Anonymous Blocking

We are getting more anonymous spam comments these days.  Some are dubious ads for meds, some are just random weird gibberish.  We set up delayed Comment Moderation a few months ago, but having to reject some comments every day is getting to be annoying.

We are reluctant to use Word Moderation, because we find it personally annoying and don't wish to subject our friends to that.  The Comment Moderation hardly ever effects anyone but spammers.

But we are going to experiment with changing our blog to not accept "anonymous" posts.  That means, as far as we can tell by discussions on blogger forums, that none of you will notice the difference.

But if you are a friend and cannot comment, please let us know.  Our email addy is embedded in our header.  We trust you know about changing some words to the symbols...  We don't want any friend to be blocked from commenting.  But the spam comments are increasing weekly, and we have to try to stop or reduce it.

But definitely, no one can post "anonymous" anymore.  We regret that, but it may only affect the spammers (we hope).

The Big Thing
LC, Ayla, and LC

A Jerk Visits The Blog

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THE BIG THING:  A mild rant: 

We are all used to the occasional ads or spammers who leave posts at our blogs.  But last week, we received one that didn't quite fit into that category, yet was annoying enough so that I immediately deleted the comment.  But I've been thinking about it, and fortunately, I have comments sent to me email.  So while I deleted his comment at once, it was still in my email.

The comment was "mean" but not "nasty", so I've been thinking about it.  I suspect few of you saw it, but I want to discuss it.  I hope the cats will not mind my posting about it.

[LC, Ayla, Iza:  Go ahead, we are busy today]

Thanks girls...  We had posted about the cats licking the gravy bowl when I was done with it.  That does not seem odd to me.  I trust the dishwasher and alcohol to truly clean all bowls and plates and such.

But the person (who calls himself "The Crap Blog Detective") posted "You let your pets eat from the gravy bowl? And I always thought it was the ignorant uneducated Asians who live with their chickens and pigs who spread filthy diseases such as the swine flu. If there is to appear a cat-flu anytime soon, I know where it originated from".

I read it first to be simply stupid.  I'll lived with cat saliva all over me, licks in the food bowls that I was using and use again, cleaned cat litter boxes for 40 years, etc.  I don't much worry about it.  I know that cat-transmitted diseases are rare, and quite frankly, I seem to be pretty much immune to almost anything.  So I just deleted the comment as "ignorant".

But re-reading it in my email later, I noticed some more disturbing aspects.  "ignorant uneducated Asians" for example.  and even "appear a cat-flu anytime soon, I know where it originated from".

The first is reprehensible.  On a general level, "ignorant uneducated Asians", is automatically itself an ignorant individual statement.  All humans are equal in the ability to learn when given the opportunity.  

I probably shouldn't have, but I posted the following comment on this guy's blog:


"Thank you for visiting my blog and displaying your ignorance. You recently responded to a simple post of mine where I mentioned that I allowed my cats to lick the turkey gravy bowl, suggesting that I was exposing the world to a cat flu pandemic.

Apparently, you know nothing about either how I clean the bowl afterwards, about cat-to-human disease transmission, or about animal-to-human disease transmission in general.

I do, and you are fool on all counts. First, you might want to read 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' by Jared Diamond. It discusses typical disease transmission vectors. You won't see cats mentioned there.

Second, you might want to know that I clean all bowls that I share with the cats with both boiling water and an alcohol soak. That's over-kill, but I do it anyway. The cats get this enjoyment once a year on Thanksgiving Day, so it isn't that big an effort.

Regarding cat-transmitted diseases directly to humans: Rabies, stool contact, scratches and bites (more from skin puncture introducing existing human skin problems. Mine are vaccinated against rabies, and are otherwise healthy as hogs.

I know my cats; you don't.

Now, about your "ignorant uneducated Asians" comment: I could discuss your obvious bigotry toward Asians. I'm not Asian, so it is not a personal issue, but such a statement is beyond contempt. You should be ashamed of saying something like that, because Asians are as intelligent as any other grouping of humans, no more and no less.

So, congratulations. You thoroughly disgust me. Not so much by your apparent personal and unworthy biases (which are obvious) but mostly from your general ignorance of basic science. You think you have the qualifications to judge other blogs (the qualifications, not the legal right)?

I don't think so.

I dare you do leave this post up. I bet you won't!"




Sorry for the rant, the cats take over again tomorrow.

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Another Spam Attempt!

LC: But this one was died a quick death like a crippled mousie in the housie! YAY!

Ya see, we enabled comment moderation fer all posts OVER 5 DAYS OLD last month. So when Anonymouse tried to spam our old posts (again) with comments, he/she got a "Moderated" notice, an gave up after the 1st comment (which I easily rejected)!



Then I went back ta nappin...

Heh-heh-heh...

SPAM?

AYLA: I learns the difference between SPAM and "spam"...



Wait, thats the same werd TBT uses fer unwanted posts and email...

Thanks Ann...