Thursday, September 15, 2011

Anonymous, still can't comment?

Since May, "anonymous" has been doing a lot of commenting. It was something Blogger was supposed to fix, in May, they said. Umm, not yet done. Having read the pages of what we can do--and finally semi-understanding it---I can offer some advice.





My offering computer advice is a joke in itself, so, if you prefer, you can go to the pages I read and decifer it for yourself. You will need to click on all the links provided, and each one offers more links.





http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=598fff8a262de49b&hl=en





Not having figured out the difference between Blogger and Blogspot, I will problaby interchange them incorrectly, but the info itself will work.





You start out with your Dashboard and all looks good, including your e-mail address at the upper right. You click on the latest entry from someone you are following, read it and want to comment. For some blogs you will see your name as one of the options, so you click on that, your comment is published and all is well. However, for most blogs, your name does not appear; instead, there are various options. Clicking on Google Account doesn't give the desired effect.





Look at the upper right of that person's blog. If your e-mail address is there, then you shouldn't have a problem, but if it says Create Blog, then something needs to be done.





There are three options, two of which you can do yourself; the third needs to be done by the blogger.

1) You can go to the top right of someone's blog and click on Sign In (next to Create Blog). This takes you to your Dashboard (or you can go there directly) and you click on Sign Out at upper right which will take you to the Sign In page. You think you're signed in--and you are--but not fully. Uncheck Keep Me Signed In.

2) You can "Allow Third Party Cookies" on your computer. (I'm somewhat iffy on doing this).

So, why and how did all of this "anonymous" posting come to be?

In June, 2008, Blogger started an Embedded Comment form. The people cheered. I found Blogger's explanation of what this is.

It must be the default for commenting because those whose blogs get "anonymous" comments have this type.

How to tell: The box for typing the comment will be under the previous comments and on the left when you are on the comments page.

Those who have other set-ups will have the comments box on the right (and your name will show as an option.)

I just changed mine to this because people were saying that they still couldn't comment as other than anonymous.

I sometimes pass on commenting to a blog cause I'm tired of being Anonymous!

What is happening is that Blogger is no longer able to authenticate because of the code changes they made in May, 2011. There was supposed to be a fix but it never came.

Thus, if you want people to be able to comment on your blog who don't allow third party cookies and who don't want to have to sign in each time, change the way your comments are set up.

Go to Settings, then Comments. Next to Comment Form Placement if you have "Embedded Below Post" selected, change it and save changes. I had clicked on Pop-Up Window but it jumped to Full Page. I have the most basic Blogger set-up so tht could be why.

For more info: http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2011/01/technical-sophistication-of-your-blogs.html

Please feel free to mention it if you find any different information.

8 comments:

glorm said...

Proof: it says Create Blog at the upper right, but my name appears below for Choose an identity, which would not have happened had I not changed the way people can comment from the Embedded type to one of the others. Hurray!

Joansie said...

Thank you so much, Gloria. You have saved me a lot of time. Blogger is more interested in hooking up with Android, etc. I've been blogging less because it is a real chore to blog with my IPad because Blogger has not developed an app and I have to use a 3rd party one.

Joansie said...

Hurray!!! Success at first attempt to leave a comment on your blog!

glorm said...

Can you blog using your computer until they come up with an app? You always have such beautiful photography.

Yes, it works and the easiest way is to just change how comments are handled. The Embedded ones must be the default and Blogger needs to make it clear on how those work so bloggers can set it up so people can comment properly.

Another way could be to use Google Chrome which is probably what Google wants people to do.

Now I just need other bloggers to read my post and change their comment form away from Embedded, and that includes Knitting by the Ocean. LOL.

pinkpowderpuff said...

Yes, Thank you. I can now comment and reply no problem.

glorm said...

Yay!

When someone won't believe that I can come through on computer advice, I'll steer them in this direction. LOL.

Jillybejoyful said...

testing from me to you

glorm said...

Congratulations! You passed.

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