Friday, October 28, 2011

Blogger friends - Can you comment?

For the past few days, I've found myself unable to comment on a few Blogger blogs I've always been able to comment on before (Evensong and Karen, yours were among them - can't remember which others).  (Note to non-bloggy people.  When I use the term Blogger here, I'm referring to the trademark name of the site which hosts my blog).  When I type my comment and move to 'select profile', the drop down box doesn't work, but of course I can't comment without selecting a profile - there's no other option.  Has anyone else experienced this and figured out how to resolve it.  I have changed absolutely nothing on my computer.

(Note:  I don't always get the 'select profile' request from Blogger - some Blogger blogs allow me to just enter my comment and automatically put in my name and link to my own blog.)  

Anyway, I went to Blogger Help and see that people have been asking that same question for several months, and the only responses are so full of technobabble that I don't have a clue what they are talking about.

If one of you have faced and conquered this challenge, please let me know how to make that drop down box drop down!!! 

I'm not sure what my own blog asks people to do in order to comment, but if you are unable to post a comment on this blog, please try the 'email me' button on the right to let me know. 

16 comments:

K-Koira said...

As one of the few people yet to experience this problem (seems like most every blog I read has mentioned this at some point), I am told it is because I use Google Chrome as my browser. If you use something else currently, you might try downloading Chrome and trying it out, and seeing if that solves the problem.

Unknown said...

We can comment :)

Jean said...

Unfortunately, the last time I tried to download Chrome, because blogger or google or Shaw told me to, it cost me $90 to get a techy to come undo the damage. It screwed up everything else on my computer, so I'm not going there.
I've been told this (not using Chrome) is also why I can no longer see who my 'followers' are on my dashboard - all because I want to keep using what I've always been using and what works just fine for most things.

Blogger just gets worse and worse with the changes it makes for no reason - I'm looking at other sites to move my blog to, but can't find one as user-friendly as blogger used to me. I had a long look at Wordpress, which seems to be the second most popular one, but couldn't even figure out the first few steps there. Ugh. I may give up blogging altogether if technology doesn't stop spiralling out-of-control - it's just one big headache after another.

Jean said...

See, James Pauley can comment and he's a dog - I'm a people and I can't comment (except on my own blog)! Maybe I just need to be a dog!

Sheryl said...

This is a test comment, but I haven't had any problem so far.

Anonymous said...

Deah Auntie Jean,

We is sowwy to heah of youah blogging woes, so wez wanted to twy it too.

Luvs Kinley and Logan
PS. We iz dogs like Pauley.

EvenSong said...

Jean, I've had a couple of others say they had trouble too, but I'm not sure how they got around it--maybe they just gave up? I know that some just comment anonymously and then sign the comment, but it sounds like you can't even get that far... What browser are you using, Internet Explorer?
Like you, I can't see how my blog looks to others, so I'm not sure what to tell you. But thanks for reading, anyway.

MrsB said...

I could comment, but not email....

Jean said...

Kinley and Logan, I already know you are much smarter than humans so I'm not surprised you were able to comment!

MrsB - oh shoot now my email link doesn't work either?

I have been informed that Blogger no longer supports my browser (or maybe it's the other way around - my browser no longer supports Blogger??? I don't even know what that stuff means!). I use Internet Explorer 7 and don't want to change, but it looks like I am caught between a rock and a hardplace - switch browsers or quit blogging. Expect a lengthy hiatus from blogging, because I'll have to wait until I can get a techy to come do this for me.
I am so royally pissed off. Between this and problems with my new cell phone (what is it with communications companies that can't communicate??!!!!!) I think I shall shut all modern technology out of my life for today. Shutting down and going outside to play.

Sheryl said...

I use IE 7 as well (tried IE8 and did not like it). Several sites I use want me to upgrade to Google Chrome - not really ready to do that because I have limited RAM and everytime I upgrade a program my computer gets slo-o-o-o-wer and slo-o-o-o-o-wer.

To see my Shaw bill on-line, I now have to use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. I use IE for everything else, though.

Good Luck with sorting it out. Computers are a real pain in the butt.

Black Jack's Carol said...

Hi Jean,

I understand your frustration. Technology is so wonderful.. until, it isn't. It seems that I'm not having a problem here, but will see if my comment actually posts. I've heard very negative things about "Chrome" from people at my school. I use Safari, as I have a Mac. Hope you don't stop blogging, but if you do, please know how much I enjoy (and hope to continue enjoying) your posts.

Funder said...

Carol - OMG! Chrome is about a thousand times better than Safari. My Safari always gets memory leaks and gradually bogs my Mac down slower and slower til I restart it. (Windows people, disregard that whole paragraph.)

Jean - that sucks! I've had can't-comment-itis before and it disappears as mysteriously as it arrives. Sometimes I get errors for weeks, then everything works smoothly again. Hope you had a beautiful sunny day in the real world :)

Janice Gillett said...

I can comment too!!

Mark said...

Sorry to hear you are having blogging problems Jean. I haven't heard good things about Chrome either. I use Linux as my OS which uses Firefox as the default browser,this opens much quicker than the windows version but has the same qualities. Maybe you should try Firefox instead of IE. I know when Del posts for TG she always asks me to look to see how it posts on my PC.

Evensong your blog looks just fine on my PC

King said...

Oh for the good old days when one could just put their little paws to the keyboard and type. I liked IE5, & 6, and even got used to 7 Drat now Im using IE8. I tried Google Chrome, HATED it! I bounce back and forth between browsers. IE, Firefox, Avant, Opera. Sometimes they work, sometimes not. I will not use Google Chrome again. They cant make me, THEY CANT MAKE ME!
Will this send.......

Jean said...

Well, I'm glad to know I'm not alone with the 'ohmygawd-a-new-browser?" problems. I'm going to have to get a techy to come look at my computer anyway, as I've received two messages from Shaw - one on my shaw phone, and one at my shaw email - saying I have to change to some other security package before November 15th(though I will phone shaw to make sure these aren't a hoax). I also have some photo software to add to my computer. So may as well sign over this month's pension to a techy and get everything fixed at once.
Then maybe I'll be able to communicate with the communications companies - Shaw for my phone/internet and Rogers for my cell - by computer, which I currently can't do.
What happened to the days when a thousand dollar purchase was good for 20-30 years??? I bought this one two years ago. TWO. For just under $1000. And now it's considered outdated. If they tell me I need a new laptop to handle the new programs they are forcing on me, I shall become a Luddite. I shall. I really shall.