Blogspot Comments Settings
I’ve encountered quite a number of Blogspot sites on which the Comments settings remain as per the default, and this means that many people are unable to contribute to the topic under discussion.
The default setting for Comments on Blogspot sites is for ‘Users with a Google account’ (Blogger ID), however, this is frustrating for those of us who do not have, or do not like to use, a Blogger ID.
If you’re uncertain how your blog’s comments are set up, I’d like to recommend that you follow this exercise.
Sign into your Blogspot dashboard, and select Settings tab, then select Comments. For the second option down, ‘Who can comment’, you need to select the first option – ‘anyone’.
[Click image to view enlargement.]
SAVE your updated settings, and you’re away — it’s that simple.
Hopefully, you should now receive more comments to your blog than previously, so be prepared to respond to them all!
Of course, if you have a Blogspot site and don’t want any ol’ Tom, Dick or Harry commenting on your posts, you can completely ignore this.
Happy blogging.
Reward Rebel
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Filed under Blogging, How To, Internet Marketing |
Amen!
I run across a fair number of Blogger/Blogspot blogs too, and the default settings drive me nuts! I have a Blogger account for commenting on the rare occasions when I want to comment more than I don’t want to log in, but MAN, it’s not worth it that often!
That said, I do understand why someone would want to restrict who can comment - spam just gets worse by the day - but if it gets so bad it’s not easily controllable, it might be time to get a self-hosted solution. Or maybe that’s just me!
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Hi Oriri,
I do have a Blogger ID, but I’m about marketing and when I comment I want it to be productive for my own site(s) - I’m not saying that’s the only reason I comment, just that I believe in applying leverage [see previous post].
Keeping SPAM at bay is one thing, but I posted this because of the number of Blogspot site owners I’ve alerted to how their comments are set up, and it’s transpired that they weren’t aware half the blogosphere was precluded from commenting!
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I don’t like the way Blogger handle comments altogether. If you have a self-hosted blog, you can put a link to your blog, but it doesn’t show, no hyperlink, nothing. Which isn’t very practical if the blog author want to visit the commenter’s blog… I don’t even think of getting a link here, but seriously, why do we all have to have Blogger blog to have a link??
Anyway, good point with your post. I left it default when I started blogging a couple of years ago… made the mistake as well!
Zhu’s last blog post..Be The Blogger People Read (3/10)
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Hiya Zhu,
It’s not on, is it? Another example of Google power-tripping.
It astonishes me that readers of the Blogspot blogs haven’t alerted the blogger to the situation. I feel compelled to (control freak)!
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OK…had to go double check my settings and I’m good! lol!!
jenny-up the hill’s last blog post..Indie Goodness Giveaway
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Yep, Jenny, I knew you’d be OK, cos I’d have alerted you faster than a cat catches fleas!
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HI Reward Rebel,
I’ve un-defaulted my comments page sometime back, and anyone can comment. Those who want to be anonymous are free to do so. I have had several anonymous comments and I know these are not the same persons. There are also occasions when I was forced to delete some because of offensive language and racial slurs. These are minor risks however, spams are the more irritating entries.
But opening up the comments page is a good idea to increase the substance of the post as well as to get different views from readers. Getting the 2 word comments ( “great post!”, “nice blog”, or “very interesting”, followed by “let’s exchange links”) like you wrote about once is also annoying.:-)
I have opted to keep it open.
–Durano, done!
durano lawayan’s last blog post..Clinton’s Crumbling Candidacy
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Hey there DD,
There’s always good ol’ ‘moderation’ to keep out the crap.
I’ve been considering automating the acceptance of comments using ‘Captcha’ verification, but unpleasant stuff could still get through.
When someone suggests exchanging links like that - esp when there’s no history between the sites - it has the entirely opposite effect on me to the one its supposed to have, i.e. keep my distance!
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Thanks for the important info. good post.
Jena Isle’s last blog post..My Friend
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Hey Jena,
I just hope the right people get to read it!
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The best way to control your commenters is to moderate them. As you read through your mail, you can decide whether you approve it or junk it. This is the setting I have been using ever since.
You’re right, commenters should not be annoyed with the way they post their comments.
By the way, I also hate some WP blogs that uses simple math to make sure that we’re humans. Sometimes, you can still come in even if your answer is correct.
Thanks.
guardian angel’s last blog post..How to use Blog Contests to increase Readership
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Hi guardian angel,
I think you intended to say ‘you still can’t come in…’, and that being the case, I’d bet a pound to a penny that if you’ve had difficulties like this, it’s due to typing figures instead of words, or vice versa. Always note whether the arithmetic is 10 - 5 or ten minus five, and type your answer correspondingly.
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Oh.. I understand the frustration.. when I first started bumping into Wordpress blogs..they require me to login too? Duh.. stupid.
I’m glad I only received one Anonymous comment to date.
