But really, you are so dead on with this post, I totally agree. With so many people that are new to the blogosphere and social media running around trying to learn how to interact, there needs to be a standard or code of ethics being taught…explaining HOW to interact correctly, which means genuinely. Unfortunately, some people just can't be genuine. All they care about are links and SEO and driving traffic to their site's landing pages.
All you can do is keep setting a good example and hope for the best.

I've established excellent blogging relationships with other bloggers simply because we've gotten to know one another via the comments. This has led to increased subscribers and a larger community.

How do you track blogs to see when their newest posts come out? Just watch feed burner, or google tracking somehow?

You're for sure on the right track with your blogging/commenting style. First off, if it works for you and does what you need it to do, the rest doesn't really matter. Beyond that, when I see your comments around the web I usually (not always) end up learning something that adds to the original post.

And your posts here are often damn insightful and look at topics in a way I didn't consider before, or are statements that I completely agree with and are just put so eloquently they become a resource to share with others.

Having said that, I'd personally be interested in a few posts here and there that go into full depth on a topic and take us on a journey of how the Stuart Foster looks at a certain idea, why, and how to utilize that knowledge to our (and our readers/clients) benefit.

In particular, they bring targeted traffic from blog readers who already have an interest in the topic. This is far more useful than the potential traffic from search engines. The trick of course is to be relevant. I wrote more about this awhile back in Enhance your reputation & increase traffic by joining discussions on other blogs. One of the keys in my mind is to comment naturally on articles you find worthwhile. If you read something and have an immediate reaction, thought or question, then add it. If nothing comes to mind then don't force a comment, just enjoy the read.

As for your blog style, yes, I think you are on the right path. My own blog tends to be written in more of a teaching style, but that's because I began it when I worked at a university and was using it to give advice and tips to our campus Web maintainers. The goals have evolved over the years but the style stuck, and it seems to work for me and my readers.

Mano Singham, a professor friend from those days uses his blog to work out his thoughts for future articles and other publications. He's recently been writing a series of entries on the subject of “torture” and has a book coming out later this year that evolved from a series of posts he'd done regarding the teaching of evolution. I think any style that helps us formulate our ideas AND connect with our readers is the right approach. Happy Blogging!