How to Comment Using a Name

The Rules Revisited Traffic (as of this afternoon)

The internet traffic to this blog has been increasing rapidly, and the number of comments on recent posts has started to follow suit. This is facilitated by the fact that I leave the comments un-moderated, allowing anyone to post - with or without a Google ID or name. While this encourages more people to comment, it also means that the vast majority of people comment anonymously, and this has side effects:

• If someone wants to reply to an anonymous comment, they are forced to refer to the time at which that specific "Anonymous" posted, e.g. "@ Anonymous from 3:45 pm."  This can get confusing and annoying.
• It prevents frequent commenters from interacting in constructive ways, because there is no way to read a comment in light of that Anonymous poster's previous comments.
• It allows people to hide behind their Anonymity and post retarded or offensive shit without damaging their reputation.

I am not going to start limiting who is allowed to comment or what they are allowed to say, but I want to encourage you to post using a name. Keep in mind that you don't have to post using your real name; you can use a pen name instead, as several regular commenters already do (much appreciated, by the way). If you use a pen name, you will be "known" only to the other readers of the blog, and only in light of your previous comments. Your boss won't find out about your office romance or the drama with your ex in the cubicle next to you. I've posted instructions below to show you how to post using a name.

Another point: as this blog grows, I am struggling to keep up with responding to comments; a large number have gone unanswered recently. The schedule for my full-time job is about to ramp up too, which will make it harder still for me to respond. I'd like to encourage those of you who read frequently (and understand the spirit of the blog) to reply to other readers' questions. 

Finally, please note that you can subscribe to the comments you leave, so that you will get an automatic e-mail notification when anyone replies. Then you don't need to keep checking or remember where you left the comment. You can do this by clicking on the "Subscribe by email" link to the bottom right of the comment box.

Here is how you post using your name:

Step 1. Select the Name/URL option from the pull-down menu above the comment box.

Step 3. A pop-up window will promt you for your name and URL. Enter them and click continue. (The URL is optional but if you enter one, clinking on your name after you publish the comment will take the reader to that website or blog.)

Step 4. Type in your comment.

Step 5. Click publish.