Sure, we’ve all had minor hiccups with WordPress, but overall, it is an excellent place for our blog home.
Maybe some hiccups weren’t so minor. Who can forget the “send-me-an-email-every-time-someone-makes-a-comment-on-this-blog-unless-I-tick-the-box-saying-I-don’t-want-one” snafu? Gosh, that was terrible, but lucky for our overflowing in-boxes and formerly full heads of hair, the problem was corrected after the ugly mob stormed the WordPress castle gate.
I can’t complain about the ease of having a WordPress blog or the price of admission. Free is always good. However, I have a Christmas Wish List for the gurus at WordPress . . .
Santa WordPress (Santa Claus’s little brother)
- Could you give the “drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy” a catchy name so we don’t need to call it the “drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy?”
- What does the blue dot and/or gray star next to some comments in the “drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy” mean? Why is there a blue dot and/or gray star next to SOME of the comments but not ALL?
- Could we have more than nine recent comments on the “drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy” (see why we need a catchy name?)? There are times I read and comment on a bunch of blogs. Then, I do a post on my blog and people read and comment, thereby obliterating any responses to comments I made on other blogs. I can’t keep the comment conversation going by commenting on responses to my comments because I don’t see them. (Gosh, did that make sense? Or, did I just type myself into a circle?) (Are you all laughing at me because I don’t know about the super-secret button that shows all comment responses?)
- Maybe a solution to the above wish is . . . could we get an email with a blogger’s response to a comment we made on their blog? Like when we get an email when someone comments on our blog.
- While we are on the subject of comments, it never fails that I type a comment on a blog, hit ‘Post Comment’, and immediately see a careless typo. Could you make it possible to fix typos in our comments so we don’t look like Neanderthal typists? What say you? You want me to proof my work before submitting?
- On the top right side of the “Add New Post” screen, we have the option to move the new post to the trash or publish it. Could we have a box pop up that asks, “Are you sure you want to delete this masterpiece?” Or one that asks, “Are you sure you want to publish this drivel?” Anyone else trash a post you didn’t mean to delete, or publish a post you didn’t want to fling into the universe yet?
- Could you fix this glitch? Sometimes we spend hours perfecting the perfect post. The last thing we do is upload the perfect image for the perfect post. What happens to the perfect post? Poof. Gonzo. You mean I should save my work first? Now you tell me.
- Can you make it a requirement that visitors from exotic lands, like say, Zimbabwe or California, must state why and how they found our blogs?
- Could you hand new bloggers a pamphlet titled, “Comment, Follow, and Like Etiquette 101”? Rule Number One: When you follow a blog, it is polite to tell the blogger why you followed them.
- Could we have a “Love” button? I can think of a few more buttons I’d like to have:
- “Whoa, Bro. WAY too many words on this page.”
- Or, “Have you taken your Prozac today?”
- Or, “Can I come give you a hug?”
- Or, “I wish I wrote this post.”
What button(s) would you add? For the record, I have never called anyone “Bro.”
That it is my Wish List. Dear friends at WordPress . . . Christmas is right around the corner! While you are out shopping, I’d like a new Mercedes too.
What’s on your WordPress wish list?
Robin Coyle 
Yep, I’m with the ‘correct typos’ button too. My face has been red so many times… Great list, by the way, Robin. Too bad we can’t mix up some yeast, flour, sugar, an egg and some oil and put our wish list into the oven. Ha ha.
So far, WordPress has ignored our wish list. Grrr….
Yup, all those things, most important being the ability to edit one’s comments on another’s blog before they go pubic. oops.
oh darn!
I once wrote in a business document that the company was undergoing “A Pubic Relations campaign.” Imagine my horror!
Funny, but I’m just happy to have WordPress around. It’s flawed, to be sure, but I do so love it here.
Oh, me too! WordPress is an easy-to-use and friendly place to hang out.
Well, seeing how you’ve gathered over 70 comments already I’m sure people have given you answers to most of the technical questions by now.
