When I started this blog I had the usual notions of having conversations with readers. This of course means that the reader needs to participate via comments. Then I discovered how annoying blog spam is and turned on comment moderation. Essentially, the first time you post a comment I approve you as a commenter to my blog. From that point on your comments get through without my involvement. This (plus Akismet) beats the spam thing nicely.

Normally I don’t jump on the ‘here is a link everyone else has’ bandwagon, but this post by Kathy Sierra about how she has cancelled all appearances due to threats of sexual abuse and even death has made me doubly relieved not to allow anonymous comments. Having been online for more than 15 years (with a hefty online gaming addiction for awhile), I have done more than my fair share of regailing in the anonymity of the internet. But stuff like this makes me think that it is time for the Internet to give up it’s settler’s rush mentality, accept responsibility it’s impact it can have on people’s lives and start to remove anonymity.

Perhaps I’m getting cranky as I get older, or perhaps it’s because I have seen my 14 yr old daughter post a headshot of herself online any have a dozen comments from people using pseudonyms but claiming to be in their late 30s or early 40s as ‘hot’ but I am sick of the things done online by people because they have no way of getting caught. Nearly physically ill sick.