Let's Test This Hypothesis: Longer Posts Relate to Fewer Comments

In my last post, I indicated that I tend to believe that longer blog posts will receive fewer comments. If I were still working as an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, conducting research on various communication-related topics, I might very well have decided to test this hypothesis for one of my studies. Actually, it would be relatively easy to do.

When one variable (in this case, the number of comments) changes in a particular way when another variable (in this case, the length of the blog post) changes, we call this a correlation. Determining the correlation between two variables is accomplished with a simple statistical test. If the correlation is perfect (that is, 100%), it would mean that as the length of the blog post increased, we would see a comparable decrease in the number of comments. (Actually, our example is an inverse or indirect correlation because we are suggesting that as one variable increases the other decreases). Hardly ever do things change so precisely in real life, so in most cases, the correlation will be much less than 1.0 or perfect. The less the actual correlation statistic (it can be anything from 1.00 to -1.00) is, the less likely that there is a relationship between the variables --in our case, length and number of comments.

So, let's try it. Here's how I'm going about it. First, I need a random sample. The best random sample would be to take several examples of blogs from a number of sources and tabulate their lengths and the number of comments for each. For this little pretend project, I'm just going to take a few examples from this blog and tabulate the lengths and the number of comments and see what the correlation is. Yes, I understand that my sample is not truly random, but this is a demonstration, so bear with me.

I selected the most recent 20 posts from Communication Exchange. I counted the number of words in each post and the comparable number of comments for each. Here are the results:

Words in Post/Number of Comments

20/ 7

537/0

273 / 7

531 / 1

317 / 2

344 / 1

325 / 3

317 / 4

186 / 3

27 / 0

203/ 3

321 / 1

264 / 3

443 / 4

146 / 5

257 / 1

366 / 2

391 / 2

485 / 1

159 / 2

Now I merely submit these data to one of the many online statistical testing sites (my favorite is Stat Pages). I quickly discover that there is NO significant correlation (the correlation is -.39, the significance level being only .08). So, what does that mean? From our little test, it appears that post length and number of comments are NOT meaningfully correlated. So, fear not, long-winded bloggers--you have just as much chance at getting comments as anyone else! What do you say to that?

(graphics from iannoon.wordpress.com)

Post Length and Comments

Joel at Stuff and Nonsense believes that longer blog posts prompt fewer comments. I agree with him. How about you?

(graphic at www.michelemartin.typepad.com)

Alliteration Aim in Headline Handiwork

All the blogs I visit regularly that purport to help you improve your blog, invariably discuss the importance of making sure you have "keywords" in your titles (or headlines). These "keywords" as best as I can determine come from a list of terms kept by the Googlemeister in its vault in the bank of Google and if you can happen on the "correct" keywords--and place them auspiciously in your daily post's title (or headline), your traffic will jump from the puny several dozen faithful readers a day you (I) now have to hundreds, even thousands! Hurray!

Woe is me! My interest in writing titles (or headlines) is far more personal and stems back to my days in high school journalism class. There, Mrs. Borsheim gave me the exalted task of creating the headlines for the stories that appeared in the school newspaper (it may also have had something to do with the fact that I knew nothing about sports and most of the stories in the school newspaper were about the football team). Anyway, I loved--LOVED--writing headlines. I truly believed (and Mrs. B never dissuaded me from this belief) that the perfect headline was full of alliteration--that is, all the words (or most all the words) in the headline began with the same letter (or sound at least). It was like a puzzle to me--creating the perfect synopsis of the article in just a few words--all of which started alike. And--the longer I could make the headline--all alliterative--the better! I kept trying to outdo myself. ("Farmers Feud While Ranch Workers Worry" was one I remember for the school's production of Oklahoma).

You still see some jazzy headlines with alliteration, but, of course, good headlines exhibit other traits beside similar starting sounds (notice the alliteration in the last three letters--neat, eh?). Good headlines draw the reader into the story and make them want to read it. Good headlines provide a brief summary of the story. Good headlines exhibit good writing--including alliteration.

In looking around the Internet for information on alliteration and headline writing, I encountered several sites that suggested using headline writing with alliteration as a learning exercise for student writers. When you think about it, it's a great idea. If the student writer can synopsize an entire poem or story in a brief headline and be creative enough to chose alliterative words in doing so, there's a good writing exercise. One such exercise, suggested that students create headlines for famous stories--fairy tales, Bible stories, or historical examples. Here are some I found at www.teachingideas.co.uk. See if you can guess what they are:

Bears' brekkie blagged by blonde

"Giant not so jolly" jokes Jack

Pining Prince seeks sweetheart to fit footwear

"Eat an apple" suggests sneaky snake

Man makes massive maritime menagerie

Sleepy seamstress sends city into century long snooze

Boastful biscuit beaten by fast-thinking fox

Serious student snapper bitten by bug--secretly catches criminals.

I've figured out all of the above except the last two. Can you? Also, why don't you write your own alliterative headline for a famous story? Leave it in the comments section and see if the readers can figure it out.

(photo from maikopunk.wordpress.com)

Communicators: Use Modern Tools to Find Love

I have a husband, so I'm not in the market for a new one. However, if I were, I wouldn't hesitate to use one of the online computer dating services such as eHarmony.com. In our parents' day, couples were often introduced by relatives or friends--or even matchmakers. Today, we're on our own--and for some people who lack social skills or who spend an inordinate amount of time in solitary (read "online") pursuits, there are great difficulties in meeting a mate.

In my travels to various blogs, I hear so many tales of romantic woe. Why can't I find a girl friend? Where are all the good men? I'm all alone and miserable! Wake up, people. This is the age of the Internet and love and companionship are at your fingertips--you just need to use them to type in your requirements for your perfect match.

Yes, I know, there is a stigma attached to finding a mate online. So what? Isn't it better than having no one in your life? Yes, I know, it might be dangerous. But, regular dating can be too--so just be careful. Yes, I know, you might actually find your soul mate, fall in love, and then break up. Well, that happens with relationships that form the regular way too. And--as some wise person said once--it's better to have loved an Internet-selected sweetheart than never to have loved at all.

Savvy communicators know that it's the quality of the communication that counts--not where you find the communicator.

What do you think about online dating? If you were (are) single would you use it?

(graphic by www.timtim.com)