I’m happy to get comments from any exotic person, regardless of where they’re from and why/how they found the blog. Same goes for the follows – I’m just happy if someone follows, regardless of the reason.
But, to honour your hopes – I found you via Carrie Rubin, while looking at the comments section of her last post. Clicked, now I’m here, and here we are!
And now I wish I had that famous “edit” button you were talking about, since it’s 100 comments, and not 70 🙂
Ah ha! I love Carrie! I’m happy for the likes, comments, and follows as well. I’m just curious. But as they say, “curiosity killed the cat.” Not sure what that means exactly.
Amen to the ability to go back and fix a typo in a comment you’ve left on somebody’s blog. I like that one the best.
Even when I proof before posting the comment, they sneak by me. Grrrrrrr.
Great wish list, Robin. I’m with you on the typos. I proofread, and my comments still go up with typos. It’s a curse. And there should be an auto-type feature that replaces weak words with strong words. Yeah, baby!!!
I LOVE the idea of auto-fix to replace weak words with strong words. Let’s call Apple and see if they will do something about that. Should be no problem . . . heck, I can talk to my phone and she talks back to me!
Oh my gosh, you made me laugh. What a great list. I’m new to WordPress but as I completely agree with your list. I have a suggestion. Maybe we should name the orange, drop-down, bubbly thing Bob? 🙂
Bob. Perfect. When we are feeling formal, we can call him Robert.
Welcome to WordPress. I’ve been here just under a year. Careful . . . it is addicting. Not to sound self-serving, but you should check out my recent post with the question “Why Do You Blog?” You will gain insight into the minds and hearts of bloggers.
Thank you… I’ll check it out. I appreciate any insight. And, yes, it is addictive.
Amen to tixing fypos on our comments, and to the “love” button. I’m not clever enough to come up with different ways of complimenting people’s posts. For instance:
Great post. I really enjoyed this.
Ha! Love your fypo here. Would you like me to tix it?
I liked (and agreed with) your questions/comments to Word Press, and even better, I laughed while reading them. You are so clever! Which answers your question of why I follow your blog!
Same to you, my friend. Let’s hope WordPress is listening to, er . . . reading our demands. Or perchance they are polite requests, not demands. Request sounds nicer.
I definitely want a typo spotter thingy. That would be good.
Typos . . . The bane of all writer’s existence.
I’m with you on correcting typos in comments, especially as my spell checker on the iPad is rubbish lol 🙂
Xx
Vanessa said there is worry someone would put a comment on a blog and then go back and change it to something mean or offensive. I just want to correct a “that” to a “then,” or other simple typo. I get the worry, but I also don’t. The owner of the blog could always delete an offensive comment.
Yeah, I can see that could happen, but, like you say, you can just delete it. So long as WordPress notified you that someone had changed their comment.
Xx
I will help a bit, if I can. I have had many of these same thoughts (and requests), but having worked in computers for people over two decades, I can say this:
1) the orange…thingy can be called a “reminder button”.
2) They allow the “reminder button” to go to the bottom of the page. From what I have seen if you have more they may well appear as you empty it (not certain there, though that would be a decent solution).
3) They are a list of comments people have made to our posts. If you are getting way too many, perhaps, you are simply too successful!
4) I have lost several MS because of the save thing. One solution that seems to work is to write a word and “save” it; after that it seems to automatically go to draft most of the time and you don’t lose much if any. By the way, this has been a problem in computers for a long time, especially in gaming. However, let me tell you that the solution used now has been to make them “in the moment”. This seems to mean that you don’t have to save (WOW, for instance), but whatever you do is done, you can’t just reload and go back; it is as it was, choices mean something.
5) The blue dots mean you need to answer the comments. They work pretty well, though, once in a while, I get a blue one I have done.
6) Last one for me here – if you make it so people have to tell you (even the first time) why they commented or are following you – a lot will simply not follow you. Madison Woods has a thing where she has a box to the right side of her post that asks how you heard about the post and gives several choices, allowing you to simply click on one, should you choose. Not perfect, but it does help.
