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IComLeavWe

Welcome to IComLeavWe. It stands for International Comment Leaving Week, but if you say it aloud, doesn’t it sounds like “I come; [but] leave [as a] we”? And that’s sort of the point. Blogging is a conversation and comments are honoured and encouraged. I like to say that comments are the new hug–a way of saying hello, giving comfort, leaving congratulations.

Look at the icon in the top left corner of this blog to jump directly to the current list.

I’m assuming if you’re still reading that you actually want to hear more about IComLeavWe. This is actually the third incarnation of this project. The first time, it was called the Commentathon and it was a group of 67 participants pledging to leave at least 1000 comments collectively over the course of a week. We ended up leaving 3739 comments altogether.

The next year, we called it NaComLeavMo in the tradition of NaBloPoMo. We had 214 participants vow to leave 5 comments each day and return one comment for a total of 6 daily comments. But people heard about it after the list closed and someone suggested holding it year-round. So IComLeavWe was born.

How does it work?

On the first day of each month (regardless of the day of the week), a new list opens. Anyone can and should sign up who wants to participate. Because it is held monthly, you can drop in and out month-by-month depending on your schedule. You sign up by leaving a comment on the current list (do not leave it on this post) with the following information:

  • Your blog name (if you don’t have a blog, this isn’t a problem. Simply leave your first name instead and write that you don’t have a blog)
  • Your blog url
  • Three words to describe the three things you write about most frequently (only three; if you leave more, I only take the first three).

Example:

  • Stirrup Queens
  • http://stirrup-queens.blogspot.com
  • Infertility, twins, books

I move the information from the comment section into the body of the post every so often (usually within 24 hours). There is also a bit of code at the bottom of the current list for you to grab that contains the latest icon (the icon changes colour every month so you know that you’re on the right list) and it would rock if you place it somewhere on your blog. The reason is two-fold: (1) it enables more people to find out about IComLeavWe and (2) it gives you easy access to the current list once the commenting week actually begins.

The list remains open from the 1st of the month until the 21st. On the 21st, it closes for the month. Commenting begins on the 21st and runs until the 28th. Participants agree to leave 5 comments a day and return 1. If something bizarre happens and they don’t have any comments to return, they just pick another random blog and leave a comment. The daily total should be 6 though you are obviously encouraged to go well beyond 6 daily comments. This goes on for a full week. You are highly encouraged to choose new blogs to read from the participants list. You could also leave comments on blogs you already know and read daily. Both count. But support your fellow participants please. Here is your big chance to delurk or find new blogs to add to your Google Reader.

There is one more challenge–Iron Commenter. People who wish to be an Iron Commenter and be entered on the Iron Commenter honour roll need to leave a comment on every blog on the participants list (exceptions are blogs that require you to have a special log-in, such as some LiveJournal accounts or other similar situations). You can spread out this commenting over the whole week, but the final comment needs to be left by midnight on the 28th (EST). Reaching Iron Commenter status is done on an honour system. The Wall of Honour is at the bottom of this post.

And that’s it. The commenting orgy ends, we all catch our breath, and it starts back up a few days later on the 1st. So–regardless of the day of the week, IComLeavWe always opens on the 1st, the list closes on the 21st, and the commenting takes place between the 21st and the 28th. And then we do it all over again.

Any questions? Why don’t you write me. Feel free to leave a general comment about IComLeavWe below, but if you want to sign up for the current list, pop over and leave it on that list. Comments listed below will not make it onto the current list, get it?

Oh… and the dog on the icon. The story behind that is in this post.

