Thursday, January 31, 2013

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.



24 comments:

  1. Good post, and yes it can get confusing when reading and replying to anon commenters. Sometimes there are several of them and they may or may not all be the same person.

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  2. You cannot silenceeee ussss...

    We are Legion.

    We are Many.

    noooooooooooooooooo(hiss)

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  3. I like the idea of a pen name, I am sure no one will be able to argue with me effectively. :)

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  4. Hahaha, "How do I use the internet?"

    Welcome to my world :)

    - Tech support gal

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    Replies
    1. "I have no internet! I need to finish off my project and I can't use the VPN!"
      "Oh, ok... How do you connect from home? Via cord or wireless?"
      "Wired of course!"
      "... Could you tell me just exactly how you've connected your laptop to your home network?"
      "Well, I don't know, my husband normally does this, I... I used the big black blob you gave me, remember?"
      "I... big black blob?"
      "Yeah, the one that has 'Dell' printed on it!"
      "That's the power adapter, Bri."
      "Oooooh, you mean I've been trying to get online via the power cord all week? And I've been so adamant about keeping the big blob jacked in at all times!"

      No matter how weird the errors tend to get, they're almost always extremely logical. She'd been connected via wifi previously, thinking the power adapter was the ethernet connection. Then her husband/kids shut off the wifi without telling her.

      Let's hope more people name themselves. :)

      Delete
  5. Congratulations on the success and spike in traffic on your site. Super! Less anon comments will be a nice upgrade, quality improvement. Sorry you have to hand hold us through basic web stuff in addition to husband shopping techniques, didn't realize we were buggin :>) I really enjoy reading and posting on here, didn't think I would be a repeat visitor, but I get my jollies both reading & typing up comment, so I will repay in kind and choose a moniker for you blog boss-man. Here goes...

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  6. Hi, this is not advert. or spam but just a suggestion.
    I think you should use Disqus. I've seen them on blogs and use it on my own and I think helps keep track of comments better. Plus people can subscribe via email or use fb/twitter to comment to keep track of things. I you can import comments and easily implement them on blogger. You should consider it :)

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  7. Will there be any posts focusing more on the long term in the future? For those of us who get hit on a lot, get a first date, and a second and third etc. but can't really make a relationship materialize or get some sort of trouble/arguments two months in which causes things to fade out. I've dated a couple of guys who were only in town temporarily and said they planned on staying but ended up leaving. However I see they have moved for girls later on.
    Also whether there is a specific time a girl must ask for exclusivity.

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  8. Hi Andrew, I think you might find this interesting. In 2012, Askmen.com carried out a survey on over 100,000 men and women on 'Dating & Sex' and 'Lifestyle' - these are their findings:

    Men:

    http://uk.askmen.com/specials/great_male_survey/

    Women:

    http://uk.askmen.com/specials/2012_great_female_survey/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for these, they were interesting. One on the survey questions (the one about women dressing for "other women") inspired the tweet I just published.

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  9. I'm glad you posted this thread Andrew.

    I suggested this in your survey a few months ago - it's always nice to have an idea of someone's personal situation when they comment.

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    Replies
    1. It has been an annoyance since the beginning, but your comment in the survey was noted. A couple other people made similar comments.

      Delete
  10. Hi Andrew,

    I just started reading your blog. I was with my boyfriend for 8 months. (my first boyfriend, but i am in my early 20s) at first he was really into me and then at 8 months he broke up with me. (doesnt feel the same, doesn't think he can handle a relationship right now blah blah) also may i point out he is a year younger then me. I reacted, from what now i know was all the wrong ways. I begged, sent hate messaged then cried again while leaving him voicemail messages every....single day... for like 3 months ( i know. Never again.) Within those three months he asked me to be with him again.. and that lasted for about 2 weeks until he left AGAIN. So my methods of insanity continued, (i was also 4 hours away from home at school, after this happend the next semester i transferred to a school only 40 min from home, (he lives at home and does not go away to school)begged and cried and texted him day in and day out like a mad women! When i returned home from school things began to calm down and eventually we got back together but this time he didn't want a label because he wasn't "sure" (basically i gave him all the power) so basically things got confusing on my side !! This was going well for 4 months until eventually i got tired of putting so much love and care into the relationship and into him and him not showing the same amount back, so he eventually got tired of me "complaining" and left..ONCE AGAIN!!! This time after at first begging him for about a week and then blaming everything on me,i decided to put my foot and down and be strong and break off communication for a while. 2 weeks went by i got weak and texted him, that didn't end well and then another couple of weeks went by and i texted and so on. Now I am at the point where i think it is time to stop this method of insanity that is not doing me any justice. I haven't really had a actual convo with him in about a month but i have sent him snap chats here and there, but that needs to come to an end, i need to be strong. Is it too late for me to resolve the level of pathectiness that i have let off?? I work with him by the way but have been at a different location but will be returning to our mutual location in about 3 weeks. So yes basically i am asking is it too late to make myslef not look pathetic and also is it too late to take away the thought that he probably has in his head that he is "such a great guy"? Also, why do relationship have to be a game??.... i seriously think it is so immature.

    Kittykat

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