Oh, and lastly, I wrote this to have fun with it. Don’t take it as criticism or whatever. As I said, I have had most of the problems myself…
🙂
Oh, and I have one follower (my “Blog Sister”) who calls me BB- Blog Brother.
Scott
Oh gosh . . . none of that sounded like criticism. I love how you answered this one in a list too.
Your tips and information are helpful. As soon as I heard what the dot and star mean, I thought, “Duh, Robin. Of course that is what they mean.” I’m a dingbat. I have, as I’m sure you do, visitors from all over the world. I’m curious about how they landed here. But you know, I bet they are curious about how I land on their blogs and if I follow them or comment, I try to remember to tell them. So glad you stopped by . . . as for being “too successful?” Not likely the case at this humble blog.
Don’t underestimate yourself. I enjoy this blog a lot. You have put it together well and keep it interesting.
Let’s just hope I can keep it together and keep it interesting. Send me an email if I am boring. But thanks for the nice words.
Congratulations Robin! http://flyawayhomebook.com/2012/11/16/its-been-quite-a-year/
Holy Smokes! I am speechless. Best Blog of the Year Award? Moi? I don’t know what to say, except thank you. I need to think about my nominees. Is it ok if I say my nominees are everyone I follow? Too broad? Hmm . . . this will be a challenge.
Drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy really does need a name, but why wait for wordpress peeps, we can create our own name right here and maybe it will spread across the interwebs! 😀
How about “Comment Comet?” What’s that you say? Lame-o? You are right. What do you suggest we call it? This is a great idea for a contest!
Not too lame-o, I like comets!! Haha. How about Red Alert Button? Love Balloon? Beacon Bubble? Hmmm, clearly I must think on this!!
Love Button? Is that too racy?
Nah, only in the minds of racy people, for the rest of us it can represent fuzzy warm kitten type love….right?? 😀
You bet. Kitten love it is.
Great list! Good luck!
I hope Santa WordPress is good to us this year!
I think the star just refers to “likes” on a post, an dthe blue dot a new comment. And you’ve seen the “view all” at the top of the orang thingy menu right? I would agree the like button doesn’t seem to do justice, but I cannot think of a fair system either.
I dislike being limited to hitting “like” on a sad post . . . like when someone writes about their abusive childhood, sick husband, or beloved pet dying. We need more options.
I know “like” isn’t appropriate for all contexts is it? I think I posted before that someone mentioned about their child being sick, rather than their usual sort of post, and was asking for advice / opinions. Someone had “liked” but not commented. What exactly were they liking? That the child was ill? That the blogger asked for advice? More likely they did not read the post.
I remember the post you did on the subject. Liking a sad post and not leaving a comment is rude. Or, as you said, they were follow-fishing. Oooh . . . I think I invented a new blogging term . . . follow-fishing. I like it.
I really want a *hugs* button so when something yucky happens to someone people don’t just randomly ‘like’ it. 😀
I agree. How can you “like” a post that is sad? I usually say “It is hard to “like” this post about your ill husband, but you know what I mean. It means I’m thinking of you.”
Robin,
The button I would add is “This one made me giggle.” Which I would have clicked for this post…And I suppose only bloggers would understand. And maybe guys would never click…
Cathy
Perfect! We need to demand a “Giggle” button. Or, “Chortle.” Or, Guffaw.”
Yes, but if there were a love button and a like button you would wonder why someone only likes your post when they could love it – hahahaha! I LOVE this post!
Good point! Like. Love. Like. Love. Which one to pick?!? Glad you picked LOVE for this lame post!
Your up early commenters have pitched in and covered off on your wishes, and this link http://en.support.wordpress.com/no-ads/ provides an answer re ads 🙂
Huh. I didn’t know that. Have you ever seen an ad on my blog? I don’t know what “we do not show ads to logged in readers” means. When I’ve seen ads on others’ blogs, I know I’m logged in. Help me here at “Clueless in Robinville.”
