Comments (please!!!)

Okay, Okay, Okay, I have finally figured out how to turn the comments on so you DON'T have to be a member of an obscure network in order to post a comment.  Mind you, if you DO have a Google identity (perhaps you have a Gmail account or have actually joined Google+) then it's probably the easiest and most convenient way to post comments on to this blog.

However for the not insubstantial number of you without membership of Google, OpenID or the other options, I've now opened the blog to comments from two other types of users.

Firstly there is the Anonymous user.  Obvious what happens, but gee, please don't use it unless you have a really good reason for hiding your identity.  Alternatively post from Anonymous, but leave your name in the actual comment somewhere.  However the other way of doing it is to use the Name/URL method.  You can enter your name and then add a website you're related to (if any) and it will come up after your comments.

For now (and hopefully all time) I'm not moderating comments, which means they will appear on the blog instantly.  I prefer this, but if objectionable content does get posted in the comments (eg excess profanity, racism, offensive material, etc) I'll be deleting them, and possibly turning on the moderation if it continues to excess.  This will mean comments will have to wait for me to read them and okay them before publishing.  But I most certainly don't ever want to resort to this.

Mind you, with live comments, a pair of you MIGHT get involved in a live slanging match - so please guys, it's only a hobby and take a step back if you should feel termpers fraying.  (This is, of course, assuming ANY comments at all go on the blog).

Another thing I'm interested in is whether or not to allow Google ADVERTISEMENTS on the blog.  I have turned them on at my other blog (ie Bustopher Said... ) so you can scroll down and take a look at what they might look like if we turn them on here.  They come up between every third or fourth blog post, and at the column over on the right-hand side (down the bottom).  They are supposed to be context sensitive (eg next to the blog entry about my Princess Cruise in March 2012, will probably appear an ad for a cruise liner).

Advertisements give the potential to raise a very small amount of revenue.  So far, from Bustopher Said... I have raised 42c over about two and a half years.  However we'd probably be getting more traffic on this blog, so it might accumulate faster.  Incidentally, once the total hits $150.00 they'll send me a cheque.  Mind you, I'll probably be over 350 years old before this happens...

Anyway, what are your thoughts on Ads, and please - just leave a comment to say hello and let me know the blog IS getting used - I need the feedback.