Blog-GRR

I really shouldn't complain about BLOGGER. It is a very nice tool, and it's free, so, why should I complain?? But I will anyway...

One complaint is about OpenID and other forms of ID verification. No, I am not talking about having to type in one of those annoying captcha's (word verification). Those are annoying, but I know how to make that turn off. I am talking about the different forms of identifying yourself required in order to comment. Lately, I have been having troubles with the ID requests that ask: Comment as: (pull down menu) "Select profile" The items on the pull down are Google account, LiveJournal, WordPress, Typepad, AIM, OpenID, as well as Name/url and Anonymous. Like the one that Braja has on her blog "Lost and Found in India".

I can't get this particular ID tool to work! After rummaging around in the useless cesspool that is laughingly labeled "Blogger Help Group", a group/forum that apparently has no actual contact with any Google employees who know anything or might actually be able to help, and instead, appears to be run solely by other frustrated users who sometimes have answers but most of the time do not, I managed to find postings (rants, cursing, pleas for help, etc.) by other bloggers with this same problem. Some have it worse - I seem to be one of the lucky ones - I can at least post to my own comments!

For the record, I have set up OpenID, my blogger dashboard tells me that I am set up with blogger, LiveJournal, etc. I have tried regular blogger, and blogger in draft. I have tried using the ID with different accounts. I've tried to "Preview" before posting (someone said it helps, but it just reset me as fast as hitting the "Post Comment" button does). If I go straight to the "Post Comment", it will act like it is going to work and post, but it will only reset to a blank. What a pain. I am still digging through my settings on Firefox, my antivirus, and other security tools. This is a recent change - must be a new and improved update. I am not impressed.

(and btw, I know comments are not mandatory, but neither is applause at a show... I like to show my appreciation to those who write by giving feedback. Sorry to have been lurking around folks, but it's not my fault. I'm working at it...)

Oh, and my blog has given up its pretensions of being French. The header at the top of my blog, the bit that should read "Search blog" and "Next blog".... or whatever it says in English because I haven't seen it in so long that I forget... no longer says "Rechercher Le Blog".... it now says "Bahath al-madunah al-alektroniyah". At least having my blog speak Arabic makes sense, given our location. What doesn't make sense is that all my settings are set to English. I've cleared caches, remembered me, unset and reset, you name it... everywhere I can think to reset and set, and no luck.

I will keep telling myself that Blogger is free... if it acts cheap, that's because it is. I shall focus on the positive, and wait patiently for the next upgrade... fingers crossed that it is actually an 'up'.