Bloggers on Blogger, please stop doing this…
Blogger Comment Login without Option for Name/URL
Just a tiny Grinch-y rant while we’re still close enough to the holidays for me to call myself a Grinch…
I read a lot of blogs. A lot. And I comment on a lot of blogs. I have my own blog and love it when people comment…I am only assuming that others feel the same. It’s nice to know that somewhere out there, someone is reading what you’ve written and someone is taking the time to comment .
The Other Blogger Option, again with No Name/URL Option
But I’ve all but given up commenting on all but a few Blogger blogs that are set up without a Name/URL option. Why? Because you have to use a Google Account, or a form of OpenID to leave your comment. And for WordPress, they want a WordPress.com account. Not a WordPress.org account. So now that I’m closing down my Typepad account, I can’t comment on a lot of Blogger blogs unless I want to login with my Google account which I just don’t want to do. (Call me stubborn.)
Here’s what happens with this Blogger set up. I write up my comment. I realize I can’t submit it because I have to go login somewhere else. I go to OpenID (or Typepad up until now) and insert my OpenID URL or Typepad username. Now I have to leave the blog that I’ve been enjoying reading and go log in separately to OpenID or Typepad and then come back to the blog site and do the CAPTCHA and then submit my comment. (And half the time, I can’t even remember my OpenID URL anyhow so the OpenID option is pointless.) Even if I use a Google Account, it’s the same problem if I’m not already logged into gmail or some other Google product. I have to leave. I have to come back. And by that point, I’ve lost interest.
And with this sort of process–the options depicted in the screenshot–all you get is the name of the commenter. If the commenter has a Web site, you will have no idea. The commenter just becomes an anonymous name. That’s it.
So please, bloggers on Blogger…change your commenting settings. It’s easy, I promise. And Blogger’s spam settings are awesome so you will not be spammed.
OK. Grinchy rant over. Do some good eating for me this weekend, please!
Jan 07, 2011
On Blogger this can be changed by signing in go to your Dashboard then click on Settings > Comments > Who Can Comment > Anyone
>Who Can Comment is the second blurb on the Comment settings options and Anyone is the first choice.
I changed mine a few months ago and have never had a single spammy comment come through.
Jan 07, 2011
Sorry forgot to mention that the default option for comments on Blogger is “Registered Users” so it is likely that people don’t realize it can be changed or that it is set in this way.
Changing it has really opened up the range of comments I get from people!
Jan 07, 2011
I had to go and check mine – I didn’t remember what it was. Turns out I had changed it to include Name/URL a while back. Anonymous too. I haven’t got much spam, but it’s always a bit silly when someone anonymous leaves a comment saying something didn’t work, and they never come back so you can’t help them fix it!
Jan 07, 2011
Totally agree…nice to get a comment and know you’re not alone!!! But I’ve all but given up on some because I’m sick of the hoops!
Jan 07, 2011
Hi Krista
Learnt something reading that.
I may have missed a previous post on this but why did you switch from TypePad to WordPress? Do you now get more traffic with WordPress.
Jan 07, 2011
I’ll write up something about that next week. The two main reasons I had at the time were
1. The ability to commercialize without having to switch to Advanced templates and hand-code HTML (which I can’t do)
2. Better SEO
The migration has had it’s pluses and minuses. More to come soon!
Jan 08, 2011
Thanks Krista for reply ref. switch from TypePad to WordPress. Look forward to reading that post. Interested to know about better SEO. Hope you have a great weekend.
Jan 07, 2011
I couldn’t agree more. If you don’t have Name/URL then I most likely won’t comment. Their loss!
Jan 07, 2011
This also drives me ABSOLUTELY MENTAL. Thank goodness I’m not the only one!
Jan 07, 2011
I changed mine to allow anyone to comment a few months after creating my blog because a number of my readers had mentioned to me that they have neither OpenID or a google account.
As mine is set to require word verification, I don’t get much robot spam and the very low volume of spam written and posted by real people can be quickly and easily deleted.
Jan 07, 2011
I agree!!!
Jan 07, 2011
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