Should This Be in the Comment Section?

Dilemma of the Day:  (Now that it is summer, I have time to ruminate about things that might seem trivial to the rest of humanity (that last bit is not the dilemma of the day (primarily because it isn't actually a dilemma)).)

Occasionally people have posted comments on assorted posts on this blog.  Until now I have not responded to any of the comments.  Why not?  I don't really know--mostly, I suppose, because I didn't want to feel like I needed to comment every time someone commented, but perhaps also because when I started this blog, I wasn't actually expecting anyone to ever comment on it, so I never gave much thought to my policy on commenting on comments, and undoubtedly in part because I never spent much time thinking about my policy on commenting on comments (and, yes, one needs a policy on such things--otherwise life is far too ad hoc (I like rules--but I doubt that comes as a shock to anyone)).

But now Angloyankophile (aka Jamie (unless I am sorely mistaken)) has forced the issue and has caused me to realize I need a Policy on Commenting on Comments.  A few days ago she asked in a comment about ages of the Hartley Children.  Now, that is a perfectly reasonable question and one to which I would normally be happy to respond, but I am unsure in which format I need to respond.  Do I start a new post entitled "Ages of Offspring" and note that as of June 19, Emma will be 17; Lily will be 15 and Clara will be (and already is) 10?  Or do I simply comment on the comment? Or do I e-mail the answer directly to Jamie?

So, obviously now I need a policy.  (Though note the remarkably clever way I answered the question prompting this quandary in the last paragraph which delays for a time the moment in which I must actually make a decision in this matter.)  And, I am having a hard time articulating a policy.  Just answer direct questions?  But, that will involve some measure of interpretation as some questions are rhetorical and other questions may be in the  form of a statement (do I respond to the objective question form or do I seek to divine the original intent of the commenter?).  And, then, once I have decided to respond to questions (either direct or implied), what is the rationale for not commenting on other interesting observations?  And, what about the times when the comment leads to another reflection on a matter which does not rise to the (admittedly low) standard of being worthy of its own post?  Should the comment section include a sort of miniature blog post?

The worst of it is that I am pretty sure that the proper etiquette in such matter has yet to be determined, and in a case in which there is no Manner Proper to Civilized People, how one answers such questions will carry with it some underlying societal statement, but I am not entirely sure what such a statement would be (are those who comment on their own blog particularly narcissistic or boring or witty or post-modern?).  The longer I type this post, the more the questions multiply.  A thousand small deliberations, and all that.  And, I still don't have a Policy on Commenting on Comments.