#30 — THE ART OF COMMENTING — A COLLABORATIVE SERIES WITH JAMES BELLERJEAU, DEBDUTTA PAL, AND GRANDMA SMILLEW

Is The Highlighter Mightier Than The Pen?

Is this talent underrated?

Medium is regular (that’s good for the system) about sending me lists often of highlights readers have left on my work. Don’t know about you, but I get the warm and fuzzies when I see the list.

So, it led me to think (I have to be led; it’s not an automatic function for me). Is there a school that you can attend to teach this skill? An online course, perhaps titled “The Art of Highlighting?”

I have seen someone (name redacted for courtesy) who regularly highlights the entire post. When I first saw that, I thought, impressive. After I understood it, my final thought was why. Would comments send a more helpful or complimentary message?

By the way, for those stalking Finn or me — I know he’s irresistible; I need to do more highlighting to match the efforts of my readers. Mea culpa, friends. That’s on me. Yoda says, “Do not try.” Right?

For me, now, after evolving (in progress), on Medium, I see more benefit to the practice than clapping. What do you think?

I know this clapping thing has been and will continue to be the poster child for questionable behavior here, understandably. There are more opinions about what is right and wrong than any other topic.

But highlighting seems to have found a safe haven between clapping and commenting. It’s like some are thinking, hey, if I single-digit clap but pick up the highlighter, I’m a good guy. Right?

Pushing the engagement train down the track a little further, are you really adding to the conversation by only highlighting? Does it help the author understand fully if their post is hitting the mark or just validating what they wrote? Maybe, blowing a little smoke up the old wazoo?

This article is not speaking for you, but me asking, what do you want from readers engaging with you on your work? Do you want smoke and mirrors or written word in the form of responding asking you what message you were trying to convey in your post?

Or, in some cases, telling you you’re off base.

I prefer the latter. If questioned about my intent, I am forced, honestly, to fully think about my message. Leave me a comment. It’s feedback, and that helps me. Help is teaching, and teaching is learning. We all endeavor to be better.

In closing, maybe I’m being greedy for asking for the whole banana, not just a few slices. Yes, at the end of the day, the fact that you stopped by to read my stuff and clapped as you were pulling out of the driveway is ok.

But, if we are here not only as writers but also as helpers of our fellow neighbors, should we not endeavor to engage by truly offering up all of the above tools to encourage and teach each other?

That extra minute or so after you finish reading the post to clap, highlight, and comment a few words telling the writer not only did you appreciate their efforts but that you understand their message? Fair enough?

Thanks for reading.

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