Yes, this is a touchy touchy subject, and one where the "entitlement" button will very often be pushed, for better and for worse. But the less discussion there is around it, the more people will tend to lean on comments as the visible measure of response; and there will probably be at least some who condition their social actions (including how they read and comment) around building up a commenting base. Conversely, I've heard some of my flisties wonder aloud if the ONLY reason they get comments is because they have a big friends' list, and that people do feel more or less obliged. All very complex. I think Foxy's right to point out how many variables affect any given fic's reception.

I may be a little naive about this, but I figure if you want to try for a certain kind of dialogue within this framework, you gotta start by doing it yourself. And I have no more say over who reads and responds to my stuff than anyone else. But I do have some say about how I read and comment myself, and it's GREAT to hear that it counts for something. I'm glad my thinkies have some staying power! There are definitely times when I'm fine with not posting much and just want to comment and beta, because talking to stories can be just as rewarding as writing them -- at least for me.