I've noticed that an increasing number of Bloggers in general are using the verification process to weed out comment bots. And I've also seen quite a few blogs that I frequent who've gone to moderated comments. These measures to prevent spamming and offensive comments kill the spontaneous flow of the conversation between the blogger and the reader, IMVHO. I, too, have used verification on my own blogs from time to time, when I seemed to be the target for these bots, but I try to take the verification back off just as soon as the spam storm seems to have passed.
I say all that to say that personally, I very much dislike to comment on someone's blog, only to find that I have to fill in a long string of letters. Usually, I've taken so long to compose my comment, that I end up having to fill out two sets of letters, because the first set has expired. There are even a few sites I've seen that make me do the verification thingy, and then they moderate the comment, too!!
I've been on dialup for the last week, and it's really made me appreciate just how cumbersome this whole verification process is. If you choose to Preview your comment, then you have to put in another string of letters in order to Submit your comment. Not to mention you have to wait while the slow dialup loads all this stuff.
Well, can you tell I'm just a wee bit peeved? Yes, I know the bots are out there. Yes, I know they can be a real pain. All I'm saying is, some of you have gone overboard and turned the prospect of commenting on your blogs into a real pain, too. I hope I've given you something to think about, anyway.
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6 comments:
Rosemary, I apologize for making my blogs hard to comment on. I am new to blogging and didn't realize that this would be a problem. Thank you for mentioning this, for I want to do everything I can to make my blogs interesting enough for people to stop by and read and don't want to do anything that would hinder them commenting.
Just remember, Janey, that this was a personal rant. Lots of bloggers go to great lengths to prevent the spam bots from bothering them and wouldn't have it any other way. I only wanted to voice an opinion for the other side.
Just remember, Janey, that this was a personal rant. Lots of bloggers go to great lengths to prevent the spam bots from bothering them and wouldn't have it any other way. I only wanted to voice an opinion for the other side. side.
I realize that...but I was getting carried away with all the bells and whistles availabe for my blogs and didn't think that I could have been driving some commenters away!!!
It's a good comment. I've tried turning off the letter verification part a few times, and every time I've had spam in my comments by the time I wake up the next morning. I think the only way to get a good discussion going, in my case, is with it on. I think most people can get away without it, though. Those spam bots seem to target certain addresses more frequently than others for whatever reason.
Thanks, Dustin, for presenting the other side of the argument. I do think, Janey, that there's no need for both the verification and moderation. If you're going to moderate, you can get rid of the spam at that point, anyway, seems to me. I'd say, keep the verification and do away with the moderation. But that's just my own opinion, remember. I don't have any magic info on any of this.
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