As a patron, I'm much more inclined to get hooked on a project - and donate to it - if I know there's a chance the creator will talk to me about their work. (An atmosphere conducive to chatting with other audience members is enjoyable, too, because it's fun to bolster other people's ideas. :) I realize that busy creators don't have time to respond to every, "Wow, that was great!" or "I really liked this!" But if my comment has more substance, such as, "Your piece really spoke to me because of this memory I have which reflects what you wrote...and by the way, when are you going to publish something else?" then I have a greater expectation of a response. The more times my questions go unanswered, however, the more likely I am to move on to another project.