Stop Spam In Wordpress, Installed reCAPTCH But Still Getting Spam

'reCAPTCHA is a free CAPTCHA service that helps to digitize books, newspapers and old time radio shows. Check out our paper in Science about it (or read more below).


A CAPTCHA is a program that can tell whether its user is a human or a computer. You've probably seen them — colorful images with distorted text at the bottom of Web registration forms. CAPTCHAs are used by many websites to prevent abuse from "bots," or automated programs usually written to generate spam.


No computer program can read distorted text as well as humans can, so bots cannot navigate sites protected by CAPTCHAs.'  Source: reCAPTCHA.

However, if this did not solve your problem in WordPress, you may want to do the following.

In WordPress dashboard under Settings > Discussion, Default article settings section un-check 'Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks)'. It solved my spam issue. I used to get 800 spam comments per week. By installing reCAPCHA in my blog it reduced to 25 spam messages per week. Then I disabled the pingbacks and trackbacks and now I am getting zero spam. Moderate all your comments, that really helps too.

Edit Posts Error bX-mcgjci in Blogger

Its been days now and I cannot still get into my Edit Posts on one of my blogs. bX-mcgjci error keep flashing front of my face every time I click on Edit Posts. Theories are that this error is google account related. However, I am not sure if it is account related, since all my other blogs are working perfectly fine. Blogger issue- definitely, but why they are not looking into this problem, no body knows. This is what you get when using free services, and after all there must be more serious issues they are working on.

There is one workaround suggested I tried. Create a new gmail account, and then a new blogger account. In your blog, the one not working, assign admin privileges to the new account. Confirm by accessing a new account. To access Edit Posts you need to be logged in the new account. If you want to still be recognized among your blogger friends, ensure to create very similar id, because the new account id will be displaying for commenting.

However, if you need to just post your post, and you don't access the old posts, then you can do this. Create your post that is 100% proof, go to Create New and post. If you screw up, to edit you can still access the post from your blog, pending you have the little pencil image under the post. Remember, you always need to be logged into your account to access it. Same with commenting.

This is another workaround this issue.

Go to Layout > click on Blog Posts > Click on Edit > In the Configure Blog Posts ensure that the 'Show Quick Editing' is checked [a pencil].

To display Archives on your Blog go to Layout > Add Gadget > Click on Blog Archives to activate.

Now you are all set to access your posts from your blog [not edit mode]. On the Archives click on the post you want to edit, then on the bottom of the post you should have a pencil to edit your post.

Lastly ensure to back up your posts. Go to Settings > Basic tab > Export Blog. The backup posts can be imported back to other blogs.

Lastly, let's hope google blogger team will look into this issue as soon as possible.

Read More ... in Blogger Blogspot is Now Available

Finally the 'Read More...' or called by blogspot 'After the Jump' feature is now available. I have not tried it yet but I will. Here is excellent guide by Google for you to read how to do this modification. Yes it requires little modification to the template. Ensure to back it up, and do yourself a favor, just create a test blog to install and test drive this feature. Never know, you may like or not. Before I conclude this post, you have to run new post editor. This can be changed in Settings > Basic, and scroll down to see the options.

Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site - Operation aborted

After one Microsoft automatic update everything just went wrong with my Internet Explorer 8. I am vivid blogger and I visit my blogger friends regularly. The problem I started to have was that some blogs posts would not display. But the main issue I got with many blogs I visited I kept getting an error: 'Internet Explorer cannot open site http://sitename.blogspot.com. Operation Aborted.' When I clicked OK, I get 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'. This is just too many 'cannot' message for a bad day already.

I did some search hoping to get an easy answer, but I don't think I want to fool around with those fixes. It looked like it involved some code manipulation. Short story long, I decided to switch browsers. I ended up uploading Google Chrome and FireFox. So far I been vivid user of Google Chrome and I am definitely not disappointed, okay just a bit but that is topic for another day. Google Chrome is easy to use with some interesting features for those who like change. Changeover was painless, so guess what I think I have to say goodbey to Internet Explore for now. I been Google addict anyway.

Just to give some answers to those who wants to be Internet Explorer troopers, here is the fix link from Microsoft. The answer is simple, upgrade to Internet Explorer 8. Okay what did I just write, my Internet Explorer is 8. But then they also ask to contact web owner to do modification, okay last thing I want to do is to bother someone with issues like that.