I have seen ads from time to time. I just tested accessing posts while signed in to WordPress and signed out, and see no ads at all. I guess they really do mean “sometimes”… Sorry I can’t shed any more light than that.
I’m off to ask the two folks I know who blog and where I see ads on a regular basis (maybe always?) to find out what is up with that. I’ll report back. Ten-four. Roger that. Over and out.
I think they used to have a way to fix typos on comments to other blogs. I could’ve sworn I did it before. Sigh. Maybe it was a dream. You crack me up. I’d love to have a REAL party with you. Too bad we live on opposite ends of the country, but if you’re ever in FL, give me a shout. Oh, and btw, you want a NEW Mercedes as opposed to your OLD Mercedes?
And if you are ever in California, I insist you stop by for dinner, lots of talk, and lots of wine.
Well, no. I don’t own a Mercedes – old or new. One is on my wish list though! Sky blue, to match my Paul Newman-esque eyes.
Patriot vineyards in CA belongs to my cousins….we should all meet there someday? (My beat up 4 runner will at least get washed for the ocassion)
Great post and wonderful comments – we really do need a prompt added “Do you really really want to post/delete this one”…. and fix that “your entire post that was almost finished except for one little thing suddenly disappears” please!
Everything considered thanks to WP for working as well as it does…but please no more email deluges…
Your cousin’s vineyard is the perfect place for our next bash. And conveniently located for me!
I lost this post when I uploaded the image. Curses. JM suggested we use a different browser than Internet Explorer. I haven’t tried it yet. What browser do you use?
Apple/Safari – but my husband with PC has google chrome – we have used Foxfire before, too
Hmmm . . . so maybe the browser isn’t the issue.
Okay, everyone’s already gotten the good comments and helpful advice in. 🙂 And Vanessa raises a great point about not being able to edit our own comments. That makes perfect sense, even though none of us is a perfect typist. 🙂
I would love an “I love this” button and an “I wish I would’ve written this” one, too. But above all, a simple “Are you sure?” notice when we hit publish would be Soooo welcome!
I put the publish one in for you and meant to credit you for it. Darn it. I’m so forgetful these days.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s come up with the idea! I can think of 3 posts of my own that were prematurely published. Even if you multiply every WordPress blogger by “1,” I’d bet that many have wished for one!
I’m surprised there hasn’t been chatter about images nuking blog posts. It happened to me on this post. Argh. Fortunately, I had saved it as an early draft and recovered it . . . but still. Maddening. If The Laughing Housewife reads this, she will sure chime in. She’s blogged about it several times, and in one case, she blogged, “I Give Up.”
That hasn’t happened to me, yet. But I remember Anne Woodman mentioning it in a comment. I think she said it can happen when you edit a post that just went live?
No . . . well, maybe for others. For me, it sometimes happens when I’m editing a post and then add a image or photo. The words go away, but the photo is there. It doesn’t happen all the time though.
Hmm, which browser do you use? If it’s Internet Explorer, I’d recommend switching to Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. They don’t have as many glitches with WordPress as IE does.
I do use Internet Explorer. I’ll see about switching. Thanks for the tip.
They’re both free and both get good recommendations from fellow bloggers.
Recently it happened again – picture – no words….oddly this time the words did finally show back up ( while I was hopping around screaming for a bit – it was quite a while). I did contact WP earlier about it…with lame suggestion response ( kinda like “gee I don’t know maybe….”)
I suspect it has something to do with the automatic save which seems to be touchy – Have noticed: don’t ever try to do anything while it is in that saving it myself mode….
Something’s very touchy and quirky – and annoying
I’ve done hopping and screaming as well. I woke the neighbors. It wasn’t pretty.
Oh. And: I would LOVE a Love button, as well as an “I Wish I’d Written That Post” button. I think I might be one of those people you wish wouldn’t write so many words. Sorry. Sometimes I just get carried away! ; )
Nope . . . I am riveted to every word of your posts. Especially if they involve shoes.
