Let's talk a bit about WORD VERIFICATION on blogs. I can totally understand having it on blogs, where perhaps, the blog owner is NOT really expecting comments. Additionally I totally understand having it on blogs that are ACTUALLY storefronts. WORD VERIFICATION is 100% totally acceptable anywhere were SECURE information is being exchanged.
Let's face it, it is being as OVER-USED as ADD for a diagnosis, for a spoiled kid, or a kid who's parents' careers come first. (I know from what I speak, I am a parent of TRUE ADHD kids, and have sat in on groups of child/parent---you can really see the difference).
WORD VERIFICATION has no business being used on Sally from NJ's recipe exchange blog. It has NO place on the rest of us, just trying to get some attention, a little validation in this life, and the fastest way to do that in this century is to use the internet.
WE, all blog owners quite frankly, are indeed crying out to anyone who will recognize them, acknowledge them, VALIDATE them. Sometimes it is for WRITING, other times it is for ART, or CRAFTS, or some OTHER hobby, or MORE importantly a hobby they are trying to turn into a business. Some bloggers use them to get validation that they are good parents, or good Christians or good "home-schoolers" for some it is just to have some other friends, as in they do not have many, or any in their real life...I'll admit I fall into this category. For ART also I blog. Blogs are used quite nicely as a networking tool. I applaud ALL of these things. However, NONE of these blogs contain TOP SECRET information, nor are they expecting TOP SECRET information to be placed into a comment by a visitor. We must remember that other bloggers are JUST LIKE US, people looking for a connection. WHY make getting or making a connection so difficult??? That is what using WORD VERIFICATION does, it makes getting connected a chore, it is especially frustrating and annoying when it is done SECRETLY. You know what I mean...those blogs where it just has a comment button, no indication that you will need a SECRET PASSWORD when you are done typing your comment to make sure it floats it way to the owner of the blog.
Perhaps That day, that blogger was having a really cool discussion going on an interesting subject. You say "WOW, I HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, what a cool topic" then you click that button that says "post a comment" and you type away...perhaps it is a topic you have had a great deal of experience with, and you end up typing 3 paragraphs of information. You wish them well and sign your name and click the "send comment" button, only to be THWARTED by the nasty pop-up of a new box with your post saying "please type in this code/word". You shrink, wondering if that means your comment might not be worthy, OR you are just disgusted and frustrated as this is a true nuisance.
BLOGGERS, did you ever think that you may be adding to some poor suffering person's deflated ego by making them think their opinion or comment is unworthy?
I know, I know; you feel you have a valid reason for using WORD VERIFICATION. Which is to keep out the spammers, the Asians that send ads in Asian writing, the websites wanting to sell you Cialis, Viagra or worse and then there are the porno kings and queens. I also do NOT want this spam commenting on my blog. WHICH IS WHY theres is also the OPTION of COMMENT MODERATION. This is what I use, AND many, many others. This lovely tool gives the blog owner the power to thwart the would-be spammers, yet allow through the real comments from truly interested blog readers.
THE WORST OFFENSE of using WORD VERIFICATION is when you participate in a BLOG HOP. You KNOW you are going to be getting visitors; readers who need to be commenting or want to comment. Why on Earth, would you make people do this extra Pain-in-the-ass step while time is of the essence and they have other blogs to visit?????????? (sometimes in triple digits)
WHY??? I really want to hear some VALID reasons.
IF you do not know that it is ON, and you want to learn how to shut it OFF, try asking your blog friends, I am sure many of them can tell you how to, or point you in the right direction. I have spoken to weekly leaders of memes and blog hops, who have pointed out to the players to PLEASE TURN OFF WORD VERIFICATION. Additionally, some meme or blog hop leaders also ask that you turn off any music players you may have, as it can be distracting, and this is supposed to be a HOP(moving along nicely to several blogs sharing in a common thread of thought, and there leaving a comment)
A long time ago, I decided I would NOT publish any anonymous comments. Today I have also decided I will not comment on any blogs that use word verification. If more of you do the same, perhaps we can get the message across. Like I said there *IS* a second option to keep out Spam...COMMENT MODERATION.
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ON a DIFFERENT subject. I have a sinus infection (yes, again) but here is the funny part. my son drove me down to the "urgent care" walk in facility 3 towns south of us, and I get there, and the lot is empty and i said good it will be a quick visit. then there is a sign on the door stating they are closed on 8/9 and to go to their other office(5 more towns south)...NO WAY...but yet the receptionist is in, and the door opens. I go in. She tells me that yes they are closed because "the Doctor called in sick"
I used to work for this outfit, they are owned by the hospital I worked for, and I did per diem X-ray for them as some side money. They each have a list of no less than 5 doctors that will go to that particular office (there are 5 of them). So I am like all 5 of your doctors are not available to come in (to myself) I was thinking, how rich is this? LOL
well, anyway Have a great night(I know it is about over for many of you) I had been sleeping that is why this post is so late.
My apologies,
Susan
3 comments:
I thought long and hard before deciding to reply. You and I have had this discussion befores. The reason I use it, even with comment moderation, is that the moderated comments go to my email inbox. I get a HUGE amount of emails anyway, some of them very important and connected to my college courses, so the verification just keeps the spam comments from even getting to me in the first place and clogging up my inbox. Seriously, before I installed the verification, I was getting something like 40-50 spam comments a day.
Word verification is not meant to put anybody off and certainly not meant to make anyone feel as if their comments are not wanted or valid and for anyone to feel that way is just plain wrong, in my opinion. Why would I even allow comments if my goal were to make folks feel unwanted?
I know that some people are not aware that it is a default when they start their blog (I was one of them). I know that someone with a high-comment-volume blog may want one to keep the email notifications down if they opened the blog under a general use email account. I rarely have comments on my three blogs, so moderation is easy. But then I do not blog to receive validation from others. I do it more for me to remember things I have been doing - if other people like to read my stuff then that's a bonus. But part of it is for family to keep up on things with us since we live away from each other. And what makes it better is I have even found a place you can go and publish hard copies of your blog - which will be great with homeschooling BB, because then he will have his own personal yearbooks! But I digress! lol I hope you get to feeling better.
I use word verification, because I have had posts for things that were not so nice like from drug companies or people selling shoes etc. It keeps the spam bots away. Sorry, I guess you won't be leaving any comments on my blog.
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