When I started this commenting gig I used a Gmail address to identify myself with WordPress. The Gmail address was real, but I checked it rarely (much to the chagrin of people who attempted to communicate with me privately). In forsaking all dignity and deciding to blog here, I decided to register my WordPress account with that address. Alas. I could no longer log in. After supplying my username and password, I was led through an increasingly ridiculous series of account recovery questions. By the time I gave up, Google wanted to know the year and month (!) I opened that account. My guess is that either Google decided I had abandoned my account, or that my account was hacked and Google disabled it until I could demonstrate ownership.
I shaved that yak by opening an account with the 33mail.com forwarding service, which forwards email to an address I check regularly. I was able to sign up for WordPress that way, and (in principle) I am notified when you lovely people comment. I started using this alias when commenting on other blogs, which has caused its own share of problems. Now many of the blogs I used to gush on under my old identity hold my comments “for moderation”, and I suspect some of them will never see the light of day.
For the most part I can deal with WordPress, however. I rarely comment in Blogger blogs, because it is such a pain. In addition to leaving a name and a URL, Blogger now makes you fill out ReCAPTCHA entries. A few days ago I tried to leave a comment for somebody and I was forced to work through five separate CAPTCHA rounds before I fooled Google into believing I am not a robot. It is downright irritating to post on Blogger, but I guess I had better get used to it.
Why don’t I just get a Google account and leave myself logged in all the time? Because that is Google’s game plan. It wants you to stay logged in so (according to the terms of agreement you agreed to) the company can track you wherever you go and whatever you do on the Internet. I don’t particularly want Google tracking my whereabouts, especially in this identity. Thus I have to re-register my identity every time I want to comment on something. This is a losing strategy, but “losing strategy” is my middle name.
What I am trying to say is that I am sorry if you are angry that I am not leaving comments on your blog when you expect me to.
While I am at it, I am also sorry if you are angry because I do comment on your blog and don’t shut up even though you have left many hints for me refrain and leave you alone thank you very much. Social cues are not my strong suit.
Old Lurker 
HA,HA,HA,HA!!!!! I am on blogger where I blog, and so far, I’m fine…. but I hope they don’t change to many things. I have some friends who aren’t bloggers and just want to read blogs, so they post a comment under anon. They said even that’s a pain in the ass. I do have a WordPress account, for I almost left blogger once. But I find it very hard to post and find things on the “dashboard”. My homepage there looks huge! I don’t know how to fix it. Only because I haven’t yet spent enough time their. But some of my favorite bloggers are on WordPress.. I’ll keep my account for if I ever divorce blogger,
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Hoping Google doesn’t change things too much? That is usually a sign that Google is about to drop a product.
Your strategy seems wise. I do not endorse monogamy to big tech companies.
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If I have to click on one more image of a gas station or a road sign or a mountain or a bus I may scream.
JP
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Select all images with pasta. Click verify once there are none left.
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