Bloggers Social Networking Resources – More Traffic to Your Blog

Want more exposure for your blog, your website, or just you? Then here is my assembled list of social network places which you can join so you can find more friends, find your old friends, make friends, share stories, photos, videos, news or more. However, I am going to tell you now, pick few only. Definitely you will not be able to maintain them all. I think it can really become addictive and you can spend hours and hours without accomplishing anything or accomplishing everything. So here we go, all I could find is listed below, and if you have any I have not listed here please share. Not to offend anyone, I put this is list in the alphabetical order.

A
Advogato - is an online community site for developers of free.

B
Bebo – is a social network web site.
BlackPlanet – is an online social networking site targeted especially for the African American community, as the name speaks for itself.
BlinkList – is an online link manager.
BlogCatalog – is a blog networking platform.
Blogger – is a blog publishing platform from Google.
BlogLines – is a web based news aggregator for reading syndicated feeds using the RSS and Atom.
Buzz – is currently re-buzzing; check-in in the near future.

C
CafeMom - is an ad-supported social networking website for mothers.
ClassMates – is a social school networking platform.
CoolPhotoBlogs – is a social networking web site for blogging photographers.

D
Delicious – is the biggest database of bookmarks in the universe that can be shared among users. DesignFloat – is a social media web site for design industry.
Digg – is a social news website where content from anywhere on the Internet is shared by link submission; voting and commenting makes stories more popular.
Diigo – is a research tool and a knowledge-sharing community.
DZone – is a free link sharing community for developers.

E
Eons – is a social networking site for baby boomers.

F
FaceBook – is a social networking for friends, family, and co–workers, to stay connected and to communicate.
FreeWebs – is a free web hosting company hosting personal and business related.
Friendster – is a social network service.

G
Google Bookmarks – is a free online bookmark storage service which is available to Google accounts; this service allows bookmarking favorite websites, adding labels, tags and notes.

H
Hi5 – is a social networking web site.

I
InterNations - is an international social network service.

J
Jaiku - is a social networking, micro-blogging and life streaming platform from Google.

L
LibraryThing - is a social cataloging web application for storing and sharing personal library catalogs and book lists.
LinkedIn – is a business oriented social networking platform mainly used by professionals.
LiveJournal – is a blog publishing platform from Microsoft.
Loaded Web – is a social networking platform for bloggers by geographical location.

M
MiGente – is an online social networking site targeting Latino community.
Mixx – is a social media web site for submitting or finding content based on interest and location; a combination of social networking and bookmarking.
Multiply – is a social networking service which allows the users to share media such as photos, videos and blog entries.
MyChurch - is a Christian social network.
MySpace – is an international social interactive networking website where users gather with network of friends, share their personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos for teenagers and adults.
myYearbook – is a social networking site.

N
Nasza Klasa – is an online social school networking web site for Polish community.
Nature Blog Network – is a network of bloggers associated with nature.
Netvouz – is an online social bookmark manager.
Newsvine – is a social news website.
Nexopia.com - is a Canadian social networking website.

O
Orkut – is a social network service from Google.

P
Propeller – is a social news aggregator operated by AOL-Netscape.

R
Reddit – is a social news website where users can post links to content on the Internet.

S
StumbleUpon – is a social news website where users can post links to content on the Internet.
SlashDot – is a technology related news website which features user-submitted and editor-evaluated current affairs news with a touch of ‘nerdy’ slant.
SquiDoo – is a topic sharing web site.

T
Tagged – is a social networking web site.
Technorati – is a blog related search engine tracking popular stories and link relationships.
ThisNext – is a social portal of great product recommendations and personalized shopping suggestions.
Twitter – is a social networking for friends, family, and co–workers, mainly to stay connected and to communicate.
TypePad – is a blog publishing platform for professionals and small businesses.

W
WordPress – is a blog publishing platform from WordPress.

X
Xanga – is a website that hosts weblogs, photo blogs, and social networking profiles.