Ha! Note to self: More posts about shoes.
Only if you include photos.
OMG. I hadn’t even noticed the gray stars and blue dots! Huh.
I think we should come up with suggestions for WordPress about the orange dialogue thingy–like Orange Words. Or Orange You Glad You Commented? Or Orange-Log.
I like the way you think. There are lots of ways we could improve the system, and you’re shaking things up, one bullet point at a time! ; )
Now that I know what the dots and stars are, I’m like, duh! (I channeled a teenager just then.) Of course that is what they are.
“Orange You Glad You Commented” . . . hahahahah. Brilliant. You channeled a ten-year-old boy on the playground.
Do you suppose anyone at WordPress is listening to us?
I am actually a 10-year-old boy trapped in a 40-year-old woman’s body. ; )
And Robin, if WordPress is listening to anybody, it’s you.
Not likely. They have me on “ignore” status.
we should all have a button we can personalise next to the like button 😀 nd as for the orange thingamibob button I hate it when you attend to the blue dots then they ignore you and reappear next to the same comments
I don’t believe that has happened to me . . . but how would I know. I didn’t know until today what they mean.
Agreed! We should be able to customize a button or two.
I love the “drop-down orange dialog-bubble-thingy” for what it is… a thingy. 🙂
Ha! So true. If they name it “Communication Response Device,” it wouldn’t be as cool as “thingy.”
“Thingy” has a certain ringy dingy to it.
Have you posted lately? I feel like I haven’t seen you in my email in-box of late. All okay?
Haven’t posted since Nov 7th, “Our Wildflowers”. All is well, thank you. How are you holding up, Robin? We worry.
Oh yes . . . about your beautiful children. I do remember how sweet that was.
I’m holding up. It still isn’t easy. Dad had a mild heart attack but is ok. My sister, who has my mom living with her, is at her wit’s end. She asked me last night to take a turn and have Mom live here. I like to think I’m a good daughter, but I can’t do it. Mom needs to be in a memory-care facility where she has the proper care and is in a safe place. The wander-risk is too high. Thanks for asking.
You’ll do the right thing. Remember to take care of yourself too.
Not taking on Mom is taking care of myself. She is more than my family and I can handle I’m afraid.
I don’t have any blue or gray dots next to comments. First time I heard of it. I, too, wish I could correct my spelling mistakes in some blog comments. I guess I need to edit better before I post. Love the idea of an empathy button. I’d also like to run java script so I could post rafflecopter and stuff like that on my blog. I understand it helps to keep the bad bugs away, but they could add their own rafflecopter widget or something. Robin, have fun with your Mercedes Prius hybrid, if you can ever get Carrie out of it. Must be the leather seats.
Are you on WordPress? Maybe only WordPress has the blue dot/gray star thing going on.
Okay Miss Tech-Savvy . . . you lost me with rafflecopter and java script. What is that?!
Carrie will never share her Mercedes Prius. She is too busy flitting to book signings.
Yeppers, I’m on WordPress, and I just found my blue dots and gray stars (which mean ‘like’) by the way. Rafflecopter is the ‘javascript’ run program that bloggers can use to host giveaways on their web. I’m sure you’ve seen them. You get points for tweeting, blogging, etc. about giveaway. It’s pretty cool. Javascript is the program that runs in the background that allows programs like rafflecopter to run. There are a lot of widgets I see on Blogger that need javascript to run. It would be nice to use them. I also think WordPress needs to give up the ‘selling’ stuff on their free sites. If authors have a book they want to promote, readers should be able to purchase directly through the blog, not be redirected to outside sources. Just my opinion.
I agree with that. Heck, it is the author’s book!
Here is another question. Why/how are there ads (in the form of a video) at the bottom of some blogs?
