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Bloviating Zeppelin: Comments

Bloviating Zeppelin

(in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Comments


THREE WEEKS AGO, THIS IS WHAT I WROTE AND DIDN'T PUBLISH:

Let me make this plain and simple:


The more difficult you make it for me to comment on your blog, the less interested I am in commenting on your blog.

It doesn't mean I don't visit your blog; it means I'm getting so damned tired of having to possess an individual password for each and every blog. I have to "subscribe" to this site, to that site, to that host, to this host, I have to enter a Username for this site, then enter a Password, then confirm my password, then enter a different password to confirm that password, then enter the name of my cat, my proctologist, confirm my proctologist's appointment for next Thursday, genuflect towards Mecca, spin around three times and recite the dialogue to Pulp Fiction.

You know, it's just about reached threshold for me.

Maybe I'm massively different.

Maybe -- probably -- I'm simply incredibly unsophisticated.

I'll admit I'm a complete HTML idiot.

And, clearly a factor: I don't get nearly the hits that most of the blogs I read do. The bulk of my The Usual Suspects are much more popular than I am.

That said, I'm just pretty much not going to entertain any more limits and buffers and roadblocks placed in my way in terms of comment engines. It's just too tough and too long. I'm done. Moderating comments is one thing; it already makes me less likely to go back to see what your response might be. That's frustrating enough.

But when I have to jump through innumerable hoops and sign up for this and that, I'm just predominantly done.

I really like any number of your blogs. You wouldn't be in my blogroll otherwise.

But, the way your digital domain comments are set up, I concede: I mostly give up.

I took Word Verification off my stupid blog. Even that pissed me off, it was too much for me.

White flag.

BZ
IN RETROSPECT, I SUSPECT I WAS WAY TOO HARSH.

However, why is it that it is so damned difficult to make comments on blogs? Why should I be so frustrated? And why should I -- or the average reader -- jump through the various hoops and blockades purposely installed on today's blogs?

My blog is now the simplest in the Blogosphere (that I can determine) in which to comment. I clearly must be missing something. Am I unsophisticated? Am I a dupe? Can anyone explain this to me, please??

BZ

24 Comments:

Blogger Well Seasoned Fool said...

Don' ask me. I don't even know what HTML means. I use the Goggle Comment moderation because there is one individual who sends me obscene and/or racist remarks. Seems easy enough; I need to check my Google Email Account and approve or reject it. I think it is easy for anyone to send a remark.

Sat Feb 13, 09:24:00 PM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Okay. That's you. But just wait.

BZ

Sat Feb 13, 09:30:00 PM PST  
Blogger lorraine said...

I think it is to prevent spam comments and I have found many in comments of other easy to comment blogs. I like to read comments and, obviously, like to comment if I have something to say. The spam comments usually are promoting some commercial or other - which is a drag to those of us who prefer to read what "the people think. Hopefully this won't be a problem in the future with your blog. Just saying, Lorraine

Sat Feb 13, 10:29:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You haven't had spammers take over your blog and/or trolls, have you?

When you work hard to build a site and readership, the last thing you want is some loney computer nerd or porn merchant taking it over and scaring them all away.

Sun Feb 14, 05:42:00 AM PST  
Blogger Greybeard said...

As lorraine and FJ have indicated, I have word verification because I began to have big problems with Spam attacks. WV is minimally obtrusive.
I also moderate comments because like you, I have a couple blockheads that come and leave their opinions. I suspect you and I would agree...
Having a bonehead come by and show how different thinking from the other side can be frequently makes the comment section the most interesting part of the blog. But some comments use profanity, which I almost always reject, and as you have indicated some of it is stupid and abusive. I smile and push "reject" on those too.

It all boils down to this-
It's your blog. It's good to be "Blog King".
You're in control. If we readers don't like it we can shout at the monitor.

Sun Feb 14, 06:21:00 AM PST  
Blogger Z said...

BZ...just typing in the word verification bugs you that much?
What bugs me is when I've typed a comment somewhere and click off, forgetting the word verification comes LATER and you have to type the whole comment again, which I usually don't...I just leave.
Please don't stop visiting all of us!
Happy Valentine's Day xx

Sun Feb 14, 06:56:00 AM PST  
Blogger Dolley said...

