a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Behind Every Cloud...

is a silver lining...and I saw it!
Many times, I have viewed the silver lining and I am blessed with each viewing but today I want to gripe, and hope against hope, you want to listen to me.

I have blogged almost four years and have been dedicated.  I have entertained, sometimes shocked you and also hope I've made you laugh more than not.

I am here to complain about word verification and no-reply comment bloggers...yep, that's right, I'm complaining again.  As blessed as I am, I should not, but sadly, I am human and (gasp!) we are never satisfied. 

I try to make it simple for everyone to visit me, that wants to visit, that is.   No word verification is used.  The spam blocker in Blogger is sufficient  if you don't take anonymous comments...there's a place to mark for that.  If a spam slips through, you can enter your comments and block and delete the spammer.  This has only happened twice with me...someone wanting to advertise...twice since they introduced spam blocker...not bad.

I enjoy, no, I absolutely love the interaction.  When someone takes the time to comment, I love to answer and acknowledge that they took the time and thought to comment.  I never go back to my blog post, I receive my comments through email.  Easy-peasy...hit reply and have a conversation...or just say thank you for commenting.  Then I head butt with no reply comment blogger!!  Frustration abounds.  THEN because I don't want to high-hat someone I go to their blog and make a comment about their comment.  I know I make it hard on myself but if you honor me with a comment, I want to thank you.  It's the right, kind, polite thing to do.

I love my followers, I love the comments, but I'm basically lazy...or work smart, not hard, which ever one you want to pick...or you can call me a whiner...it's okay...but please allow me to get through to you with email and comment easily on your blog.

That's it, I'm done.  Hope I didn't make any one mad...we'll see if my followers drop. Just my side as I see it.

Life will go on with that silver lining in every cloud and, hopefully, we can make blogging less complicated for all of us.

I do acknowledge it is your choice, this is only my opinion.

21 comments:

StitchinByTheLake said...

I'm in total agreement on the whole word verification thing. It's a pain! I try once and if it doesn't work I move on. But I'm not nearly as good as you - I don't reply to every comment. I do read every one and treasure them but time doesn't allow me to respond to them all, unless I'm up at 2:30 in the morning like tonight. :( blessings, marlene

Irene said...

Now they have two squigly words for word verification and they are very hard to figure out. It is a frustrating business to say the least. I stops me from leaving comments. I'm glad you're sensible and don't use it.

Country Gal said...

Gail your not the only one I have the same problem and I have had others tell me the same thing its all over blogland some listen and some dont . I even did a post about it and warned bloggers that they may loose followers or potetial followers because of it ! I have mine set up the same as you do ! I hope no one out there looses followers ! Good for you quite a few of us have cursed a post about Word Varification ! Have a good day !

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Don't get me started on the time I waste on that squiggly word verification thingy! I'm persistant, by golly and do or die I'll keep tryin' 'till I leave my comment.

If I take the time to read a post, I'll comment each and every time.

Please explain what ya mean by 'no~reply'. Are ya talkin' about those who answer you on their blogs 'cause I'm not goin' back to check each and every blog I posted on to see if they've replied to my comment.

I used to try to visit each of my followers once a week. That was easy in the beginnin'...now, it's more than impossible. I'm not sure what the blogger etiquette is here.

I too try to comment back on every one who comments on my posts too but surprisingly, I'm human too. I know!!! ....and I'm sure I let some slip through the cracks.

God bless ya sweetie, looks like we've all got some issues here.

Have a beautiful day all lined with lovely silver. :o)

LindaG said...

I understand your frustration, Gail.
*hugs*
Hope work isn't too hard on you. ♥

TexWisGirl said...

i totally agree with you on both counts. my only suggestion is to add a section to your post about how to make your email public under your profile for folks who may not know how...

Dreaming said...

Hear! Hear!

Rudee said...

As for the comments/replies, I don't really expect a reply so I've never bothered to change my no-reply comment. I figure if you really want to say something--especially if I've irritated you--my email address is a part of my profile, and somehow you'll find me. I have had a reader make comments to me rather angrily on my own posts in response to a comment I made on her blog that annoyed her. I do my best to ignore that and reserve the right to delete comments I find offensive, but I'm bitchy like that. I belong to that class of people who blog without apology.

However, I don't like the double worded word verification. It's a pain in the behind and I often have to make more than one attempt to get it right. Once, after 3 attempts to get it right, I just gave up and figured the author of the blog must not care too much about receiving comments. It's especially annoying when the comments must be approved by the blog owner before publishing AND this is in addition to word verification! Now that's something to apologize for!

I'll make it easy for you to reply here, Gail, if you wish... rudeek45 at gmail dot com. You know to fix the symbols and close up the spaces. Put me in your address book;-)!

ellen abbott said...

well, I agree whole-heartedly. no word verification and I too reply to comments via email. when I do respond to comments which I don't always do, OK, only sometimes do.

Tamara said...

Hi Gail, I had to do a double take on your blog! You changed it! I've been on hiatis (sp?) and I love your new look. :) I'm having a time figuring out what all the changes are and some things are the same and some aren't, so I'm totally agreeing with you.

Susan Anderson said...

I'm with you, Gail! The dialogue is the best part, so keep it easy, right?

=)

Marti said...

I have never had a problem with spam since I have been blogging. If I find a blogger to be offensive, I delete them. I agree with you this should be an easy fun way to communicate. I have no word verification an no-reply comments, so there you go, I am part of your silver lining.

Anonymous said...

Hi Gail,
I'm like you, I also like to reply on the comments I receive on my blog. I think it's quite nice to receive an email response :)
Wishing you a lovely day my friend.
Big hugs
Eva

Far Side of Fifty said...

I can reply to people comments right on my blog. If someone has a question I will email them or reply on their blog.
I know you answer all the comments with an email..each to his/her own.
I am sure many people like me do not understand the no reply part..if someone is no reply..then they probably don't want email:)

labbie1 said...

The new word verification totally SUCKS!!!! It was worse when they had the black box in the middle of the word to boot! Good grief!

You know that I just found out how to reply via e-mail to my blog followers--before that I just replied on my comments figuring that if they wanted to have my reply, they would subscribe to e-mail comments. Now I can actually just hit reply in my e-mail! How cool is that?????

And now I am finding that the box to click for e-mail comments is missing from the blogger blogs...what is that????

I just don't get it...Anywho--I am so with you!!!!!

DesertHen said...

The new word verification is crappy! So glad I did away with it many months back! I see the comments area has changed as well with a new look. Just noticed that this morning! I love that you email back after a comment is left for you! I try to do that, but fail most of the time!

The cloud shots are beautiful!

D. Jean Quarles said...

I agree. Please tell me you have no problem visiting me!

Lynne said...

I love people leaving me a comment, so it is natural for me to visit and comment . . . kind of like,
"do unto others . . . "

Some of the blogs I visit use Word Verification . . . I don't like it and wonder why they are using it yet I still muddle through the verificatin maze to let them know I have visited and that I am enjoying their contrbutions.

You can count on me to keep right on being one of your followers. Great post Gail . . .

Unknown said...

Feel better?

Buttons Thoughts said...

So I bet that felt good to get off your chest :) I do agree. I tried to send a comment four times today and was so frustrated with the verification, I gave up. I must be stupid or blind or I just get the really hard ones. Take care. B

mary.anne.gruen@gmail.com said...

I don't usually care about Word Verification. I know that and clearing comments makes some folks feel more secure.

I try to answer comments on my blog, unless things are really really crazy. Or like recently when the feeds on my blog died and I was struggling to start a new blog by DNS on Blogger.

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