Monday 27 October 2014

An observation about current blog problems

I found this website just a day or so ago, when searching to find possible reasons why a blogging friend was having trouble commenting on my blog. I think it's very jumbled up wording on the explanation I've linked to - in fact that whole website/blog isn't easy  reading but my guess is that it's written by techies so we should make allowances. What it does highlight is - who knows how many of you are having problems and thinking it's the blog owner's settings that are at fault?

No one is 'at fault' - but I don't use Captcha/word verification - yet it was jumping in and causing issues for my friend. Naturally I thought it was at my end and checked all my settings, carried out my own tests and so on.

But, it turns out that dear old Blogger have been tinkering yet again - trying to halt spam and in the process they've caused yet more problems. As a programmer (way back in the dark ages) we were in deep doggy do-do's if we didn't test, test and test again the potential impact of any IT upgrades. I know of two of you who have taken on board what the website points out and have found it cured commenting problems.

In a nutshell, if you try and comment without being logged into Blogger, you will probably get Captcha/word verification popping up and halting you in your tracks as it would deem you to be anonymous and therefore a likely spammer. Likewise, it will also possibly happen if you don't allow cookies or scripts. Sigh, I know :(

It seems, from what I've read, that it isn't the fault of the person who owns the blog you are visiting - neither in truth is it your fault! It's just dear old Blogger bumbling along with untested upgrades - causing us grief yet again. So do check out your own settings and security parameters if you're having problems.

Ha, watch this space - if the Playground and yours truly disappear in the little 'poof' of smoke then you know that my words have been 'heard' :)

Meanwhile - I was busy yesterday making the most of a peaceful day but I do know the Playground has been very busy (I heard shrieks and squeals earlier so am on the hunt for hidden Halloween masks etc.) and will be catching up on commenting today, I hope. Always supposing Mr Blogger plays ball of course!


Di
x

15 comments:

  1. I have had a problem this morning, with two comments being rejected instead of being published, and can't find the solution to this one!

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  2. I haven't had this problem (yet) so thanks for the heads up! Now I'll know what's behind it.

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  3. I've not had this problem (yet) but then I do try to stay logged in to my Google account all the time. I have noticed a huge drop in anonymous spam comments recently though, so maybe that's why.

    I've often had a problem when commenting on blogs that use a Disqus form, with my comment disappearing into cyberspace, so on those I usually highlight the test of my comment and copy it, "just in case". I hope I don't have to start doing this for every blog, it will put me off commenting.

    My daughter's a programmer too, and she'd never let anything go live without testing, testing and more testing, on every platform the product is likely to be used on. I suppose one of the prices we pay for a free service is that we are the guinea pigs and things go live without proper testing :(

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  4. So true Jane! Yes, it sure is the price of a free service :-(

    xx

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  5. Thanks Sleepy doormouse. I even had word verification on Julia's blog last week.....and I just know Julia wouldn't have put that on hers! I always seem to have probs with google+ blogs but I accept that as I refuse to join them but as a rule blogger usually plays game for me :-)
    Hugs,
    Annie x

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  6. Bloomin' Blogger! But I blame Facebook... Thanks to them the world has gotten so used to untested, make-life-more-difficult, unwanted "upgrades", that everyone seems to have decided it's the way to do things these days.
    Except for those of us who tend to abandon places that make their life difficult in frustration, lol. x

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  7. It's very frustrating indeed. Thanks for the updated info Di.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  8. Our dear Debs had this problem on my blog and I wondered if it was Mr Blogger being a boogar again and here you have answered my query. Ta muchly!
    xx

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  9. Personally I don't seem to have had problems with commenting as long as I make sure I'm logged in, but I have had problems with the 'My Blogs' list not coming up. Sometimes I get just the side list alone and sometimes nothing. I'm afraid my IT skills are pretty rudimentary, and I would love to update the layout and fonts and things but am afraid to in case something goes wrong and I can't rectify it. My last comment is blinkies. I made the top three in a challenge a few months ago but could not get it to work on the blog. I don't know if there was a problem with the code they sent or if it was my lack of understanding. Ok, moan over! Thank you for this info Di as this site is worth knowing about. x

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  10. So that's where my comment have been disappearing off to cyber space!!
    Every time I log on now I have to go and find by Reading list and play around till it pops backup.
    Hugs Mrs A.

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  11. As I always say: Blogger-worth every penny we pay for it.

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  12. I was having all kinds of problems with Blogger, but things got better when I swapped from Chrome to Internet Explorer. I hope this may help others!

    love Mags B x

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  13. Well, lets just see if I have a problem, or if Blogger is playing nice. I have tried commenting on several blogs this week and when I hit send, they go swirling into cyberspace never to be seen or heard from again. Maybe Mr. Blogger has corrected his irritating error. Off I goooooooo

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  14. Thanks for writing this interesting post. Got the link over at Pat's, and when I was in the working pool, we tested everything for at least 3 weeks before releasing to the 'public' (in our case, fellow employees). Even then, we didn't go live with anything until the employees helped debug any changes. Murphy's Law: there's always something that is overlooked. Guess it's the same with Blogger. At least it's still free, even if it is annoying. I know that I probably cause a lot of my own problems by tinkering or getting into something I didn't mean to (with the google circles...had a problem with that!) Thanks for letting us know it may not be us messing up though. Big hugs.

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  15. Just commenting to prove that I am seeing the verification, but just the NUMBER one not the word one - a HUGE relief. Fingers crossed the rest of WOYWW is the same. cheers for the link

    MA

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