It's there because we want comments.

This phenomena is not unique to me by any means-- it's far from a rare occurrence to look at a person's picture and notice that the favorites outrageously outnumber the comments. While I know this feeling doesn't apply to everyone, I stand as a representative of the many who believe that a simple yet sincere comment is worth more than ten faves.

-But why are comments so valued, you ask?-

Simply put, it takes more effort to post a comment-- even if it just says "omg lol kuul!"-- than it does to click the button at the top of the page-- which you can do even before the picture or document is loaded. We feel honored that you will take the time to let us know more of what you think.

And to address them before they can get started-- to all those who think, "But sometimes a picture's so great, you can't leave a decent comment on it!", that's not true. A comment of "WOW! That's just... absolutely amazing! " plus a fave is many times more endearing than the fave alone.

Not to mention it boosts the artist's/author's confidence.

-So... what should we say?->/i>

I used to write more frequently on fanfiction.net. (For those of you masochistic enough to read my old works, my username is In The Beginning.) I once received a review from someone that went like this:

i like this oneshot.it might of been better if it had more "ordinary" trauma center, but i still like it.poor val.hop she got better.i loved markus' arcasum,that wascool,espeshialy when he called val "sleeping beauty"or when he said "no,it's the tooth fairy". black wings told me you where diobetic,is that true?if it is,i'm a diobetic aswell.i feel alone for some reason,i dunno why.

Incoherency aside, I really didn't need to know that she a) is diabetic, or b), during the time of the review-writing, felt lonely. While I'm sure you have a fascinating life, a comment is not the place to talk about it. That's what journals and profile pages are for.

There are some people who will demand perfect grammar and spelling in your comments, and that you list fifteen reasons why it was amazing and if you even suggest that it's wrong, yadda yadda yadda...

As a general rule, though, just do your best with the spelling, mention a point that you like(or maybe that needs improvement), keep it about the picture, and relax! Anything remotely specific you say about the picture is extremely helpful!

-Wait, you want us to point out things wrong? Why?-

This does not apply to comments with the Critique Discouraged tag.

We sometimes can't see our own mistakes, but as a general rule, artists/authors want to improve. We can do that if you(gently!) tell us what you think is off and (gently!) suggest ways to improve it.

"Gently" is key here. Saying "omg it sux, do it lyk dis persun!" will do nothing for our blood pressure or your public image.

-So, the comment box is there for us to give our input on what we like, and what we think you could do better.-

But more than that, it gives us all a chance to branch out. If someone I don't know leaves a comment on my picture, I go and check out their page. I know that they really care about my art or stories-- I repay the kindness by giving them a visit. In that way, we encounter diverse people, and broaden our horizons. This is really what deviantART is all about. Community.

Next time you're about to hit that fave button after a split-second glance, try scrolling down and leaving a kind word or two. You could pick up a new friend... and find one of the real reasons for why the comment box is there.