Fatty wrote:...But why have you disabled comments for old blog entries? Sometimes people just surf by at random (often following some other link or while doing a web search) and might have something to add to an old conversation.
I did that fairly recently because, overnight, I had about 50 spam emails come through on random old posts. It was like a spammer was going through methodically posting on each page, even though on the main website I have a rudimentary "human verification" question that prevents auto-bots. So this spammer was probably a human filling out the comment form on each post. I threw in a block on old posts just to put an end to it.
In fact, pretty much ALL spam I receive is on old posts. And I find that rare comments I receive on old posts are not really worth having, if you see what I mean. The topic is done and dusted and I don't usually feel like getting into it again. But who knows, I may open up comments on old posts again.
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I just hope that after fixing the spam problem, that it will be easy to reply to the old posts since you never know when a reply to those old posts would prove to be invaluable (very valuable) to a more clear understanding of Enid Blyton and her books, now as well as for posterity. This aspect reminds me of when in the process of undertaking research for my book, I perused through many e-mails dating back as far as the current non-spam Yahoo Group (there are about 16 or 17 other Enid Blyton-related Yahoo Groups, most of them inundated with Spam) commenced in 2001. From time to time, I would come across some e-mails worthy re-disussing on the group and I would re-post them on the group in order to garner more re-discussions on various issues. In fact, at one time Anita said I was getting a blast in re-posting some of those old posts. Maybe Yahoo Groups are definitely different in composition and format from say websites like EBS and Enid Blyton.net. So far Nanny, the lead moderator of the Yahoo Group, has prevented spam from getting into the group's discussion forum. Probably the EBS, especially, is more diverse and far difficult to monitor spam, though most of us haven't noticed any spam-related e-mail on the forum. Nonetheless, should you fix the spam problem on those old posts or threads, let us hope we should be able to reply to them. I recall Tony saying that he had either erased or intended to erase some of those old threads, if that is the case, that could be considered to be unethical and could impede future research on Enid Blyton and her literature, for we should honor that Chinese philosophical dictum, "Let a hundred flowers blossom..."
Stephen I.
Fatty wrote:...But why have you disabled comments for old blog entries? Sometimes people just surf by at random (often following some other link or while doing a web search) and might have something to add to an old conversation.
I did that fairly recently because, overnight, I had about 50 spam emails come through on random old posts. It was like a spammer was going through methodically posting on each page, even though on the main website I have a rudimentary "human verification" question that prevents auto-bots. So this spammer was probably a human filling out the comment form on each post. I threw in a block on old posts just to put an end to it.
I just hope that after fixing the spam problem, that it will be easy to reply to the old posts since you never know when a reply to those old posts would prove to be invaluable (very valuable) to a more clear understanding of Enid Blyton and her books, now as well as for posterity.
Keith was talking about his blog - not about this website or about http://www.enidblyton.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Enikyoga wrote:I recall Tony saying that he had either erased or intended to erase some of those old threads, if that is the case, that could be considered to be unethical and could impede future research on Enid Blyton and her literature, for we should honor that Chinese philosophical dictum, "Let a hundred flowers blossom..."
Tony and I have considered (and have discussed with forumites) removing old games from the "Word Association" thread, because they're simply lists of words and are of no use to anyone once the game is over. We haven't made a decision one way or the other yet, but we wouldn't dream of removing any Blyton-related discussion because, as you say, much of it could be interesting and useful to visitors for years to come.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
Enikyoga wrote:I recall Tony saying that he had either erased or intended to erase some of those old threads, if that is the case, that could be considered to be unethical and could impede future research on Enid Blyton and her literature, for we should honor that Chinese philosophical dictum, "Let a hundred flowers blossom..."
There's nothing 'unethical' about deleting old posts in a forum that one administers, Stephen, and I'm sure Tony said that in a different context. For instance, if the site is taking a long time to load I wouldn't protest if some of the pointless game threads were to be culled.
As for the ancient Chinese dictum, if its current government's approach to free speech is anything to go by, at least 9000 of those 10,000 blossoms would be nipped in the bud.
Unethical Tony coming in here! Thanks for the support both Fatty and Anita. I never suggested removing anything that someone might want to look back on, it was the Word Association game that I had my eye on as it now has 652 pages. I wouldn't have thought that the old games there would ever be looked at by anybody and surely they wouldn't even be any use for volume 2 of the Anecdotage - but I might be wrong here!
Tony Summerfield wrote:surely they wouldn't even be any use for volume 2 of the Anecdotage - but I might be wrong here!
Who knows what hidden psychological meanings there are in those strings of random words. The outcome of the next US elections might be predicted in there.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Tony and I have considered (and have discussed with forumites) removing old games from the "Word Association" thread, because they're simply lists of words and are of no use to anyone once the game is over.
I guess the million word countdown thread will qualify for some culling, as well!
Moonraker wrote:I guess the million word countdown thread will qualify for some culling, as well!
You mean like the whole thread!! I don't think that would count as a 'cull' though, more an annihilation!
After my remarks on this subject I was a good boy as I went through all my own posts and removed any one word or symbol replies - but I only found five!