Document Release: 0; Document Last Modified: April 27, 2009

Blogging What to Expect – Things You Should Know Before You Start Blogging

What is Blogging?
Blogging simply is a way of communicating to the world. You can write an email to many of your friends or colleagues, but with blogging you can write to the whole world or to the public of your choice. Technically blogging is short for web log, and is a form of personal or business journal updated frequently and broadcast publicly. It is similar to the discussion board, however, in the blogging world the blogger writes a post, moderates and converses with its visitors. Whereas, on the discussion board all users can communicate with each other and anyone can start the topic, however, don’t be surprise that there is a human guard that monitors your behavior. Needles to say if you are blogger, you are that guard and a writer. Bottom line you are in control. Frankly I don’t see much of a difference, but blogging is more fun because you are definitely the star.

How Do You Start Blogging?
Simple, you can choose blog provider of your choice, Blogger or WordPress- are the two most common free blogging platforms on the whole Internet, at least for now, and at least the ones I know. Sign up is very easy and fast, in a matter of seconds, providing that you know the following: name for your blog and address for your blog. Basic templates are available for you to start blogging immediately; however, you will find that with time you will get an itch to customize your blog template by using third party providers. But let’s not go there yet.

What Happens Next After Your Blog is Created?
What are you waiting for – start writing, linking useful information, show off your pictures, but blog responsibly by providing your original information. Your writing, your ideas, your pictures – bottom line do not copy others stuff without giving them a credit or asking for a permission. Simple as it sounds, if you don’t have visitors or commentators what is the use of blogging. Yes in order to be successful blogger you need visitors to comment on your published articles or pictures, and that is how you start going to other bloggers blogs and comment. Believe or not the professional bloggers that really care about their visitors will visit your blog back, and that is how your blogging virtual friendship starts. But this is only one small thing you can do to increase traffic to your blog. Other you may want to investigate social networking platforms that have database of many bloggers. Simple sign up can lead to your blog discovery. Also remember there are many silent bloggers that just read and go – a visitor counter may be a good idea to have on your blog then.

Blogging Techniques That Will Make Your Visitors Come Back Over and Over Again
I have been blogging for more than two years now, and I have seen many different ways of blogging with others. These are successful techniques that will get you a nice bunch of regulars to your blog. These techniques may be very time-consuming, but if you have nothing to do but blog, then they are rewarding, and your blog will definitely be recognized. Here how you can blog with your visitors.

1. Double Commenting Technique: A visitor comments on your blog post. You comment back. Answer their question if asked; thank them for visit and comment on your blog. Let them know that you will be visiting them soon.
   
2. Single Commenting Technique: A visitor comments on your blog post. You go to their blog and comment back. On their blog you answer their questions that were asked on your blog, thank them for a visit and comment on their post.

You have choice between the two, and obviously the first one is a more time-consuming one, which I have been doing. However, the first one usually guarantees to have your post topic flow on your blog and not scattered all over the other blogs, and probably more virtual blogger friends.

Before You Know It You Are Blogging All Day – Facing an Addiction
Typical blogger behavior after a while is to complain that too much time is spend on blogging, family is abandon, your lower bottom is getting bigger, you have migraines, not sleeping well, too excited – but you continue to blog, blog and blog. And then finally you shut down your blog, and your blogging career is over. These are typical signs of blogging addiction and failure in blogging world. Remember, blogging is free, and should not be stressful, you should be in control – and don’t feel bad if you did not blog for a while or take frequent brakes. If your posts are professional, entertaining and original, your virtual blogger friends will not forget you, and will be visiting you back, soon as they see you posting again.

Recognize Blogging Addiction

• You start complaining in your posts about being tired of blogging.
  
• You spend more than 2 hours of blogging a day.


• For some, if you post everyday and you don’t have time.


• You stopped cooking for loved ones, you miss your favorite shows, and you miss family visits.


• You close down your blog angry, others convince you to come back and you repeat above steps over again.


• You start creating more blogs than you can handle – yes blogging platform allow more than one blog to be created by one user.

Word of advice if you come back to blogging second time ensure to recognize your bad blogging habit. Recognize that you have been addicted to blogging and now set your limits, there is always a second chance.

Set Your Limits
The easiest way to blog is simple word – moderation. Let me emphasize again – moderation, that is blog when you can or allocate set time for blogging. Set your limits up front, tell the bloggers what are your limits and all will be fine. For example, tell yourself and everyone that you will have one post a week on the scheduled day of the week; and you will allocate sometime to visit and read other blogs; and as a result you are a happy blogging camper.

REFERENCES
[1] Image Courtesy of Microsoft Office Online, Clip Art Gallery

Document Release: 0; Document Last Modified: February 16, 2009