The only thing you have to do on Abigail and Dolley is have some type of Account name. My previous blog allowed anonymous comments and I found I was often virulently attacked by Anonymous.

Thank you for commenting so often on Abigail and Dolley and I would be honored to have you add me to your blog roll. YOU my dear have many more hits than my little blog.

I enjoy your writing and did you see, I stole your Religious Left phrase, of course giving you credit.

Sun Feb 14, 08:19:00 AM PST  
Blogger Always On Watch said...

The only reason I'm using JS-Kit is that I had a vile troll and couldn't allow students who read my blog to be subjected to such filth. I couldn't ban the troll via Blogger, and comment moderation interrupted the flow of conversation among commenters.

BTW, the troll I had to deal with once spammed me 200 times in an hour. I spent much more than an hour to get rid of his comments.

FJ knows what I went through. I either had to install a different comments system or quit blogging altogether.

Sun Feb 14, 08:33:00 AM PST  
Blogger Always On Watch said...

One system of Blogger comments (the one with multiple sign-in options for a box at the end of a post) is impossible to use in Firefox. I can access this system via IE, but IE loads the sites too slowly.

Sun Feb 14, 08:34:00 AM PST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I changed my shit JUST for YOU!

Muah! Happy Valentines Day!!

Sun Feb 14, 08:39:00 AM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Okay, maybe I'm finally starting to "get it." Maybe I just didn't realize it was so bad out there. In summation, all you guys are getting slammed with spam and trolls -- ?

Then I must be one lucky guy. I haven't gotten riddled with spam and nastiness. I have the occasional, but luckily enough nothing to really write home about. I apparently didn't realize it's the Spam Wild West out there!

BZ

Sun Feb 14, 09:28:00 AM PST  
Blogger KurtP said...

I don't have access to my computer except for early morning and at night, so emailed moderation would be too much lag.

I added open ID and captcha to stop a Jappanese pr()n spammer on my site.

Sun Feb 14, 09:42:00 AM PST  
Blogger Tim said...

It's why I turned on comment moderation. I had a real asshole who invented the blogger ID of "Dick Lickerman, Pornstar" and just disrupt everything with F bombs, insult everybody else, and generally be a total prick. It does slow the comment thread down some, but also denies the spammers ( Iget many of those as well ). I took my hit counter down because once I surpassed 250,000 the Chinese porno spammers websites just bombarded me. My humble blog, which is mainly just about my travels became bigger than I ever thought it would and the attention was starting to be of the unwelcome kind.
Ocassionally, I'll just get a comment from some ultra right winger taking me to task over this or that comment that was made on another blog trying to carry a shitstorm over to my blog, and I'll just smile and select reject.
I won't bother "registering" to comment on a blog. I find that nearly all blogs that require that are authored by a bunch of self rightious assholes who never listen to any opinion that does not validate their worldview 100% so it is a waste of time to comment there anyway as it will always be rejected.

Sun Feb 14, 09:52:00 AM PST  
Blogger Tom said...

Spam is only part of the reason I went from Blogger to an independently hosted WordPress blog. The tools to automatically reject spam comments and block known trolls also help keep the maintenance time down. All, I hope, helps keep the hassle of leaving comments down to a minimum.

BZ, it all determines if your blog has been targeted by spammers and trolls. If not, then you are fortunate.

Sun Feb 14, 10:02:00 AM PST  
Blogger Clint said...

BZ-
It's funny that you mention this.
Just two days ago I added a captcha to mine. The reason-the email on my phone notifies me I have a message awaiting comment moderation anytime anyone "unregistered" posts a message. For every legitimate comment, I get five that are trying to get me to buy either male enhancement pills or buy into "investments."
Did I want to add a captcha to my site? No- for the very reasons you listed. However, it is setup that once you register on my site, you don't have to worry about any of the security measures, and I don't have to moderate the comments from those who have registered.
I agree...it has gone too far. Unfortunately, that is the cost of blogging nowadays.
BTW- you know how many spam comments awaiting moderation I have received in the last 48 hours? 0.

Clint
http://the-outer-marker.us

Sun Feb 14, 11:25:00 AM PST  
Blogger TexasFred said...

