It is kind of like a job in the beginning...at least a part time job. However, compared to a lot of work out there, this is much better.
And the results can be there. It also has the effect of compounding the results one gets on the articles since more commenting tends to get more followers.
Yes, I agree. I think we need a balance between articles and comments. My SP is still small, not a lot of followers, especially with a lot of voice, so my articles don't get a lot of votes yet. So I allocate my time so - one article per day and a certain number of comments