Past Iron Commentors
the wall of honour
Titanium Commenters (5+ times as Iron Commenter)
(the few, the brave, the kind)
A Page In My Book (8/09, 11/10, 8/11, 4/12, 5/12)
Are We There Yet (1/10, 3/10, 4/10, 5/10, 6/10, 10/10)
Climbing the Pomegranate Tree (1/13, 4/14, 5/14, 6/14, 7/14, 8/14, 9/14, 10/14, 11/14)
The Dragondreamer’s Lair (8/08, 9/08, 10/08, 11/08, 12/08, 1/09, 2/09, 3/09, 4/09, 5/09, 7/09, 8/09, 9/09, 11/09, 5/11, 6/11, 8/11, 12/12)
The Gal Who Wants to be Anywhere But Where She Is (8/09, 1/10, 3/10, 5/10, 7/10)
Hobbit-ish Thoughts & Ramblings (3/09, 4/09, 6/09, 7/09, 8/09, 10/09, 2/11, 8/12)
Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random (12/08, 5/09, 6/09, 7/09, 8/09)
Life of an Army Wife (10/12, 11/12, 12/12, 1/13, 2/13, 3/13, 4/13)
My Journey Through Infertility, Pregnancy, and Loss (8/12, 9/12, 3/13, 4/13, 5/13, 6/13, 7/13, 8/13, 9/13, 10/13)
The Rocky Road to Motherhood (9/10, 12/10, 8/11, 9/11, 11/11)
To Baby and Beyond (9/08, 10/08, 11/08, 12/08, 1/09, 2/09)
The Unfair Struggle (7/08, 9/08, 10/08, 12/08, 7/09, 7/12, 10/12)
Woman Anyone? (4/09, 5/09, 6/09, 7/09, 8/09)
Iron Commenters
Adventures of a Military Family of 8 (12/09)
Alana-isms (5/09, 6/09)
Alicia (7/08, 8/08, 11/08)
A Little Blog About the Big Infertility (8/10)
All in G-d’s Time (6/09)
All I’ve Ever Wished For… (11/11)
All Things Griffin (6/09)
Ambivalent Womb (12/10)
A Sense of Humor is Essential (7/08, 9/08)
Ask an Infertile (9/13)
At Least I Still Have Humor (10/14, 11/14)
Baby Dreams (3/10)
Baby Smiling in Back Seat (8/08, 1/09, 7/09)
Baby Steps… (9/09)
Battlefish (7/11, 9/13, 3/15)
Bébé Suisse (10/12)
Bella and Her Fella (10/08)
Building Heavenly Bridges (9/08)
Cats with Passports (5/11, 6/11)
CD 1 Again… (9/09)
Circus Children (9/09)
A Crack in Everything (3/14)
Dreams Come True…Sometimes (7/08)
Dwelling on Dreams (4/12)
Elana’s Musings (11/08, 2/13)
The Elusive Second Line (3/12, 5/12, 8/12)
Emma in Mommyland (4/13, 9/13)
Except for Mondays (2/10)
Fervently Wishing (11/10)
FET Accompli (9/09)
For All the Things We Hope For (12/10)
Four Years Later (8/14, 11/14)
Frozen OJ (3/13)
Growing Griswolds (9/12)
Half of a Duo, Raising a Duo (12/09)
Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed (4/10)
Heeeeeeeeeeere Storkey Storkey (11/08, 3/09)
Hijacked…By a Baby in Waiting (3/09)
The Idle Mind of Beth (11/08)
I’m Just Ducky, Thanks (7/12)
Infertili-T&A (1/10)
In Due Time (8/08, 5/09, 6/09)
Isn’t TTC Supposed to be Fun? (7/09)
Jenn’s Journal (10/08)
Jenn & Tommy: Life’s a Bitch (5/13)
Joyfully Infertile (5/14)
Junebug’s Musings (1/10, 5/10)
Karlinda (10/09)
The Life and Times of Me (11/08)
Life in the White House (1/09)
Loving Thee…and More (9/08)
The Maniacal Mommy (10/08)
Maybe It’s Just Me (4/09)
Meepit on Parade (10/08)
MoJo Working (1/09, 2/09, 3/09, 7/11)
Mom to Twins Plus One (1/09)
Musings of a Teacher (11/08)
My Journey to Motherhood (12/09)
My Lady of the Lantern (6/11, 9/11, 4/12, 6/13, 7/13, 4/14)
My Lovely Lady Bump (9/10)
The New Life of Nancy (9/08)
No Suzy Homemaker (9/10)
Notes from the Ninth Circle (2/12)
Nursing Infertility (12/11)
Old Lady and No Baby (11/12, 12/12, 2/13)
Onesmarmymama (4/09)
One Step at a Time (9/13)
Our Surrogacy Adventure (8/08)
Parenthood for Me (3/09)
A Passage to Baby (11/12)
Positive Kismet (1/14)
Raining Raining (9/09)
Return to Go (4/12)
The Ros’ Bowl (8/10)
The Saga of Becoming Fruitful (8/08)
Savour the Moment (6/10, 7/10)
Seriously? (11/08, 2/09)
Stop the Train, I Wanna Get Off (7/08)
The Subfertile Frugalista (1/10, 3/10, 6/10)
Tales of My Follies (9/09)
Tenaciously TTC (2/10)
Tesseract (11/12, 12/12, 1/13)
Thoughts from a Blonde (3/10)
Too Many Fish to Fry (1/11)
Trying for a Baby (3/09)
Trying to Conceive a Modern Medicine Miracle (6/11)
Unquestionable Love (12/08)
Waiting for Baby (4/12)
Waiting for Our Pod (4/09)
Waiting Lisa (6/10)
Wandering Wonderment (6/09, 7/09, 8/09, 9/09)
What Wuz I Saying? (NaComLeavMo)
Where the *Bleep* is Our Stork? (1/13)
Where the Green Grass Grows (10/09, 11/09)
Wistfulgirl’s World (9/09)
Write, Baby, Repeat(1/10)If you are an Iron Commenter and would like the code for the Iron Commenter badge, please email me.

