Saturday, November 30, 2013

Why You May Not Have Heard From Me


Because I'm a dope, basically (but you knew that already, so let me give you some specifics.)

You're all good blog friends and I don't want you to think I'm just a selfish prick who asks you to comment on my pieces in the paper and then ignores you. We picked up a 'virus' of sorts on our computer; nothing that can transmit to you, I guarantee that, so don't worry. It was some piece of marketing garbage that came attached to freeware I downloaded without fully reading the agreement (yes - D'Oh!).

It infiltrated us and started showing us a million different pop-up advertisements everywhere we surfed. It truly made surfing the web a pain in the ass. So, knowing a bit about such things (but not everything) I ran a number of malware removing apps. The good news: our computer is clear of pop-up ads and other vicious marketing. The bad news? For some reason, when I make comments at some blogs, they disappear into the ether. I'm sure whatever programs I ran obliterated something needed to ID me on some commenting platforms.

(Amazingly, I find that the inability to comment extends to my very own blog. I tried to write a comment on one of my own posts. I clicked to publish and it totally vanished. It did not publish, it did not show up in my "awaiting moderation" or "spam" folders, it just completely went missing without a trace. I am perturbed. No, that's not the right word. I am batshit crazily pissed off. Yeah, that's about right.)

Anyway, I have been trying to comment here and there on some of your blogs, as I have been visiting you and reading you, but I've decided to give it up for now because it is annoying the everloving hell out of me to type the same comment two or three times and see it just vanish when I hit 'post'. So, if you don't hear from me, it's not that I don't love you. I'm reading; I just physically can't comment.

(I don't understand exactly what's going on - obviously - but my comments do appear some places. I think it depends on the type of commenting platform your particular blog provides.)

I hope I'll be able to comment everywhere again, but since I don't know what's happening, it ain't likely. I'm going to try a few pieces of advice given me, but who knows? So the point is that I'm asking your forgiveness for my seeming lack of presence. I'm reading, but I am forced into silence. For a guy who likes to wise off as much as I do, this is not pleasant.


Soon, with more silent lurking at your place.

15 comments:

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

Im sure blogger does it to us all - sometimes easier to like a post on facebook than comment :(

joeh said...

Yeah sure...well I for one refuse to comment on your posts....wait, how can I tell you that...hmmmm

No comment!

OldAFSarge said...

Heh, silent lurking. Is there such a thing as noisy lurking?

Oh wait, that's what Joe just did, isn't it?

Hilary said...

Well that's not fun. It has to be so irritating to write out a comment and just have it disappear on you. I hope you can get it worked out before too long. But of course we understand.

messymimi said...

For a long time, there were blogs where i couldn't comment if i tried to link back to my own blog in the space provided for such linking. As long as i left that blank, i could comment. If i tried to link it back, it disappeared. Don't know if that helps or not, and i'm glad you are still lurking about out there.

Jackie said...

Sure. Sure. Sure.
Likely story.....
Not gonna stop me from coming here, though.
You'd better try another tactic.
This one ain't workin'.

Chris said...

I was wondering! Not like you to not show up at my place (as rarely as I post anymore). Good to know you're still out there!

Linda said...

Go back into your blog and fix the part for comments.

lotta joy said...

I'm with Jackie. Sure, sure. Likely story. I know because I made the same one up several months ago when I was getting sloppy about visiting blogs.

Michelle H. said...

Is your new avatar a photo of you on am arena screen with your name highlighted? Oh, wait! You can't comment on that. I guess I'll never know.

Jackie said...

Good one, Michelle.
I have an idea. Since Sully can't comment on any of these comments, we should comment for him.
You know. Put words in his mouth.
Wouldn't that be a hoot!
Sully: Yes it would. Go ahead and try it, but be very careful. I have a long memory.
Me: I'm not scared. Bring it.
Sully: (censored...)
Me: Smiling.... :)

Michelle H. said...

I was thinking the same thing! HA!
Suldog: Nobody *really* knows what you are thinking, MLGF!
Me: Get your mind out of the gutter, you fiend!
Suldog: You meant "friend."
Me: Only when I need bail money... ;-)

Jackie said...

Love it, Michelle. Let's just carry on the dialogues here until he (what IS his name again?) gets back.

Michelle H. said...

Yeah, what was his name? Kinda tall fellow. Irish. Lives in Boston. Can't quite think of his name or picture his face...I think he's a famous writer now. No wonder he has disappeared. Left us lowly people behind.

Suldog said...

OK, here's the scoop. I've figured out that I can leave comments where there is a "pop-up window" setting (as I've changed mine to here.) Other settings, not so much (and I'm still not sure why.) So, if you have a pop-up, like this is, I have no excuses!