My Apologies For Those With Comments
The article’s title says it all, my friends, and unfortunately seems necessary. Fine bloggers and loyal readers Elizabeth and Ronan brought to my attention their recent trouble in leaving a comment on this site. Having reached my 1-year anniversary in February for seriously using WordPress.com as my primary writing platform, this was disconcerting to hear. I mean one of the key reasons for me leaving Google’s Blogger platform and coming here for WP to host this, beyond their rudimentary writing tools, was their comment system. So, it pains me when readers can’t join in, or have extra hurdles to overcome, on the discussion. Such is the case here.
It didn’t take much research to locate the issue some are having leaving comments. This WP Support Forum topic covered pretty clearly:
You must be logged in to comment…
Scrolling down those who’ve noted this issue on their blogs, we find the answer (Posted by WP staff member chrisrudzki):
“Howdy,
We’ve recently updated our commenting system.
Now if someone tries to comment with an email address attached to a WordPress.com account (or Gravatar account, they’re the same), they’ll need to sign into WordPress.com before they can comment.
If commenters have forgotten their password they can request a reset:
http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php?action=lostpassword“
How’s them apples? Now, it may be related to the amount of comment spam blog platforms have to deal with (it’s certainly risen in my Akismet Spam bin WordPress deploys). For those of you on Blogger, you’ve seen a big change over there as Google’s implemented Captcha programming to help defeat the ever present spam bots. Either way, it is clearly a disruption to the discussion bloggers are trying to have with their readers. Certainly, others on WP are noting and taking issue with this (see here, here and here), as am I. I think contributor/member lulu13 captured it best:
“ANYONE should be able to leave comments easily, and right now, NO ONE can do it except if they have a wordpress account. This is completely against the idea of “blogging,” which is a CONVERSATION between the writer and the readers. No one should be blocked (and we should be able to ask for our readers to leave an email address with their comments). I hope this will be fixed really quickly because I am really annoyed!”
Workarounds
Until WordPress.com makes it easier, or changes things up, this is where the bar set.
- if you are existing WP bloggers, make sure you’re logged in to WordPress [you should see your name at the far right of WP’s menu bar, if you are] — also gravatar users now have to login to wordpress.com, as well (which is likely the heart of the issue)
- if you have had a WordPress.com account in the past, reset the password using WP’s link [granted, you shouldn’t have to do this, but there it is]
- others have had success by using another email address entirely [this a self-defeating tactic if you want to follow a thread and it’s a fake address or don’t use that account, though]
- Or, sign-in using your Twitter or Facebook account instead and bypass WP’s account entirely
- lastly, another way to leave a comment is to not leave an email address in that field at all (this is how in my testing I added Ronan’s and Elizabeth’s comments sent to me directly via email and Facebook to existing comment threads) — the comment will go through (and your name and website can still be associated), but then you cannot follow the discussion thread via email [this is a drag, yes]
I will continue to follow this issue and report on this page any related news. Again, I’m sincerely sorry about all this.
Note at 2012, March 21 @2:00 PM: WordPress is getting lots of heat over this and belatedly posted this as an answer to the issue (and not open to comments, where’s the irony?):
It Rains... You Get Wet 
30 Responses to “My Apologies For Those With Comments”
I’ve actually been making a list of the strangest (or most entertaining) spam comments that I’ve received and may make a post about it at some point. Actually, WordPress seems to have an easier comment policy than some other sites I’ve seen, which all but make you use a secret handshake in order to post a comment.
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I don’t doubt it, Jamie ;-). The stuff and content of the spam comments is something, alright. And yes, some blog platforms can be extremely unwieldy when it comes to commenting or policing. Fine comment, my friend. Thanks.
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Compared to Blogger, WP’s commenting system is heavenly! I actually don’t comment on Blogger blogs as much because literally it takes me like 5 minutes to get the comment through! I’ve told the bloggers about it via email/twitter. I think your blog has no problem in that regard, Michael.
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I do agree that WP’s commenting system is one of the features I’ve enjoyed very well as a blogger. Till this turned up, they’ve been on a good streak with me concerning the features WP has added. Certainly, Blogger makes things easier, if you have a Google account — harder, if you do not. Thanks, Ruth.
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I agree Ruth!!
I really hate that new Captcha in blogger…it was difficult to read!! I often walk away without comment when a blogspot ask for that one
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I’m hearing this by a lot of Blogger owners. Readers comments are dropping because of it.
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Thanks for the info. Don’t you just LOVE when they make “improvements” without telling anyone?
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Yes, those unexpected improvements bring so much joy in technology ;-). Thanks for the comment and the early heads-up on this issue, Elizabeth.
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Hi Michael…
As always, love your blog and I hope all is well….
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Thank you very much for the kind words and sentiment :-).
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That sounds like some BS. I don’t get why wordpress would take away one of its strength. I was a commenter before starting my bog, and if i couldn’t comment i’m not sure i would have made one
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I think WP discovered some coding bugs with Gravatar, but didn’t implement a fix as they could have and certainly not deftly (especially for their blog owners and readers). Some blogs, I’ve read who have a large number of Gravatar users saw a big drop off in comments based on this issue. Thanks so much for the comment, Julian.