27 comments

1 parwati { 11.13.09 at 12:57 am }

i like the concept of blogging being a conversation.

2 Half of a Duo, Raising a Duo { 12.27.09 at 6:02 pm }

I have NEVER been more determined, nor more proud than to achieve Iron commenter status in December 09, with so many people on the list, and so little time. I gave everyone I could total props and read everthing. No cursory glance, no one liner response.

I pray that all of you whose lives I touched this month through commenting, really felt the hugs…

3 Daria { 12.29.09 at 11:45 am }

I had a fantastic time with this – even though I did miss out on the last couple of days because of Christmas. Next year, I will plan ahead! =) I did appreciate everyone who stopped by my blog and I am very excited to participate in January! I think I may have to make one of my resolutions for 2010 be “Become an Iron Commenter.”

4 Kaitlin { 04.26.10 at 10:34 am }

Love the concept of IComLeavWe. This is so true: “Blogging is a conversation and comments are honoured and encouraged.”

5 InfertileNaomi { 05.14.10 at 3:29 pm }

Love all these great comments and support for infertility!

6 Rachell (Barrenista) { 05.21.10 at 12:28 pm }

I am new to the actual ‘blogging’ part, but I’ve been reading/following others blogs for awhile. I love this idea and just found out about it through Jess on ‘A Greater Yes…’ My mission is to be an encourager as well as being encouraged thru our battles of infertility.

7 Grace Australia { 05.26.10 at 7:41 pm }

Just discovered you via a fellow blogger, commenter and sufferer of POF. I’ve been blogging daily for 3 months about my journey to Mt. Fabulous At Forty (my way of saying the bit 4-0). Then I hit writer’s block. I knew I had to talk about my POF diagnosis and the grieving that follow. I only just did that at 2.30am this morning. Am feeling like an open wound. Then I received a link to your site and it’s like a whole new world has opened up.

THANK YOU! I feel far less alone.

Grace xx

ps. Today I wrote about my 5 stages of grieving during this journey. If you’re interested in reading, here’s the link: http://projectgrace2010.blogspot.com/2010/05/5-stages-of-grief.html

8 Grace Australia { 05.26.10 at 7:43 pm }

PPS. I’ve embedded your logo too (love the dog)

9 Roni { 08.03.10 at 4:59 pm }

how could I post this on my blog?thanks

10 Lilly { 10.01.10 at 1:49 pm }

I LOVE LOVE LOVE what you are doing!!! Keep up the good work 🙂

11 Whitterer on Autism » Blog Archive » The Versatile Blogger Award { 10.11.10 at 2:38 am }

[…] Commenter status, whereby they leave a comment on every blog listed. Iron Commenters get listed on The Wall of Honour . This is only for those who have that kind of time and is certainly not […]

12 Erica { 12.13.10 at 12:39 pm }

I don’t see any autism blogs registered for ICLW this month. I wonder if the previous autism bloggers felt self-conscious, as I did, about having so many ALI bloggers reading their posts about their special needs children (although, the ones who visited my blog left nothing but kind comments). It really was kind of an usual pairing, though!

