ANNOUNCEMENT: new comments system is now operating [scroll down for newer posts]
[I’m planning to pin this post to the top of the page for at least a few days, so scroll down for newer posts.]
I’ve turned on the new comments system and I hope it goes smoothly. I’ve already tested it out in various ways and it appears to be operating pretty well, as far as I can tell. But if you have any problems with it, please let me know in an email. You can find my email address underneath the photo at the top of the blog (the apple, books, and pointe shoes on the table). Click where it says “Email.”
If you’ve been commenting here already you shouldn’t experience any changes when you try to comment. As long as you use the username you’ve been using right along, and the email address you’ve been using right along (even if it’s not a real one), your comments should post without any problems and you wouldn’t even notice anything new if I hadn’t posted this announcement.
However, new commenters – that is, people with new usernames and/or new email addresses – will find that their first comment goes into moderation. It will not appear until I approve it. When I see it – which would be the next time I check the moderated comments, so there might be a time lag of a few hours – I will either approve it or disapprove it. If I approve it, you become a regular commenter and your future comments should post smoothly without going into moderation again.
So, in summary: old commenters no problem. New commenters, the first comment is moderated and after that no problem.
At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.
TESTING TESTING TESTING
It works!
Happy Monday the 13th and this is me posting a tickle, this is an official Test Tickle or something, I don’t know.
Good morning!
Worked for me as well.
Thank you, Neo!
What SHIREHOME wrote on July 13, 2026 at 9:34 a.m.
I was blocked before so now using phone but trying this new one this time.
Trying by iphone
I see a very minor bug here: evidently the HTML parser isn’t properly dealing with the post title above the comment section for me in Chrome. It’s showing the opening and close tags ( ANNOUNCEMENT.) instead of displaying “ANNOUNCEMENT” in red font. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the new comment system though.
Test
Just exactly perfect
Well, I expect it to work.
And also if I edit and add a bit, as I so often do. Immediately upon saving.
Yep, the edit add works, too. Thanks, Neo.
“It’s alive!”
Young Frankenstein
🙂
Good Morning everyone!
I am also seeing the formatting bug that Nonapod describes.
And the edit function works for me….
What hath God wrought? Or the interwebs. . .
Yep, even the edit functions works.
Greetings from the wilderness of North Carolina!
Thank you, Neo!
Tst,it works!
So does this mean no more spambots?
Hello!
I hope this gets rid of the trolls without so much effort for you, Neo.
Radio check, Over.
Good morning, Neo!
Oh! Damn good question Barry. I’d miss those.
To those concerned about spambots:
They march on. Spam almost always goes into the spam folder, which is actually a special form of moderation. Spam doesn’t ordinarily display in the regular comments area anyway. So I find the spam when I look in the spam folder, and then I delete it. It never gets approved and it’s not part of this new process at all. So never fear, you’ll still be seeing the “spambot of the day” posts now and then.
Testing. Testing 1, 2, 3. [tap] [tap] Is this thing on?
If you can read this, it is.
Edit: And if you can read this, the edit function works too.
Edit again: Sakes alive — looks like we got us a convoy!
Can you hear me now?
Seems so.
About getting the code instead of having the word “ANNOUNCEMENT” appear in red – I think there are several ways to do that code, and some systems accept one or the other. I used a certain version of the code that I guess doesn’t work for everyone, depending on the computer and perhaps the browser.
First thing I look for!
Testy, testy…
I’m glad you’ve found a solution!
Adding my acknowledgment to those of the huddled masses.
Immediate edit — yes indee-dee, it’s working! Thanks, neo.
Works for me. Thanks Neo
Edit: the edit too
Guess should test it out as well
Test comment
Test, test test. Greetings to Neo and to all
Well, since it wasn’t rolled out on Friday the 13th, that explains why it works for so many.
this is a comment
Time to run the test pattern.
I kind of miss seeing those on the late night TV – at least back in those days we finally had to quit and go to bed!
Well let’s try this out
I hope this makes it easier for you. I much appreciate that you didn’t migrate to the Google…Disqus universe of not-anonymous comments. I used to comment via Google until Google required an actual telephone number. (I get monthly mailings from Google imploring me to switch to Google Fiber. Google’s blatant political bias will not motivate me to switch. At least Google Fiber reduced the proposed fee to something competitive…)
And Disqus….Comments that were “held up for verification” that were never verified. Disqus did not like more than one link/footnote or too many corrections.
And the new system almost makes my comments intelligent. :0
Hi Neo,
Thanks for all you do!
Yesterday it worked as described here. Today (July 14), a comment I tried to post at the Open Thread didn’t appear initially, though when I tried to repost it, the system said it was a duplicate. So maybe existing commenters are going to moderation after all – ?
Edit: This comment posted immediately.
Watt:
That feature/behavior was present in the previous comment al-gore-ithm. A bug or feature carried through not related to improved screening for trolls and sock puppets. My guess anyway.
Testing Testing
Testing. Even though I commented today successfully on older threads, just making sure:)
Test to see if this works
Could not log on to comment until just now due to it took “too much time” today. Multiple attempts.
CICERO:
I explained in a new post. It was a problem with the server at the host rather than anything to do with this blog.
Testing
Testing, testing.
It works!
This is a test of the new system. And it appears to have worked just fine.
Well, I’m still around
Artfldgr:
Welcome!
I was wondering about Artfldgr! Good to hear from you.
A test (rare commenter).
I was wondering about Artfldgr! Good to hear from you.
Ditto
OK, let us just see if this works.
Hurray! It does work!
Hello!
Works as advertised. Thanks for the heads-up.