Comment Account Policy
Dean
1) The ability to leave comments here is a privilege, not a right.
2) It will take 24-48 hours for me to approve any new comment account.
3) To be approved to comment here, you must provide a Human Name. I don't mind if you use a pseudonym (like "Jane Doe" or "Ibrahim Muhuammed") but it must look like a real person's name. Initials are okay but obviously-fake nicknames are not allowed.
4) I will be the sole arbiter of what is "obviously fake." You may appeal to me if you think I'm being unfair or excessively parochial.
5) I will grandfather anyone who has been around for a year or more who violates rule #3 or #4. For now. But I'd still prefer you give me a real-sounding name and not a cutesy nickname.
6) Remember: when you leave comments here, I am your host and you are my guest. I'm glad to have you, but you have no right (no right whatsoever) to abuse me or my other guests.
I've tried a number of times to change my account information to take "Wolfeyes" out as my posting name, per your instructions and policy. But it seems the change is never saved. Any suggestions? Because I'd prefer to keep my posting priveledges here, if it's OK with you...
As a commenter, I am your guest, and I thank you for your hospitality. That won't keep me from disagreeing with you when I think you're wrong, but it does mean that i'll follow your rules; that's only fair. I will admit, though, that it chafes a bit that the name that i'm known by everywhere else I post online - aphrael - cannot be used here.
It's not urgent, mind you, but it would be helpful.
Robert: I have not had a "problem" per se except that new people keep signing up every day with names like "Darth Vader" or "Colonel Klink." The last time I posted about this, I think I was overly wordy about it. So I thought I'd re-post on the subject, and try to be more precise.
I wouldn't mind if you changed your display name to "R. Aphrael" or something like that, by the way. I get that some very mature and responsible people want to use pseudonyms. I'm just trying to cultivate a certain overall maturity here. Some people who use nom-de-plums are entirely decent and rational, but many are not.
Final Historian: To be honest, I'm a little full of it: I said "a year" but I can't honestly tell how long you've had a comment account. I also can't tell if you're using a pseudonym. All I really know is that if I recognize your nickname it probably means you've been around a while and it's no big deal to me.
I totally understand if some people want to be anonymous. And, for all that some people are getting nervous, I have yet to cancel anyone's account over any of this. I fully understand that honorable and decent people will sometimes want to be anonymous. At the same time, we now have more than a hundred comments per day being left, and I'm trying to find ways to throttle the firehose and also to cultivate a certain attitude: namely, we're adults, and we treat each other a certain way.
Masked Menace: all you shoul really have to do is click the "Change Information" button above, and change your "FULL NAME" (which is basically just your display name. If you're having trouble changing that, take a screen shot and send it to me.
Otherwise I emphasize again: I don't care if you want to be pseudonymous, just give me a name that looks like something you'd be comfortable using in a business environment. No one is going to laugh in real life if you say, "My name is Robert Aphrael." That's all I'm asking for.
I don't know how to give you a screen shot, either. I just tried to change the information again, so we'll see with this post if it worked.
What I'm doing is:
I'm logged on, according to the screen. I click on [Change Information], which brings me to a dialog box with "Full Name," "email," "display email" and other options, including being able to change my password.
I change "Wolfeyes" to "Deanna Barr" and hit save. The bottom status line says "saving," then "done." Then that dialog screen goes blank.
I close the dialog box and then click on comments again and post. Unfortunately, I still seem to be Wolfeyes, and when I click on [Change Information], the change has not been saved.
If you want to give me instructions on sending you a screen shot, I'll try that tomorrow, as I'm leaving work here in about five minutes.
I had a hard time changing my url, too. It makes a difference how you log in to your comments. When I was auto-logged in, my changes appeared to work, but they never took. I had to log out and log in by clicking the log in link, not by filling out my information on the comment form itself.
I'll ask Chris to review your other comments here. In the meantime if you just want to tell me how you want your display name to appear I can fix it.
Interesting, thanks.
Veeshir &wolfeyes: if you log out and then log in like Bill said, does that fix it for you too?
I really hate problems which I can't reproduce myself. :(
Hey, do you guys (who are having problems) have javascript enabled?
I won't try logging out, however, or I'll never get back in. I've tried using the password reset feature a handful of times on other computers and it's never worked either. (some error about not having the appropriate reset key).
If my cookie on this machine goes away, I'll never comment again!
I'm not sure what you need a screenshot of.
I hit, "Change Information" and go to the next screen. then I change my name to Mike 'Veeshir' Fisher and all systems seem go. I've tried to re-enter my password on the "change info" screen but that doesn't work either.
If you can change names there, could you change mine to
Mike 'Veeshir' Fisher?
Thanks. I don't want to look as though I am running away from my Veeshir posts. I've never seen any other Veeshirs so I like to use it.
I'm hoping your attempt to keep the maturity level on your blog high is successful; the civility of the discussion across political lines here is one of the most attractive things about the site, and it would be a shame if certain elements of the internet population succeeded in undermining that.
I appreciate greatly your willingness to allow me to change my display name. :) I will remain 'Robert West' here, however, as it seems more in keeping with the spirit of your rules, and i've already made my peace with the discrepancy between my name here and my name elsewhere. :)
As for the rest: I thank you sir. :-)
I'm sure he'll get back with you ASAP. If Dean wants you gone, you'll know it. Trust me. :)
I just tried the "log in, log out" thing and it didn't appear to work. I'll try to do the screen shot for you, but in case that doesn't work either (I'm at work and I don't know if they have MSPaint loaded on my 'puter), please change my posting name to:
Deanna Barr
Thanks.
I sent an email to you through the "contact Dean" link, but I didn't see where I could attach a file. If you see that, please respond to my email, and I'll reply with the screen shots. It's in a Word document.
Deanna: I got your mail and I forwarded it to Chris. I'll fix your display name by hand now, and let Chris try to figure out what happened.
Of course I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
Veeshir is from a 3rd grade friend who lengthened out Mr. Fisher (what nuns called me when I was in trouble) to Meeeester Feeeesher to Veeeeeeeshir.
To this day I get a guilty feeling when anybody calls me Mr. Fisher.
Heh.