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3/06/2009

Let's Talk About Blogging: Comments Part I

It is time again for:


And today we are going to talk about comments! This is the segment where I tell you all to leave me comments EVERYDAY so that I feel loved. No? Okay, then lets talk about making it as easy as possible for people to LEAVE us comments. Better? Good!

We are going to start with word verification.


Duh duh duh!

I first saw a 'movement' of sorts where bloggers had buttons on their sidebars telling you to turn it off. I thought they were CRAZY! I have a Wordpress blog that is self hosted (meaning it is on my own dot com address) and I get Spam like CRAZY! And I don't even really use that blog yet! It is sort of in the 'I am trying to figure out what to do with it' stage.

But then I tried it. Now I cannot say that I haven't gotten any Spam. Every once in a while I get a strange comment on an old post with a link. I don't know what is at the end of that link because I don't follow them, just delete them. But I have never had anyone (knock on wood) leave anything inappropriate in my comment section.

So why does it matter? Honestly, it may not make that much of a difference, but I think the easier it is to leave a comment the better! And lately on Blogger I have had a ton of problems with the word verification not loading (could be my computer) so I can't even leave a comment at all.

Also, If I am reading a blog and have to leave word verification, especially one that I mess up once or twice and have to redo, I don't usually leave more than one comment. So even if I read another post and want to comment, I might now. I know! Rude! ;D

If you are not comfortable taking word verification off, I totally understand. This is the internet!

If you want to try it out, you can go to your dashboard, click on the Settings Tab. Click on comments and scroll to the bottom, third from the bottom is Show Word Verification for Comments? Click No.

If you are a little unsure, try it and set your comments to Moderation. You will have to approve all comments before they appear, but try it for a couple of day.

What are your thoughts on Word Verification? Love it? Hate it? Want to marry it? Does it affect the way you leave comments?

33 comments:

Ms. Witi said...

Sometimes it takes me once or twice but, in the grand scheme it really doesn't matter....

If I want to comment I will put up with a little verification..heck my body could use a little "verification" now and then!! :o)

Kristina P. said...

I've gotten very few spam comments in the year I've been blogging. I agree with you!

Cajoh said...

I realize that if people actually "find" my blog and want to comment— more power to them. I guess that is my reverse paranoia— whereby I feel that nobody's paying attention to me. I heard that a lot of people were having trouble with word verification, so I turned it off to allow those people who want to comment to do so.

Cupcake Dessert said...

I haven't actually been blogging that long but I have never gotten a spam comment. I hate those things and i feel like annoyed by them but I understand why they are there. I want to make things as easy for my commenters as possible!! I have comments on moderation simply because I like to read them that way.

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

I totally agree. I turned word verification off from the get-go, and I haven't had any problems with spam. It drives me crazy to have to retype all of those darn words over and over again.

Thanks!

Jen

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

I don't like word verification but I will still leave a comment if the blog has it.
For my blog I prefer to use comment moderation. It is a little more work for me but is easier for my readers. Plus I did get spam on my blog when I did have word verification.

Lara Neves said...

I started blogging on Blogger 4 years ago and I got spam comments on a daily basis. In fact, since blogging was very new and none of my friends did it, spam was often the only comments I got! They didn't even have the word verify option then, but as soon as they got it, I turned it on.

I just turned it off about 6 months ago, and so far, have not received any obvious spam, so I think Blogger has improved things that way, or maybe the spammers just don't bother because everyone has word verify? I don't know.

I don't mind word verify too much, but I also have the issues with it not loading half the time lately, so I have to reload. Plus, I guess I stink at typing it because I usually have to do it at least twice.

However...the one thing that drives me absolutely crazy is private blogs with word verify. There is absolutely no reason for that...you have no chance of getting spam. Please turn it off if you have a private blog.

Joanne Kennedy said...

I hate it. I took it off my blog. If things get bad then I can always put it back on.

But I don't always have a lot of time to leave a message so when I come across one that I have to input it two or three times I give up and move on.

I also dont' think people need to leave messages all the time. Sure it's nice to look popular but as long as you are still getting people coming by that is a sign you are still popular enough.

I mean do we really need to take the time to say "Oh how pretty"?

Hugs,
Joanne

Insanitykim said...

The word verification went down when I was trying to post comments on several blogs, and even though I don't have the verification on mine, the comment box went down DURING MY GIVEAWAY! ACK!

I try to make it as easy as possible to let people comment, and I just protect the content on my blog as best I can. So far no spam, but, that's what the little trash can is for! :)

I love me some comments, and I try really hard to go and comment back to the ones that seem to want a comment back. I loves it.

I loves your blog too! :)

Amanda in GA said...

I put it on my blog when I started it because I had a friend who had been having problems with spam on her blog. Then I got a few "weird" comments that I had to remove so I now moderate my comments so I really need to remove the word verification. It is a pain but it does not keep me from commenting.

angi_b72 said...

