Here is some background information about why people are having trouble commenting and/or seeing comments. Please, please, p.l.e.a.s.e, book mark this post and share it because some people do not read the site updates and just go into the comments when the solutions and/or explanations are being provided.
Many people are complaining about not being able to see the totality of comments. Others are complaining their comments are not refreshing with the page. There appears to be a very simple explanation and easy solution for this issue.
CTH 2.0 does not have any tracking software initiated to recognize the user in the comment system. THERE ARE NO COOKIES deployed to track you. There is no system in place by CTH to monitor you or recognize you. This is part of our current privacy position.
What that means is you must initiate a process where YOU request to be recognized in the community. We are not asking your permission to recognize you (ie. cookies) as with 99 percent of websites; you must intentionally engage the commenting system to say you are expressly desiring of recognition.
How do you achieve this status? When you fill out the comment box there is a place for your user name, email address and then it asks you if you wish the site to: “Save my name, email and website in this browser for the next time I comment.” It is a checkbox.
If you check that box [√] you are, in essence, applying a cookie to yourself. You will then be recognized by the commenting software system and see the totality of the commenting conversation. You will see all comments.
If you do not check that box [ ] you are not requesting to be recognized again, and you are dropping an isolated comment into the system. You likely will not see the totality of the comments. You will see only comments attributed to your comment or reply.
Think of it like walking up to the conversation on a porch:
If you affirmatively check [“save my name, email and website in this browser for the next time I comment”] you are saying to the audience, I have something to say and I am sticking around to hear all the other voices.
If you do not affirmatively check [“save my name, email and website in this browser for the next time I comment”] you are saying to the audience, I have something to say, but I am not sticking around to join the conversation or hear other voices.
It appears the software is designed such that if you are not affirming intent, the commenting system doesn’t anticipate your engagement in all the other comments. Ergo other comments do not appear and/or they are not populated in your experience.
This is a privacy and tracking issue. CTH 2.0, as an independent website, is currently not tracking or applying any host generated tracking data of the participants.
Most websites do apply some version of tracking via “cookies” to make your engagement part of an active tracking system (make user experience easier); and/or use those cookies to deliver you targeted advertising. CTH 2.0 has no advertising and no need for a system of targeting.
Due to the scale of emails complaining about this specific issue (approximately 400 today alone), the tech team is recommending that I switch to Disqus for the commenting program. However, if we do that: (A) the same company that targeted us, Automattic, owns Disqus; and (B) without a doubt Disqus tracks users for tracking and targeting.
Some people do not care if they are comment tracked; others don’t care if Disqus is used because they are familiar with it from other websites. However, for me that is an option of last resort and I will not deploy the free version of Disqus because I don’t want to open another door where a third party can start monitoring the conversation. Especially when Automattic has already used the targeting of the original CTH to shut down our voice.
So, with all of that said. Keep this solution in mind. If you want to see all the comments, then check the [box] that says: “save my name, email and website in this browser for the next time I comment”, and hopefully that will eliminate the frustration you are encountering. Fingers crossed.
All other commenting solutions encompass some form of server/host recognition and tracking of the user in the comments section. The current system allows you to make that active decision; any other comment system will make that decision without your input.
Lastly, on the email notifications. Again, we explain that currently we do not have an active email notification system for new posts in place. The reason for the delay is again a matter of privacy. An email auto-notification system is done by a third-party provider.
[…] One of our priorities right now is establishing an email notification system where you can subscribe to automatic notifications of new posts etc. As with almost all systems of this type (there are many) it involves the use of a third party email transmission process. Y’all are aware that privacy is a CTH priority, so we are being very careful about vetting the service and setting up this notification system to protect CTH users.
CTH does not compile user information, does not engage in the manufacture of processes that assemble lists of users or any user data. We are working to ensure we do not end up creating an external list of subscribers that would be vulnerable to exploitation. Your privacy in all matters related to CTH engagement is my priority. (read more)
We received well over 100 emails today alone asking us: “where is the email notification system”? The short answer is: we are working on it as a #1 priority.
Be of good cheer, all will be ok.
We cherish you.
Live your best life…. Remember, it’s the only one you will ever have.
Love to all,
~ Sundance
#FightForTrump pic.twitter.com/HyTPyO45e3
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) December 6, 2020
Make the internet great and free again.
” “where is the email notification system”? The short answer is: we are working on it as a #1 priority.”
Given the widespread interest in email notifications, I’ll just note again but for one last time that I received an “email” in MS Outlook of this update, and I’m posting this 10 minutes later. I am subscribed to TheLastRefuge2 on twitter. I use Outlook for email, and installed TwInbox from TechHit (freeware). TLR2 tweets appear in a separate folder, along with ZeroHedge and dozens of other feeds (GenFlynn, Sidney, etc). I also get commentary, and not just posting announcements, that you’d find on this twitter feed. Give it a whirl if you use Outlook. (I’m not in any way affiliated with this outfits.)
Checking the box. Thanks for the update.
