There are usually two types of replies I leave to people who comment on my articles:
1. "Thank you!"
2. A comment that is often as long as half the article.
Sometimes I also give short answers that are complex enough, but not too much, but in most cases, my answers are like the ones I mentioned above.
The reason I sometimes say only "Thank you!" is because either there isn't much else to say, when, for example, someone compliments me or my article, or I just don't know what else to say.
When I'm writing a long reply however, I do it for one single reason - I try to not look at those who comment on my articles as being just letters on a screen. Instead, I look at them as being people, and when I write a long reply, is often because I want to communicate with someone who took some of their personal time to read my article and even leave a comment.
I usually like to imagine what I would say to a person in real life, if they would say to me what the person who commented on my article did.
For example, if someone comes to me in real life and says "Nice, good work!", then yes, saying only "Thank you" is usually enough.
If, however, someone comes to me and says something like "That's cool, I really agree with what you say there, I think more people should focus on being productive and on their results, rather than the time spent working", then not saying anything else but "Thank you" seems a little weird.
I want to reply in a more elaborate way, because the other person may be looking for a conversation. Ignoring this fact and only saying whatever you can to get away may be a little disrespectful towards someone who just invested time into consuming your content.
You, as a writer, should realize that the Internet is huge, and that people, all of them, have only 24 hours at their disposal. The amount of content that is published every minute is crazy, and people have all kind of articles and videos to look at and read. The fact that they chose to consume your content, is important, and you should appreciate it.
That's why I think it's important for you to take a few minutes and give a proper answer to someone who just spend time reading what you wrote. Sure, sometimes there's not much to say when you reply, but when you can write a proper answer, do it, even if it takes time.
If you can't at that moment, then leave it for later. But try to respond accordingly, and don't do it fast and simple just to be done with it. You're talking to people, not bots, so keep that in mind.
hiveblocks