I have not a clue. Sometimes I like being clueless. 🙂
nice wish list Robin. I would dig an empathy button too. I totally think there should be other options on the like button. And I would love an edit or delete button on my own assinine comments. (excuse my language) it would be fun to allow people to post pictures as comments(as long as they are clean)
I saw a comment on someone’s blog that had a picture in it. I thought, “How’d they do that?!?” I’ve had links to YouTube videos and to other sites, but no photos. That would be cool.
they might be able to do it if they “host” the blog or own the template to fiddle? or they send the picture to the blog owner and then the author uploads the picture. I have tried everything but nothing yet. You can do the you tube because it is just a hyperlink and youtube allows you to share– it is already formatted( I think) yada yada, right?
I’m off to your blog to see if I can put a photo in a comment.
That’s a problem I have too, not seeing people’s responses to my comments on their posts, because they get buried in the avalanche of notifications of comments on my own posts. Oh, the trials and tribulations of having so many nice followers!
Well, the smart and nice followers here clued me in. At the top of the comment notification drop-down thingy, you can click “View All” and see all the comments made on your blog and all comments and responses on other blogs. Or, on your stats page, click the “Notification” tab. Viola!
the star means they liked your post
Well that makes sense. Thanks.
I truly hope this is not the only time I ever make sense–but I am counting now–once
Pish posh. You make sense all the time.
okay, Robin when you come to the party you get to sit on Santa’s lap first and he will grant you your wordpress wish list
My prayers have been answered!
make you list again, and check it twice–you will have limited time to talk to Santa
“While we are on the subject of comments, it never fails that I type a comment on a blog, hit ‘Post Comment’, and immediately see a careless typo. Could you make it possible to fix typos in our comments so we don’t look like Neanderthal typists? “
Amen sister. I don’t know why this wasn’t a no-brainer for WordPressss
See Vanessa’s comment below. I didn’t think about what she points out.
When you click on the orange whatever it’s called thingy box, there’s a ‘View all’ option at the top of the list, funnily enough, that’s there to let you view all! 😉
I definitely agree about the ‘Are you sure?’ before publishing. Most people accidentally publish instead of Preview at some point.
I don’t agree about being able to edit comments after posting them though. You are posting a comment on someone else’s blog, and they have to retain the editorial control of that blog. People could change it and say unpleasant things after you’ve moved on from that comment, and the blog owner should know that once the comment is up, and they’ve read it, it’s not going to change.
I don’t know how I missed the “View All” option. Geez Louise. As my mom would say, “If it was a snake, it would have bit me.”
I wouldn’t want anyone but me to have the chance to edit my comment. But I see what you mean . . . I’m sure there are mean spirited bloggers who might go back and change a comment to something nasty.
I had one of my comments edited today that I posted on someone’s blog! It was the first time that has happened to me actually that I’m aware of. They removed a bit of a naughty word I used, teehee, but I didn’t mind, it kind of made me smile that I’d been censored. I’m not going to say who it is because they are a follower of this blog!
Interesting. Gives me an idea for a future post.
I’d really like a Love button. Or even an Empathy button – no joke!
I think the blue dots mean you haven’t read those comments. And the nine message thing is annoying but if you click the ‘View All’ button at the top of the list, it will open up in a new tab and you can scroll through the dozens of replies that way… 🙂
Empathy button. Good one!
How the heck did I miss the “View All” option? I must get my eyes checked.
No worries, I think it’s quite a recent development, but it certainly makes life easier! 🙂
Wow, you don’t ask for much, do you? 😉
By the way, the blue dot next to a comment in your notification window means you haven’t attended to it yet. And if you want to see more than the last 9 comments, open up the ‘notifications’ tab under the W in the far upper left corner of your screen. That way, you can see all comments to ensure you haven’t missed any. (And you’ll know whether you’ve missed them or not if they have a blue dot by them.) Clear as mud? Well, Merry Christmas then!
Oh ho! There is a super-double-secret button for comments. Thanks for pointing that out. Now, can you deliver the Mercedes?
On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 11:59 AM, Robin Coy
Sorry. I’m having too much fun driving it myself. But the funny thing is, it’s disguised as a Prius.
Drat. I hoped you would come through for me.
Oh, and what does the gray star mean?