Dear Friends,
A recent update to WordPress.com commenting options has forced commenters with emails attached to WP.com accounts to be logged in before their comments are accepted.
That apparently is true even though I don’t require commenters to register and log in to comment. The explanation for the update was to protect against counterfeit comments from people using someone else’s email.
Despite various updates regarding bug fixes, I’ve gotten several emails telling me there’s still an issue.
A clarification from WP on Sunday morning stated that “WordPress.com and Gravatar.com accounts are the same thing. Accounts for each service work on the other.”
This means that if you have a Gravatar account, you can use that registered email address/password to log-in to post comments.
If you have a WP.com account, and forgot your password, you can reset it at this link:
http://wordpress.com/wp-login.php?action=lostpassword
This all seems too complicated.
I apologize for the inconvenience. I appreciate all my readers and commenters, and am perturbed that some of you haven’t been able to participate in the discussions here.
If you have trouble leaving a comment, please feel free to email me. I have a link under Coterie at the top of my sidebar. Just click the envelope icon…
Thanks!
T
Update 3: My WordPress bruthas and sistahs, know that you aren’t alone in your frustrations over this commenting kerfuffle – WordPress forum thread “You must be logged in to comment”
Update 2: If you have an opinion about this new commenting requirement, you can contact WP.com Support directly here:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/
Please, please, if you do leave a comment, do so in a respectful and civil manner. Being an asshat will not help us WordPress bloggers.
Update: It is also possible to log-in using either a Facebook or Twitter account. To me, that’s not a very good alternative, especially if you don’t want your comments attached to these accounts for privacy concerns.
Thin spiral notebook 
This annoyed me to no end when I discovered the “log-in” thing. We should’ve been notified.
LikeLike
Great post and I have really noticed the effect as there seem to be a lot less comments. I’m pretty annoyed with it too as I usually comment at other blogs with another browser and now have to first log in. Not happy with the change.
LikeLike
I have been super annoyed at this as I have seen two insightful comments DISAPPEAR. If they are going to make you log in, they could at least save your comment somewhere. Ugh.
LikeLike
I’ve done this and STILL had issues commenting on blogs, as well as other having issues commenting on mine. This stinks, especially since they didn’t tell us about it beforehand. Thanks for the post (saw it via Lance.)
LikeLike
tried one other time to comment but wordpress deleted it when it told me i wasn’t logged in. this is the most annoying thing EVER. i know people can’t comment on my blogger blog either, for a variety of stupid reasons. i wish they would all just stop it. i resent having to log in every time i comment on a wordpress blog. WAH. let’s see if i got this right…
LikeLike
I’m retweeting this and telling people it goes for my blog as well. Thanks for doing this.
LikeLike
I’ve been getting emails all weekend. I’m really ticked that there was no prior heads up to blog owners that this would happen or what to do to help commenters work through the changes. The forums are blowing up with complaints.
LikeLike
I’m not on the forums but I’ve gotten several emails from people like Marian. I assumed it would be worked out by now. If i don’t see a resolution by tomorrow I’ll start my strongly worked messages to the wordpress. thanks for carrying the water on this, Tar rah
LikeLike
Support is apparently closed this weekend, and it’s not apparent the Powers That Be even know the havoc they’ve wrought.
LikeLike
Note that I’m using twitter — I’m uber bugged because my WP e-mail address is attatched to my OLD blog, and I don’t WANT to direct people there. NB: I’m taking my gripe to WP, not you!!!
LikeLike
That was my concern. What if these are closed or private blogs? It would have been nice to have been notified before the implementation too. I had no idea what was going on until I started getting emails.
LikeLike