Yes, you must now log in to comment on this site
Just an update on the commenting system on this blog. Over the past 7 months or so I have been getting 300-400+ spam comments a day coming into articles new and old. These comments would have to be manually moderated by myself each and every day as well as manually deleted. It was starting to take up 1-2 hours a day of my time and the reason this was happening is because I did not make it mandatory to log in to comment, so anyone could comment at anytime without having to be known to the site. Starting yesterday I went the way of 99% of other sites on the internet and made it mandatory for you to log in to comment. All of the sudden the spam comment count went to ZERO. Ahhhh. More free time to concentrate on what I need to concentrate on. Yes, I have spam plug-ins doing their job but they have been missing MANY of them. I get much more than 400 a day overall, usually tops out at 2500 a day total but the spam plug-ins catch most of it.
So what does this mean?
This may mean that posts will get less comments because many will not want to log in to comment but just wanted to explain why this has been implemented after I received an email complaint about it today.
To comment on this site you will now need to register before you can do so. You can register HERE. Once you log in once your browser should remember your user and pass so you should be all set.
As always, thanks to all for even being here!
Steve
PS – there is now a LOG IN/LOG OUT and REGISTER bar at the very top of the page at all times for ease of use.
Awesome post.
Hi Steve, just testing login and see how fast comments appear.
great feeling after logging in , passwording and commenting ….i used to hover around your site previously incessantly like a gatecrasher , i am even doing it now ….but suddenly feeling like an invited guest .cheers steve , bye bye spammers 🙂
Un-moderated sites, without log in demand, are a pain in the neck, for all, as the spammers and name callers dominate, totally (just check some YouTube discussions).
I am moderator of two discussion forums at yahoogroups, and our rule is simple: After a few pertinent posts from the member (that is, if everything seems OK), I just set the guy to un-moderated. Works like a charm! I maybe have banned one, or at the most two, through the years, and the result is that we have had none of the bickering and name calling you can find elsewhere.
where is my reply of april 25?
Hee Steve,
The fact that you got so much spam says enough how polluted the it highway is.
Very happy for you that you got more time to make the great shots and articles here, you make us feel more involved with what your doing, and that’s what i like.
Say hi to Debbie from me.
Frank Grootenboer.
Sorry Steve it is Debby,
OK – I did not realise you got so much spam…
I am fine with this, just as long as you don’t start selling our information and preferences to third parties. Does the system track my movements on the internet after I leave the site if I do not log off? The reason I ask is that I notice that Facebook does this, which is why I am always careful to log off Facebook after use.
Wow, a little paranoid? I never ever have sold or given any info and this site already has thousands of subscribers, people have been registering since it started. My site is basic. You leave, you leave. 🙂
No, Steve it is a legitimate question concerning data protection. Data is valuable. I have frequented your site for years and I trust you, but I also want some assurance that you will not take the data you can collect and use it for commercial purposes.
You state that you have never sold info, but that is no guarantee that you will not in the future.
I think it would be easyer for Steve to put a donate or a subscribe button on his site to make more money and Steve is a honest guy. And if you are just surfing the internet you are allready an open book 😉
Totally support your decision to make it mandatory to login for comments. We can all use more time to do important things!!
Logged in, posted comments- most without links in them. Get the “Posting comment” message but the comments do not appear. Either a bug in the software, or I’m on an ignore list- not sure which. If the latter, please let me know.
If one feels his or her comments have value, logging in should not be a big deal. Thanks for the site Steve.
OK by me!
Hi Steve,
Well, got ‘access’… (and yet another password for the thick brain of mine to remember;o) – And as said in my email last night: I get it! – and man, if this really frees up a few hours daily – I for one would have probably done so months ago myself;o)
Best
klehmann
ps. and congrats on Your MM desicion! – offcourse it had to go down like that! Its the best of the bunch given ones higher b/w priorities – and like You I just keep a couple extra smaller cams around for the odd colorshot whether for vacations/birthdays or what not. Im just on the X-Series for that.
That said, I did get the following error when trying to leave a comment on another post >>
403 Permission Denied
You do not have permission for this request /wp-comments-post.php?for=jetpack
Sensible enough idea. Spambots are far too ubiquitous these days.
You had to do this, Steve; I run a site myself and it’s just a necessity (and the reason I do not allow any comments on my YouTube channel: way too many people abuse it). It’s amazing what people say when they are anonymous. Good decision, and if it cuts the comment numbers down, a higher proportion will be interesting, I believe. I agree with DanielD’s comment re. needing a signout link somewhere too.
Thanks! There has always been a sign out link – it is to your right, last box below the think tank promo. Ill see if I can move it.
Easy!! Count me in 🙂
You might want to add a convenient log out link somewhere for those use us that may be using a variety of devices, some public.
lets keep the discussions going good work Steve.
Great. Even I could do it in two shakes
Testing . I do not like ” you must now log in to comment on this site ” WHY? is not logical . You’ll lose a lot of comments and fans to your page . WordPress ? why check this : http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/12/hackers-point-large-botnet-at-wordpress-sites-to-steal-admin-passwords-and-gain-server-access/
Hackers Point Large Botnet At WordPress Sites To Steal Admin Passwords And Gain Server Access
And the attacks are stronger every time .
If you do not like it, do not comment. I already had tens of thousands of registered users here and only one has admin access, ME. Making readers log in will not help hackers in any way but it will help stop the thousands of spam comments coming in to the posts every day. 99% of sites require log in to comment and there is a reason for that. I am not worried about losing comments but am enjoying the spam free comments over the past 24 hours. Does DP review require log in? Yep. They have tens of thousands of comments per month. Some sites just do away with comments all together.
new to wordpress, is there anyway to change the password? i’m not sure i can remember that gobbity goop of a password that was sent to me all the time
Testing
Steve, this is a no-brainer; glad you did it. A propos of nothing, I hope you’re going to post something about your M/MM dilemma and how you solved it. Eager to hear more.
Good idea!
Good grief! I don’t mind. I’ve registered. Hopefully this gets rid of the haters, too.
I have never had any problem logging to your site Steve! Plus if this frees 2 hours a day that’s a big deal!
testing log in! way to go steve