Some comments flagged as spam

I just realized that TypePad, which hosts this blog, has been over-zealously filtering some legitimate comments as spam. I just added a comment to a recent post (the subject of most of the rejected comments) explaining the problem.

Amazingly, my own comment about the over-zealous spam filter was rejected as spam! That's what happens when rigid dogma, in this case programming related, overrides common sense.

Hopefully TypePad will get its act together soon. Until then, I'll check regularly to see if any legitimate comments have been flagged as spam and publish them if they have been. Here's what I said in the comment:

Regarding the "censoring" of comments, I didn't have anything to do with this. It was TypePad's fault, the service that hosts this blog, as explained here.

TypePad recently made its spam check more aggressive. Overly so, obviously.

I'd rarely gotten spam comments after requiring the verification check where you have to type in some letters to verify that you aren't a spam "robot."

So it never dawned on me that genuine comments might be getting filtered until I read a notice from TypePad recently.

Anyway, I found eight comments in a "spam" section and published them. I believe most were related to this post -- forgot to check this more closely before moving them to the "active" category.

I apologize, on behalf of TypePad, for any confusion this has caused. Again, it wasn't me censoring the comments.

Comments

[tAo]

Thanks for resolving the TypePad issue. I guess you were not aware of it, so I suppose its good that I brought it up.

I would also like to inform everyone that I have decided that from now I will only respond to the subject matter of Brian's posts, and not to other commenters. So I will not be answering any more questions, nor will I be debating any issues with other guest commenters. I feel that any comments that I make here from now on should be directly related to what Brian writes, and not to other commenters.

[Bob]

Tao,

I feel saddened by your decision not to respond to other posters. For me, personally, this site is about interaction as opposed to just replying to Brian's posts. Brians posts serve not only as a impetus for deep thinking and questioning but they also bring out a whole array of thoughts and ideas that are also quite interesting, including many of your comments. In other words, we sort of bounce off each other if you get my drift.

So, I encourage you to rethink your position and reconsider posting as usual.

Would you be willing to do that?

Bob

[Tucson]

I agree with Bob.

Even if Tao only responds to the subject matter of Brian's posts, comments will be made in resposnse to his, which may require a response from him for clarification. So, there is no way to avoid this except to ignore comments, which is his prerogative.

[tAo]

I just don't feel comfortable debating with other commenters when such debates have little or nothing to do with Brian's articles.

I also tend to be perceived by some as being rather sharp and harsh in many of my criticisms towards other comments, which does tend to offend some people, and also to be misunderstood.

I also have felt for a long time that I really don't wish to distract from the import and focus of the subject matter of Brian's articles. And the mind-set of the commenters that I generally get into conflict or debate with here, don't seem to be open-minded but seem to be here to push their own beliefs, spiritual dogma, and personal agenda. They don't seem to be coming here to exchange reasonable and sensible discussion. And so that's why I generally end up confronting them and criticising their religious dogma. I feel that by doing this I am making a departure and distraction from the thoughtful and informative articles that Brian writes.

So since Brian is the author and host of this blog, I am now only willing to discuss whatever Brian puts on the table for discussion, and not to waste my time and energy contending with other commenters that are only here to play games and push their own rigid RS guru-cult beliefs and agenda.

I have done more than enough of contending with them already, and since they are not here with an open mind (imo), it does little or no good for me to argue with them. And I have already made my own views and insights known many times over.

So these are the reasons that I prefer not to respond to other commenters anymore. But my sincere thanks and appreciation goes to those who would have it otherwise.

[Deepak Kamat]

I feel Tao should continue to respond. In fact, I find Tao's criticisms more interesting than Brian's articles