the circumstances. Even for a few years after that, I managed to keep going with a clear head and quite a bit of stamina. I used to tell people that I felt like I was an eight-cylinder car that was running on six of those cylinders. About four four years I started feeling like I was running on four, then two cylinders. In other words, an "eight-cyclinder person" (energy-, managing-, coping-wise) who is "running on six" can seem to be functioning as well as all those "cars" that were built to be six-cylinder cars, and nobody notices it.

Anybody who is "running on two" is no longer anywhere near as energetic, clear-headed, or "generally fine", because, as far as I know, there aren't any two-cylinder cars (at least on American highways).

Even now, I can still work, still take care of my house and bills, and still put family get-togethers together. I laugh far more, I think, than a lot of other people laugh over the course of any given week. For the most part, I'm fine, other than having an energy problem (that I can usually overcome) and that concentration problem when it comes to reading. I actually have symptoms of adrenal fatigue (salt cravings, trouble getting moving in the morning, a few other relatively minor things); and I've read that with that, a person's body no longer produces that extra cortisol that helps that keep functioning under stress. If it isn't adrenal fatigue, maybe it's just plain, old, exhaustion. Also, I've read that elevated levels of cortisol (for anyone who hasn't "run out" of it) can cause concentration problems too. So, whichever physiological problem I have, one or the other is causing my reading problems.

Either way, I can only read some things at some times. For example, I've pretty much blindly muddling my way through a lot of Ad Sense procedures/programs, because I've never been able to concentrate on that particular kind of reading material.  Although I suspect a lot of my Hubs probably show that I'm not at my best these days, I think some of them would give no clue whatsoever that I sometimes have to write when the mood strikes or that I'm at all less than my usual "eight-cylinder self". 

Does every Hubber who doesn't seem to "pull his weight" or reciprocate when it comes to reading, voting on, and commenting on other people's Hubs have a problem like mine? I'm guessing not. Then again, I'm also guessing that I'm not the only one on here who has some version of some personal issue/situation that makes reading and commenting on other people's just that much of a challenge for me. I pretty much use my "able-to-concentrate" time for my "real" work, which means I may or may not be in an "able-to-read mode" when I'm on HubPages. To be honest (and this probably shows in a lot of my Hubs or writing), I'm no longer just "running on two cylinders", but I'm pretty much going on barely any gasoline.

So What's Other Hubbers' Problem?

Although I know there has to be a lot of Hubbers who have their own personal situations that make demands on their time or energy, I know there are those for whom life isn't to the point where reading other people's stuff is all that big a challenge. I've seen other Hubbers make some version of the statement, "I'm not here to read. I'm here to write." So, there's that kind of thinking. These Hubbers may appreciate comments but may not necessarily expect them for anyone else, any more than they think they should be expected to comment.

Hubbers who make it clear that they write professionally, as well as on here (I'm one) may come across as people who are "otherwise legitimately too busy" to comment. There are other Hubbers who aren't so much into Hubbing for the writing, but for the marketing of writing and products. They, of course, may appear to look "legitimately too busy", especially if they've said that Hubbing has become their "day job". Some of these people may come across as "just here for the business aspect of things" (so many people wouldn't expect them to comment). Others in this "business/marketing" group of Hubbers, though, may be people who, when they're not Hubbing may be working at the local supermarket because they've been laid off from their, say, engineering job.

Sometimes, too, people sign up for HubPages thinking it's as much as "social" site as a writing site, while other people see it as "a writing site" (with the other types of "Hubtivity" as a secondary way of participating).

The point is, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't (or shouldn't) judge a Hubber by his profile, writing, or commenting efforts.

So often, two issues crop up again and again: 1. Following (and whether one Hubber acknowledges someone who follows him, follows back, or otherwise does something a follower would expect of someone he follows; and 2. The commenting matter (and who always responds, who sometimes responds, who allows links, etc. etc.). It's always so clear that so many people see so many things so differently.

I think all any of us can do just do our thing, do what strikes us as the right thing or the polite thing or the thing we're here for, and keep in mind that we're all so different we can't expect others to approach what they do on here the same way we do. On a site that is so many different things to so many different people, there's bound to be a lot of uneven-ness going around. When I comment on someone else's Hub I don't expect them to "comment back". I like to stick with what I've always thought is the way "things are supposed to be", which, to me, is that we read what interests us and comment when we have a natural response and wish to comment. I do my best sometimes to try to think up a comment when I know someone else has commented on my Hub, but sometimes (especially if the Hub was interesting but something I know little about), the only thing I can think up is that ever-un-liked, "Good Hub" or "Interesting Hub". Often, I think a Hub deserves better when it comes to comments; so if I can't think up a comment that's genuine or adds to the discussion, or don't feel worthy of commenting on a subject, I'll vote up without commenting.

Ideally, Hubbing is supposed to pleasant or fun. So, I guess, I think that if there's something that bothers a Hubber or makes him feel slighted, he should do the thing he feels is justified. If it feels more right to stop commenting on someone's Hubs, or if it feels more right to un-follow him, there's nothing wrong with either. I pretty much expect nothing of other Hubbers, because, to me, one of the good things about writing on here is that it isn't like work, where I have to do things I don't want to do or pretend to like reading stuff I didn't really like reading. Most of us are here to focus on our Hubs, and what else we do or don't do on here is pretty much up to each of us.

My main point here is that I don't think it's ever a good idea to assume things about who has time or who doesn't seem interested in other people's work, because (whether it's with someone in a situation similar to mine or some other set of circumstances) so often, people who may seem to uninterested, uncaring, or impolite really aren't being any of those things and, instead, have some other thing going on that doesn't show in their writing or participation on here.