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The Need To Comment, Anonymously, Has To Remain A Possibility

Not all blog owners understand the need for people to post anonymous comments, against our blog posts. Periodically, in Blogger Help Forum: How Do I?, we see the naivete expressed by some.
How do I find out who is posting anonymous comments to my blog?
These people do not understand the need for anonymous commenting.

You, as a blog owner, have the ability to select the level of authentication, to be required of anybody preparing to post a comment to your blog. For "Who Can Comment?", we find the selection list
  1. Anyone - includes Anonymous Users
  2. Registered Users - includes OpenID
  3. Users with Google Accounts
  4. Only members of this blog

People who wish to comment anonymously, yet provide a "Name" / "URL" to link back to their Blogger profile, or their blog / website, may do this at their discretion. Anybody doing this provides no guarantee of being genuine, however.

If you allow "anonymous users" to comment, then people who wish to comment anonymously need to be assured that their privacy will be respected. You can gather demographic data about your blogs visitors - and you may infer specific details about individual commenters - but the relevance of that policy will be limited by the precautions exercised by your commenters.

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Comments

Jim McKee said…
Also, you, as the blog owner, can choose to moderate all comments, and then simply delete the ones that are anonymous. Of course, it would help to post such a policy ahead of time, so as not to bewilder the anon posters.
Lori E said…
I would hope that anyone who comes across my blog could leave a comment whether or not they have a Google account or whatever.
You will miss out on a lot of great comments otherwise.
All the spam comments I have had all have linked back to a site so they didn't even want to be anonymous.
deBBie said…
I'm leaving this comment, per your request, to see if I can.
Jayarava said…
I don't think there is a need for anonymous comments. Anonymity can be an option, but so is not commenting. Anonymity encourages trolls. Personally I am less and less interested in anon - they are typically less able to read and respond to my writing. Some people use pseudonyms and this also only partially satisfactory.

I'm really much more interested in having personal interactions on the basis of what I write.
Ana said…
The right to anonymity. Why not?
As Lori said all the spams are linked back to a site or a blog and they leave nice messages and some even comment on the post.
I have received some good anonymous comments.
Never had a problem in four years of blogging II have another blog).
One of the comments I remember is of an anonymous woman that told part of the story of her life.
Very interesting.
Zyzmog said…
Comment moderation is a great way to handle anonymous comments (and not-anonymous ones, duh). The anon comments which say, "Great post! You bring up some excellent points. Thank you for your contribution," always get the heave-ho, whether or not they include a link to another website/blog, and whether or not they're anonymous. Anon screeds always get deleted too. Anon comments from nutcases and fruit loops can be entertaining, and are usually approved. Anon comments which contribute to the discussion and make the reader think, even if I disagree with them, are always approved.
Anonymous said…
I used to keep my blog to anonymous and also unmoderated however, I have one person who continues on my blog and attacked me whenever she got the chance anonymously. I had to make it so you have an account to comment and make it moderated. I feel this is limiting to those who do benefit from reading my blog although my blog is about my own personal life. I know somewhere there are others who are going through the same life issues I go through and I may be able to help them through it. My blog is also my therapy for getting things out. So I am not stuck in this whole do I un-moderate and make anonymous comments welcomed or do I keep myself protected.
that is why I came here to read this blog and get some viewpoints.

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