[Don Salmon]

Hi Jeff:

I share your desire to make some difference in writing to the Times. I’m not sure why you’d want to write to the editor though. You have about a 90% chance of not being responded to, and if by chance, you do receive a response, it will most likely be empty and formal.

on the other hand, I understand the readers’ comments are among the most well-read in the paper. I regularly recognize top-name, internationally known leaders in physics, psychology, philosophy, economics and more among the commenters. Often in a column on the Supreme Court, you’ll get lawyers who have argued before the court offering clarifications of what the author of the column didn’t understand!

But how do you get any attention? There’s now about 10-20 regular commenters who often, to my mind, write bland, uninteresting comments, but everyone knows their name so they automatically get “recommends” which gets them to the top of “Readers Picks,” which means most readers of the comments will see them.

I find if I simply submit a comment on my own, chances are at best it might get 5-15 recommends. Do you want to know the secret to GUARANTEE you’ll get a lot of attention?

Look for the top comments. They will often get anywhere from 200 to over 1000 recommends. Reply to them with a very well written, apropos answer and you’ll not only get attention you may start a conversation.

Note that the Times moderators often do NOT send an email notification. So save the URL and check back regularly. It’s easy to find your comment as it will still be a reply to a comment among the top picks.

Be aware that some 80% or so of Times readers are VERY LH and will not take kindly to your suggestion there are any limitations to LH thought. They will say all problems in the world are due to uneducated, non-LH thinkers.

On the other hand, there are around 20% whole brain thinkers who will love what you write.

Having said that, if you want to try your hand at crafting a reply (you can craft it ahead of time and then edit it to fit just about any particular article), feel free to post one here. If for some reason I don’t get a notification, feel free to write me at http://www.RememberToBe.Life