And now you know why I use WordPress.ORG

Blogger is FREE, you get what you pay for. On WP.org, I, and Bushwack, and many others, have SPAM filters that are impeccable, we have BANNING capabilities that make trolls and spammer vanish to never be heard from again...

Sure, it costs a bit more, and yeah, I am an HTML code writer and Bushy is a tech genius but we have clean blogs, you NEVER see trolls or spammers in our comments.

Is it that much hassle to log in once and remember YOUR name and PASSWORD, I mean, if that's too much, wow, just WOW...

As I said, you get what you pay for, and BZ, you have trusted friends that have made every effort to help you with HTML... WE learned it, we're all close to the same age group, so, the HTML disability isn't age related...

Just sayin'...

I use this HTML Tags / Codes / Web Page Design a lot too... It's simple, it gives you simple, easy to understand examples and a look at the result so you KNOW what to expect...

I only use CAPTCHA on registrations, I was getting slammed by Robot-Registrations, that has stopped now completely, I refuse to use it on comments because I too find it atrocious...

Individual comment moderation turns a FUN blog into work, with WP.org, 1st time comment makers are held for moderation, after that it's pretty much a free shot unless some asshole gets tacky, nasty or exhibits a FAR left tilt that just nauseates the senses...

It all boils down to this, we ALL have our own ants, needs and desires, our individual blogs reflect that... Ya gotta do what's right for YOU man...

Sun Feb 14, 11:36:00 AM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Tim: okay, so if a hit counter goes over a quarter millions that somehow seems to activate a horde of spamming. I get it.

Clint: I'm gonna have to Google "captcha" and see just what that is.

TF: I registered for yours a long long time ago, so that's a non-issue. Thanks for the link to the HTML! With Robot Registrations, spam spam spam spam, trolls, I've apparently got it good so I need to STFU.

BZ

Sun Feb 14, 01:44:00 PM PST  
Blogger Ron Russell said...

I prefer those blogs that don't have all the speed bumps, but have come to accept them as a way of life. I try to visit some 20 or so blogs daily and that in itself is trying for me, but I struggle along.

Sun Feb 14, 01:59:00 PM PST  
Blogger Old NFO said...

BZ- I hear ya... I HAD to put word verify on due to spammers/trolls. I don't moderate comments (99% of the time)... I'll understand if you don't comment :-)

Sun Feb 14, 02:08:00 PM PST  
Blogger The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

Like some have already mentioned, spam is the reason why I might on occasion turn on word verification. I just don't understand why those squiggly lines have to look so damn undecipherable!

Right now, I have posts older than a week-old on comment moderation because I was getting notices by some spambot. After a while, the notices on approving or disapproving those spams stopped. So I could change it back, but haven't bothered. I get so few comments anyway, on older stuff.

Sun Feb 14, 07:36:00 PM PST  
Blogger Right Truth said...

I agree with you on making it simple. Having to sign up for a password to blogs use to be a real pain. But FireFox remembers my passwords now so that makes it easier.

Sometimes bloggers don't have a choice. At Right Truth I use TypePad's cheapest membership, $4.95 a month. With that I don't get many choices on anything. They do give you choices now of how you sign in, IF you choose to sign in.

I do feel your pain.

Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

Mon Feb 15, 06:58:00 AM PST  
Blogger Mike Pittman said...

I agree with you that it shouldn't be so hard. Moderation and registration are two obstacles that annoy me. I do use captcha. I don't want to encumber people, but spend a few afternoons or evenings deleting spam messages and captcha becomes a necessity.

VW

Tue Feb 16, 06:35:00 AM PST  
Blogger Edith Bunker said...

I guess there are advantages to having a blog that is largely unread. I've had a few comments written in Mandarin (or Cantonese, I can't tell the difference). And I've had one viagra spam & it made me feel pretty impotent. I mean Important .

Tue Feb 16, 06:08:00 PM PST  
Blogger ASM826 said...

I was getting spam comments with links to porn sites when I set my blog to require registration for comments. I don't get a lot of hits, or comments, but it still happened.

For your first commenter, HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It the base set of agreed on standards for writing web pages in a format that you internet browser program can read.

Thu Feb 18, 01:39:00 AM PST  

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