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I have a Blogger blog and I have the opposite feeling of some others. It’s more of a hassle to leave comments on WordPress and the system can be inconsistent. I have still been leaving comments even though sometimes they don’t go through. All of the blog platforms seem to be taking things that were broken a little bit and breaking them more. I wish they’d stop improving things if the improvements don’t really make anything better.
Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
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I think before I acquired a WP account, it was more difficult for me as a Blogger user to make a comment on WordPress sites. Yes, new ‘improvements’ can make dealing with blogging platforms hellish, which is real unfortunate. BTW, I still maintain my Blogger account. Google’s recent changes to their platform have made for some adverse outcomes. For instance, if you don’t use the ’embedded’ format for your blog’s comments, did you know your readers lose the ability to follow via email? That can be a real shame if readers want to follow a discussion thread, and can’t. Thanks very much, Arlee.
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Yes, I am aware of this new notification problem with the pop-out box. I actually done a couple of posts about it already and still haven’t decided what I should do. So many have complained about the embedded comment box that I switched to the pop-out. I like to follow the thread and have a conversation with those who like to do so, but now it’s a big hassle to keep track of where I’ve left comments and I think likewise my commenters probably don’t return for the most part. It’s annoying. However it has reduced the volume of emails I receive.
Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
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Yes, I’ve heard similar with other Blogger site owners. Thanks for summing it up well, Arlee.
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Sometimes it’s impossible to leave a comment on a blog, and I will leave, but sometimes I am tenacious and battle till my comment is up.
I avoid battling with blogspot. Arhhh, so frustration.
If I see the little w sign, I know it will probably let me if I just click it.
Let see if it works….
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I’m not surprised to hear that, subtlekate. Anything that prevents reader discussion is more than regrettable, especially for blog owners. Yes, Blogger doesn’t make it easy, especially of late. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment.
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Thanks for this informative post Michael and for researching this. I’ve now signed into my wordpress acc (which I never use) so hopefully this comment will stick. I’m tempted to just stay signed into my acc but that is probably ill-advised, security wise. It is frustrating though that I have to log in to comment now, it takes the spontaneity out of it. It may also put people off leaving a comment if they have to create a Gravatar/WordPress acc if they haven’t already. It would be useful if WordPress could post an explanation as to why they have introduced this change. I think it would go some way to taking the heat off. Thanks Michael. *update — still not working, had to repost my comment without the email address. Humpf.
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Sorry to hear you’re still having the issue, Ronan. Tell me, did you reset your WP password? I’m curious to see if that made any difference at all. Agreed this is a barrier to getting involved in a discussion online and that it’ll have an effect on people leaving comments (as others in this specific thread have already stated). Not good. Thanks for the reading and the comment (and for pointing out the issue), my friend.
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It’s a very annoying change and I have noticed the impact of it with a decrease in the amount of comments. Glad to see I’m not the only one who doesn’t like it.
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It’s hard to see the benefit to WP as their platform is taking plenty of heat on this change. I don’t know anyone who likes it better since their ‘improvement’. Thanks, Nostra.
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I really really dont like this new comment rule!!!
You know I have 3 different accounts for me and my turtles, this limitation makes me have to open 3 browsers at the same time to comment as me, Kroten and Papoe…what a troublesome new rule
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That is a lot of hurdles to jump through just to leave a comment, Novroz. They’re just making it to decide not to comment. Unreal. Thanks very much.
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A lot of hurdles indeed!! but there’s nothing else I can do. I often posted 2 post at the same time,one in mine and one in my turtle’s…and I couldn’t reply the comments as me in both of them,the other has to be by my turtles.
Fortunately, I don’t have significant dropping comment (yet) because most of the commenters come from another wordpress blogs
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I hope WP is listening to all of this. They should make this easier than it is for some. Thanks, Novroz.
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SO THAT’S WHAT IT IS!!!!! I have been so frustrated with this the past couple weeks, I would write a comment and try to post it and it would give that message “You must be logged in etc…” and I would go back and my comment would be gone 😦
I thought that was only me but now I see it isn’t so that’s a major, major pain in the butt even though I do have a gravatar/wordpress.com account. Absolutely terrible idea.
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Isn’t it? WP screwed the pooch (channeling ‘The Right Stuff’, here ;-)) with this move. Understandable that it’s generating anger — “Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” (I’ll end this with the ‘Phantom Menace’ reference ;-)). Thanks, Castor.
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[…] One of the banes of our modern existence is spam in our email inbox, but what I’ve learned since maintaining FilmVerse is that spammers also target the comment section of blogs. Of course, we all had knowledge of this in an academic way thanks to all the Captchas that we have to wade through any time we log on to practically every website. While WordPress is one of the easier systems, it still has its issues. […]
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[…] My Apologies For Those With Comments (le0pard13.com) […]
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