Sherxr’s last blog post..Indian Herb and Hydrogel
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Hey Sherxr,
To date, I don’t think RR’s received any anonymous comments, and I’ve never left a comment as anonymous either. Too big an ego to do that!!
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Yep, I run away without leaving a comment I otherwise would have left on blogspot blogs myself.
Lisa’s last blog post..TECHONdigital’s A Retail Scam
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Nice post, and something that is really easy to overlook when you’re using Blogger.
Between that, and the default nofollow setting, Blogger can be a right pain sometime. Hence why I’ve ended up on Wordpress for most of my stuff now.
Dan Thornton’s last blog post..I’m not an early or late adopter. I’m a cheap adopter…
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There are many blogs that I use to go to that I don’t anymore because I can’t participate in the conversation.
maggie’s last blog post..Afternoons at the Park
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Lisa & Maggie,
Sometimes I’ve gotten so wound up having drafted a clever, intelligent comment, only to then discover that I can’t submit it! Now I make sure I check first whether or not I’m wasting my time and effort.
If I’m short of time, I too just click out and that’s it. But more often, I alert the blog owner to their prohibitive comments settings, and without exception they’ve been unaware it was so, and thanked me for the heads up!
Whenever possible, I then return to the site and leave a comment. My halo is starting to get a bit tight!
This post came into being after I’d just been in comms with someone on whose blog I wasn’t able to comment. So they did me a favour!
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Hey Dan,
There do seem to be a lot of people frustrated with the way Blogger organise things on Blogspot sites. But they’re so popular, and understandably. Free hosting, and a site not being on a self-hosted domain doesn’t seem to preclude it enjoying a wide readership and financial success.
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If another reason was needed to switch from blogger to WP, this is it.
I hope MANY of the right people see this…good one RR
Dennis Edell’s last blog post..Promotion = Only 32 Posts, with 239 Comments, Having 50 Subscribers, and a PR 3…Never Say Die!
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Thanks, Dennis, I hope so too.
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I usually notify the owner while making a comment on a post
Michael Aulia’s last blog post..Help me on deciding a domain name
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Hey Michael,
Yep, that’s how I try to deal with them, but occasionally I just can’t be assed!
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This drives me buggy, and there are several of them that I would love to comment on, but just bypass it! Too bad, so sad!
Susie’s last blog post..Exhibit at a tradeshow?
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Hi Susie,
Perhaps we can eradicate it if we all swear a pact to always notify the blog owner when their comments are set up like this.
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Well, I am on blogspot but I have set up the comments as you have also described it, so everyone can comment. I dislike comment moderation due to the delay of posts appearing. I prefer the commentators type in some anti-spam letters. I know lots of people also don’t like that but I guess you can never get everyone happy.
I have also removed the default nofollow tag from the comments to give some comment love. There are more ways to customize blogger the way you want so I don’t see it’s too bad, keeping in mind it’s free.
Ana’s last blog post..Cats on Tour through Egypt: Quad Safari
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Hi Ana,
It sounds like you’ve got Blogspot totally sussed. I wrote a post a while ago about the Wordpress plugin ‘CommentLuv’, which removes the ‘nofollow’. Following that post, I received enquiries asking whether it worked with Blogspot, and if not, did I know of an equivalent that did.
I didn’t know the answer to either question, but the guy who created CommentLuv actually left a comment that it didn’t and there isn’t.
I’d love to know how you’re removing the ‘nofollow’. I’m not at all techified - so is it easy?
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Yap, very easy. All Blogspot user have to do is to remove the nofollow tag in the xml code. Pressing Ctrl and F to find the tag and delete.
Well, we don’t have the CommentLuv and other great plugins as Wordpress users but if you put some efforts into your Blogspot blog you can also get it a nice one.
(Btw, I still love Wordpress and I am using it for business blogs.)
Ana’s last blog post..One Cat eating for two Cats
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Hi Ana,
Thanks!
I have Blogspot sites that have been sitting gathering dust for a long time. I’d never even looked at the template before, as at the time I created them I knew nothing at all about coding. Back then, I didn’t even know you could access the template code, never mind customise it!
I’m considering a project, which is a long shot, but worthy of further investigation. Cos I’m disinclined to fork out too much money (or time) on development, I’ve been considering testing its potential using Blogspot.
BTW Something I love about Wordpress is that it can also be used as CMS for regular html sites. Very useful for people like myself, who is now a jack of all web trades, and sadly, master of none!
Thanks again for info, it’s REALLY helpful. RR
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If you need any help in customizing Blogspot blogs just drop me an email.
Ana’s last blog post..And the Winner is….
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Thanks, Ana, that’s much appreciated.
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Hi The Aries,
Thanks for subscribing.
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I wish they can be made Do Follow in their comments. I know they used to be able to by modifying the template. Heard others mention Haloscan.
Trackbacks via Haloscan as well.
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