I don't like the word verification, but i more so don't like it when you have to put your email addy, your http:, your name, your dob, the date of your 1st born.....lol

Coffee with Cathy said...

I've never had any problem with the words loading properly -- if I did, I'm sure I'd feel differtently -- but I kind of dig them, in a Lewis-Carroll Jabberwocky sort of way. Often they are weirdly sort of timely to the post I'm reading, or they're so nonsensical they make me laugh or they start me down some mental path of silliness. I know, I know -- I should get a life!!! Actually, I should get the job of coming up with those words.

Unknown said...

I just turned off my word verification a couple of weeks ago, and I have noticed an increase in comments, I thought it was because I was getting fabulouser!
Seriously, though, I've only seen 2 questionable comments, not sure if they were spam or not.

Jan said...

Verification doesn't bother me. I know I know. I actually find them funny. I have had

nephi
pesty
idleman

These have been the lastet that have been funny. Now if I am in a hurry, it is a little more annoying though.

LunaMoonbeam said...

I turned WV on after I got a few spam hits in the comments...but, you're right - Blogger's been having Word Verification Issues lately, to put it lightly. I turned mine off and actually got love letters from a few readers. ;-) I figure, as long as I don't allow "anonymous" comments, I'm pretty safe. If I start getting something that's inappropriate, I might turn on moderation. However, I'm so COMPLETELY CONNECTED TO THIS COMPUTER (I'm online if I'm nursing, and I have a newborn. 'nuf said) that I see comments within minutes of them going live. I AM my own moderator! haha

kel said...

I hate word verification!

LunaMoonbeam said...

@ Wifey Desesert - if you like to read your comments in your inbox, instead of moderation, having them e-mailed to you is another option. That way, if people have their e-mails plugged into the right little blogger spot, you can respond directly to your readers' comments! So, so lovely...

Michelle said...

I don't care either way. I don't have it on mine cause it used to bug the crap out of me. Now, most of my issues with leaving comments and only using 1 exclamation point per comment! Apparently, I get all excited about a lot of stuff and the screaming in my head wants to come out in my typing...I have issues.

jennykate77 said...

I can take it or leave it...I think it's kinda fun to come up with funny meanings for the "words"...use them in sentences, things like that. However, turning WV off does save a lot of time for commenting...and we know we ALL love comments!

Lorie said...

Lara, I think a lot of private blogs have it on there because they don't really know it is an option to turn it off. Plus if you go to your own comments it doesn't show for you, so they just don't realize it. I have a friend that just started a private blog and I am going over next week to turn it off for her! ;D

Lorie said...

Joanne,

I agree. I only want people to leave comments if they want to, but I sure like it when they do! Even if it is just oh pretty! ;D

Sometimes it helps me judge what people think about what I post!

Lorie said...

angi, that is a pretty common wordpress thing. When I blog about that I will teach you a trick I learned!! ;D

Lorie said...

Michelle, I think you caught my exclamation point disease!!! I often have to go back and edit posts and comments because every sentence ends with an exclamation point. (I had to do it here to.)

Dawn Parsons Smith said...

I turned my word verification off and have had no problems. Whew! I will do it on other blogs, but I have a 2 strikes issue if it doesn't work. I just can't fight with it all day!

Renee said...

I hate it because I always type it in wrong. Every once in a while the word makes me laugh, like the other day when it was "statan". I don't know why?

Amy said...

I HATE it. It wouldn't be so bad if they were real words.
What I want to know is how you have a comments link visible in google reader?

Andrea said...

I turned off my word verification a few weeks ago and I haven't had any spam. Yet. I don't mind it on other blogs, I guess--sometimes the words are funny.

Georgia Girl said...

Oh gosh....I HATE IT!!!! But sometimes I have to do it to leave a comment if I want to...but I never get bad things so I don't use it...I sort of don't comment if I can't read the word after second try I just forget about it and don't leave nothing which I hate but is true.
Glad you don't have one.

Amie said...

HATE IT!

Amanda@Imperfectly Beautiful said...

I.HATE.WORD.VERIFICATION. I turned mine off from the very beginning, and have not had any problems yet. Knock on wood.

Just SO said...

I have wv and have been debating on whether or not to turn it off. I'm not sure what I will do. I don't mind it at all, in fact I love word verification Wednesday that some people do. It cracks me up.

CJ, The Purple Diva said...

Don't like the WV! Drives me batty! Thanks for this post! I may do some linky love for this one!

Kristi M. said...

I find that so many people are paranoid about their blogs that they try too much to protect it. Word verification being one of them. My blog has been up and running for almost 2 years and I have had one comment where I would say that it was spam. That is it! WV is sooo frustrating. Making it easier for people to comment the better.