This is a little bit of a learning process but it’s worth the effort and patience it’s going to take to get everyone in the boat. Thank you Sundance, for your diligence, time and all your hard work.
GO President Trump! Implement the E/O from 9/12/2018 …. pronto.
As for the two rino GA candidates …. no choice …. vote for them …. primary them next time … and work to eliminate the computer voting system to insure your primary choices win honestly.
I signed up. Hope I can read more of the wonderful comments.
Thank you…..
I for one truly appreciate knowing that my post are not going to a third party…
I never signed on to discus… so I will read comments on other sites using Discus but do not post…..
my own privacy is most important to me and allows me to feel free to express my thoughts here on CTH more openly..
Once again
Thank you
Works for me and is actually easier then word press
Thank you for the updated information.
Testing
Thanks for all that you do! I’m happy with comments like they are now. No third party for me please. Thank you!!!
Test. Long time reader but have not commented. Have visited and read since Zimmerman days. Missing reading all the comments. Great job Sundance on getting the site moved. Maybe with cookie I can see all!
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Thanks, Sundance! Agree the Disqus route should be avoided for exactly the reasons you specified.
I’m not a fan of disqus either.
God bless America !
And no more “test” comments please. Replace with something disparagingly humorous about Biden.
Got a chuckle out of this.
Would like if I could 😉
Like both here! LOL
Test? Opps…sorry, “you know, the thing”
BIDEN DIDN’T WIN…. we all know it
“I’ll lead an effective strategy to mobilize trunalimunumaprzure”
This is better.
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I was lost for three days.. then I found you.. Praise the Lord..
Checking the box..
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Thank you Sundance
It’s been at half a century since I’ve heard Kilroy. Haha
It took me a while, but may be slowly catching on.
At the bottom of each page on every post, my details are there if I wish to comment on the above. It’s a great solution. You rock????
Great!, thanks!!
Sundance, we have complete confidence in you. We all understand that the change is both complex and time consuming. I hope you will take our comments about site functions more as comments-as-encouragement than as complaints. We all know this kind of stuff takes time, just as we all know that you are doing the absolute level best that you can. You’ll get it right. And we’re not going anywhere. Promise.
Addendum. Some of use are a bit lazy, Sundance. Yeah it would be great if we’d pay more attention but a lot of us are geezers with short attention spans. (!) Therefore . . . It might be helpful to everyone (and reduce complaints and frustrations) if you simply include a brief instruction about the value to identifying yourself to the site at the top of every forum. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate instruction—just a “If you want to be known to this site, here’s what you have to do”.
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Sundance, sometimes you are way TOO kind to us! An occasional kick in the tookus should be expected on our end. But that being said, THANK YOU!!! 😉
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It took me a while, but may be slowly catching on.
Thank You Sundance. MAGA
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checking in
Copy
OK, Here goes. Not sure what is meant by “Website”
Success! Thanks SD and Admins!
If you enter a website, then your user name will be turned into a clickable link that will take people to the website you have entered.
Some people enter their own blogs.
Some people enter theconservativetreehouse.com.
Some people enter their business websites.
Most just leave it empty.
It is not required.
Thanks ZN! I left it blank. Everything still works. You gave full and enlightening info!
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Thank you Sundance
Thank you!
Box checked test…thanks for your help on this!
Thank you for the explanation. I apologize for my many comments about this. It never occurred to me that the behavior might be a feature, not a bug.
I still think the page-following links should have at the least a “first comments” link in addition to the “older comments” and “newer comments” ones. If one wishes to read the earlier comments from the beginning (and one should, in order not to repeat what has already been discussed) it can be quite tedious hitting “older comments” a half-dozen times to get back to the start.
Big YES to this suggestion from someone who goes back to the first comments to read virtually every time – it is great being retired!!
SteveT
Ditto
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Testing Kilroy :/
TRUMP WON. WE ALL KNOW IT.
Thank you, Sundance, for pouring your heart into this project and making privacy a prime concern. I’ll trade ease-of-use features for privacy any day. Just seeing your experience first hand with censorship is making me reevaluate all my online relationships with companies and service providers.
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Always you can count on Sundance, Adrem and crew to make the explanation easy to follow. Thanks!
China Joe added additional information: He grabbed the dog’s tail while he (Joe) was naked from the shower. Who does this?
Next he will say that he injured himself by licking a frozen lamp post.
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The most important point you made should have been bolded:
When you fill out the comment box there is a place for your user name, email address and then it asks you if you wish the site to: “Save my name, email and website in this browser for the next time I comment.”
With that point bolded, the next best thing would be for this post to be pinned so it stays visible as the first post people see; the point might finally get through to people who skim over such details too quickly.
I found this to be true purely by accident when I was finally able to make my first comment. I populated all the requested/required information and, lo, I was back! I also found that I had to go back in at least one more time before it seemed to be working seamlessly.
I’m also assuming that if I wish to go into a lurking mode, I can uncheck that “Save my …” line and comments will disappear. But why leave the community for a silly little privacy matter; it’s not like this is a zoom call where everyone sees who and what you are, warts and all.