13 Welcome ICLW! | Infertile In A Fertile World { 01.20.11 at 10:44 pm }

[…] those of you who don’t know what ICLW is, you can read all about it here on the  Stirrup Queens […]

14 I’m still alive, but my brain is fried! « waiting, wishing, hoping { 08.29.11 at 9:33 am }

[…] 29 Aug Hey all you – I’ve been a terrible blogger and ICLWer (I’m really, really, really sorry Mel! I promise I’ll do better next time!)   […]

15 Perfect Moment Monday returns September 25 { 09.12.11 at 10:14 am }

[…] Moment Mondays will now take place on the 4th Monday of the month. This will usually coincide with ICLW (International Comment Leaving Week), which will make remembering easy for those of you who […]

16 Results of a blogging survey { 09.19.11 at 10:22 am }

[…] Check out the monthly ICLW for an organized […]

17 Lori Lavender Luz { 10.21.11 at 6:34 pm }

For future ICLWs, how about we remind everyone on the Blogger platform to check their comment captcha settings so that their new readers don’t have to run through all those annoying hoops? I bet many of the settings are there by default, and the bloggers themselves don’t even know about them since people rarely leave themselves comments.

18 nursejayton { 12.24.11 at 4:45 pm }

I am so happy to be a part of this year’s ICLW , my blog is getting some very welcomed attention, and I hope to meet friends on here!

19 Inconceivable Choices { 02.18.12 at 5:26 pm }

[…] first time from Carolyn and Sean Savage’s Facebook page, their Inconceivable book website or IComLeavWe, welcome to Four of a […]

20 Gratitude: It’s Never Too Late to Say Thank You { 02.18.12 at 5:36 pm }

[…] If you are not familiar with ICLW, you can learn more about it here. […]

21 House Rules: Part III on Emotional Infertility and the ALI Community { 04.05.12 at 1:00 pm }

[…] did express her belief that she would rather not have tools of her creation (the Lost and Found and ICLW, for example), used in ways that she perceived to be divisive. That’s her house rule, and I […]

22 Welcome ICLWers! « Unexplained Rantings { 09.21.12 at 10:07 am }

[…] am terribly excited and eager to begin my very first International Comment Leaving Week (aka IComLeavWe or […]

23 Hairy fritters « Pepibebe | nurturing by nature { 12.01.12 at 12:31 am }

[…] been slack! No post for many many days. Last week I took part in the lovely Stirrup Queens ICLW International Comment Leaving Week, for bloggers dealing with infertility, adoption and loss. So I […]

24 Life Is What Happens When You Are Busy Making Other Plans » A Bliss Filled Life { 03.21.13 at 12:37 am }

[…] honor of ICLW I decided to do a quick blurb on what this blog is about.  I realized a while ago that I switched […]

25 March ICLW Week | Just Another Infertility Blog { 03.21.13 at 8:58 am }

[…] I’m looking forward to discovering more of your stories and connecting with new people. If anyone reading this doesn’t know about ICLW, I encourage you to check it out here. . […]

26 Are you overloaded? - Misadventures with Andi { 03.31.13 at 8:56 pm }

[…] it wasn’t an opportunity but rather sheer madness. I participated for the first time in the IComLeavWe (International Comment Leaving Week) for November as well as Merry SITSmas put on by the SITS gals. […]

27 IComLeavWe/Relationship Challenge: Days 6 & 7 | Infertile Girl in a Fertile World { 01.21.14 at 11:32 pm }

[…] late, I’m late for a very important date! Today is the first day of IComLeavWe, and it is my first time ever participating. I’ve noticed some people give a little synopsis […]

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