Comments in moderation
I’m getting a few emails about normal comments going into the moderation panel, so here’s a quick guide to what’s happening.
We have very strong spam comment guards as we get around 500 of them per site per day. Many of them are totally horrific, and the rest are attempts at grabbing free advertising space.
We also have “first-comment moderation”, which means the first time you comment on the site, it will be moderated. Once you get that cleared, you should get through every time unless you put in two links or more. Some words also trigger the trap.
The Royal Anecdotes site has always been a law unto itself in moderation, blocking quite ordinary comments. Gigi had one in there this morning which I’ve now released from captivity. Long comments are more likely to be blocked than shorter ones.
We normally look at the moderation panel around 5 to 6 times a day, so they will pop out at some time. If you’re commenting in the U.S. in the evening, or in Australia, you will have to wait till the sun comes up over Devon, England for its release.
Just think of Paris Hilton and wait patiently.
thanks John, I wondered.
By Eliza on June 29th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Smart thing to do, actually. Who wants to read useless spam?
By On The Outside on June 29th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
No problem at all, John, but I do appreciate the explanation. I believe the policy is necessary and prudent. Actually, I believe that I have had three or maybe even four postings that were held pending moderation, almost all of them written when, due to the time difference, we Americans were still awake but sensible Britains were fast asleep!
Heaven only know that there is nothing in any of my posts that make them time-sensitive, so waiting for a moderation check poses no problem at all.
By Gigi on June 29th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Thanks for understanding, Gigi. We have a level of SpamGuard that ensures no spam gets through, and that sometimes means the odd decent comment gets held up — temporarily. It’s a small price to pay for absolutely no rubbish on the site, I think — except my posts, of course.
By John on June 29th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
LOL John, no one even obliquely considers your posts to be anything remotely approaching rubbish!
In other news, I am very glad that there were no injuries in Piccadilly Circus from that car bomb some lunatic tried to set off. I am very tired of terrorists and other maniacs doing so much damage to innocent people the world over. It would have been especially dreadful if the bomb had gone off Friday evening, when the clubs were full of customers and the streets were choked with traffic. Thank heavens for good security forces! Like the hawk, they can never sleep, but must be ever watchful and on guard.
By Gigi on June 29th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Yes, Gigi, that ambulance crew really saved the day. It could have been a massive atrocity. Thank Heavens for the civil spirit of some people.
By John on June 29th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I just read that a policeman climbed into the car and diffused the bomb with no protective gear instead of waiting for the bomb squad because he was afraid it would detonate before the squad could get there. This is uncommon valour and inspiring courage. I hope everyone who sees him for the next year thanks him personally. If the Queen wants my advice on whom she needs to include in her next Birthday Honors, I shall be glad to nominate this gallant policeman. Even if Her Majesty does not want my advice, I will be gald to nominate him!
By Gigi on June 29th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Is that why my answer regarding the airing of the concert times disappeared?
By Trudie on June 29th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Is that why my answer to Gigi regarding the airing of the concert times disappeared?
By Trudie on June 29th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
It disappeared?!
By Gigi on June 30th, 2007 at 5:28 am
Trudie, there’s no comment from you in the mod panel, so I expect it just failed to register. Maybe the server was overloaded at a peak time. Sorry about that.
By John on June 30th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Can I give this another Try hehe Gigi VH1 is airing the concert from 11:00 am to 5:00pm and NBC is airing it from 8:pm until 9:00pm for all the hype at NBC I’m watching VH1. Also I think MTV is also airing it. Gigi I hope you have plenty of tissues on hand.
By Trudie on June 30th, 2007 at 9:16 am
By the sound of it Trudie, the USA is going to have to cut down a forest or two for this event. I hope the Kleenex doesn’t run out nationwide.
Here, we’re more pragmatic. We use washable Irish cotton.
By John on June 30th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Well John, now that is an environmentally smart thing to do!
By On The Outside on June 30th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I have a large collection of embroidered hand -hemmed handerchiefs from the days of my childhood, made for me by my Grandmother, before we had ever heard of kleenex! I may resort to using them if the kleenex runs out here, which well may happen. Thank you, dear Trudie, for making sure your post informing me of USA viewing options appeared here. I very much appreciate it! I believe I will try VH1 also, as NBC is too annoying to be indulged for longer than approximately two minutes. We are all four of us together for the summer holiday (my son is here from DC) so the tears will flow like the Thames at high flood. John, as long as Kimberly-Clark takes their civic responsibilites seriously, the kleenex supplies in America will remain at status quo, I shall swear!
In modern day America, it is not considered bad form to weep in public, so the invention of kleenex was very nearly a priority in the national interest. I was raised never to cry in public for any reason, as were most of my generation, so naturally we could sustain our needs with cloth handkerchiefs. Some years later, when ideas of appropriate behavior altered somewhat, the floodgates opened and Kimberly-Clark stepped boldly into the breach. We have been, lamentably, deaf to the wails of distress from the aghast timber in the nation’s forests. Fortunately, America is so heavily forested, planted and replanted year after year, that we are managing to keep our timber supplies in tact.
By Gigi on June 30th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Gigi, as always you are this site’s anthropologist.
I must say, since Diana, British boys blub like babies on TV. I’m not entirely convinced myself, so only need a handkerchief the size of a postage stamp.
By John on July 1st, 2007 at 10:09 am
John, I watched (and wept through) the concert today on VH1. One of the most moving and unusual performances was by P Diddy, who gave an enormously spiritual and heartfelt tribute to Princess Diana. At the end, Nelson Mandela appeared on the screen and paid tribute to Princess Diana, in words which expressed sentiments that are unlike Mandela, who does not often speak in deeply emotional tones. The concert was incredible and demonstrated, yet again, the power of Diana’s magic, her ability to stir deep love and devotion in total strangers and disparate individuals, her love and concern for the least among us, and her soothing compassion and caring heart. All these gifts which she gave to others continue to secure for her a place in our minds and hearts where she will live forever.
By Gigi on July 1st, 2007 at 11:59 pm
I saw most of it too, Gigi — it was very impressive, I must say. I liked the mix of musical types — Lloyd Webber and the English ballet. Seven hours of hard rock would have been a little too much, I think.
It was a pity that the finale was cancelled because of “technical difficulties”. I think they just ran over time.
By John on July 2nd, 2007 at 9:03 am
No one can switch gears in an emergency better than Sir Elton John! Whatever the finale was supposed to be, Sir Elton ended the concert in style with his final set. The man is a legend in his own time. It must have been very difficult for him to control his emotions, having been a close friend of Princess Diana. Ten years ago I remember thinking, during her funeral, that it was a remarkable example of rising to the occasion when Sir Elton was able to perform so brilliantly that song he and Bernie modified especially to honor Diana. How he kept from weeping, I shall never know.
By Gigi on July 2nd, 2007 at 4:28 pm