A Change In Comment Policy

This morning I checked my email and noticed eight new comments from “readers” of this site. Typically, I receive notification of 2-4 comments submitted in the overnight period, so this number was higher than usual. I haven’t posted much over the past week, so I was curious what could be stirring people’s interest.

All  eight comments were spam — porn messages with links to adult sites.

Earlier this week I noticed that several other porn messages were being left and I deleted those immediately as well. Curiously, Akismet and one other spam detector are active and updated, so I’m not sure why these snuck through.

Not wanting this blog to turn into a breeding ground for spam comments, I have modified this blog’s commenting policy as follows:

• All blog comments will be held in moderation. They will be approved (or rejected) as soon as possible, but definitely not right away.

• Adult and other spam messages will be identified and Akismet notified.

• Any messages not adding value to the blog will be deleted. I’ve let some minimal value one-liners through lately, but I’m not going to allow this practice to continue. I’m looking for comments that can contribute to a discussion.

This blog will maintain its no-follow policy, at least for now. However, I’ll be deleting comments that link to bad neighborhoods or those off topic.

I hate to have my hand forced in this way, but I really have no other choice. Thank you for understanding.