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Back in 2019, I published a post on TTAG’s comment section and our policy regarding off topic comments, flame wars, etc. All of that still applies and I’d encourage you to read through it (here) if you’re interested.

Another wrinkle that’s cropped up in recent months is people posting (or being accused of posting) comments using other commenters’ names. To be clear, if we find that happening, the IP address of the person commenting using another another reader’s ID will be banned from posting in the comment section.

If you want to ensure that no one can do that to you, the solution is easy…use an avatar for your comments.

Default avatar
Custom avatar

If you want to add an avatar to your comments, the process is easy. Go to Gravatar.com and upload a photo, graphic, whatever image you want. That will automatically add your avatar to comments you post here and make any attempt by someone to post under your name instantly obvious.

Thanks.

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160 COMMENTS

  2. I’m probably guilty of the off-topic violation. It’s easy to get sidetracked by responding to something someone else mentions and get into a related or even unrelated topic.

  3. Not savvy enough here. Gravatar site says, ” Setting up Gravatars on your site…”.

    TTAG is not “my” site. Guess I’ll just run the risk of a fake “Sam I Am”. Thinking it should be relatively easy to determine if someone is pirating the screen name.

    “Why can’t we all just get along?”

    • That’s just bad page design on their part. The design and placement make it look like that paragraph is explaining the process for everyone, when it only applies to people who want to apply Gravatars to a site that isn’t hosted on wordpress.com (which is why it’s under a “for site owners” heading).

      It’s actually incredibly easy. All anyone needs to do is sign up with WordPress.com (the usual email, username & password thing) and upload an image that will serve as your avatar.

      That’s all there is to it. Whenever you comment using that email, the avatar will show up.

      • Ing is correct. I just went through the (exceedingly simple) process a few days ago. Hence why some of you may have noticed that my comments now have an avatar.

        For reference I created my own avatar with graphic creation software and exported it as a .jpg file. What does everyone think of my avatar?

        • “What does everyone think of my avatar?”

          You should alternate it with one without the red slash; keep people wondering.

        • Or, with maximum self-awareness, you could use the non-slash version when your feelings have overwhelmed you (which honestly, for most of us, is probably most of the time) and reserve the circle-slash for comments that employ rational analysis.

    • Gravatar is supposed to be easy? I gave up without getting halfway through WordPress, whatever the hell that is. Never got close to Gravatar.
      Wordpress didn’t like the security of my chosen password, as if I care somebody might steal my thoughts or something, this ain’t nuclear launch codes, guys!

      • “I gave up without getting halfway through WordPress, whatever the hell that is.”

        Understand. I can fly combat missions, but floundering about online is unappetizing.

          • “It can’t be THAT hard ! can it?”

            Asked next door neighbor to borrow his lawnmower. He refused. Noting he was not using the lawnmower, I asked why he wouldn’t let me borrow it. Neighbor said, “My wife is making lasagna.” Confused, I asked, “What’s that got to do with borrowing your lawnmower?”. Neighbor said, “If I don’t want you to use my lawnmower, one excuse is as good as another.”

        • Long story short, I have an avitar on another site and confused the two (easy for me) and thought that it would appear here (wrong). Thinking this would make my previous remark sarcastic. Enjoyed your response Mr. H.

    • Once the trolls started posting under my moniker, I knew it was time to establish an avatar. If for nothing else, to show everyone else here that a comment from Haz, is genuinely from Haz.

      • Same. I also suggest some subtle changes to your random image to make it harder to be copied.

        • Can’t someone simply right-click save the photo and then upload it? Whatever is visible to the naked eye in the comments section should come along with it.

        • Copy? Possibly. But then all I need to do is contact Dan, as TTAG already has my email address (the one I use here because it’s attached to my Gravatar) to verify me, and zap the new imposter.

  5. “To be clear, if we find that happening, the IP address of the person commenting using another another reader’s ID will be banned from posting in the comment section.”

    I’m in favor of allowing it as long as it’s humorous because occasionally it is.

        • Yes Tom in Oregone, this is at the time,,, Long long ago, the 3rd biggest buck taken out of Long Creek unit , probably not too far from where you reside.
          My first deer at age 13, used a 32 Winchester Special, my grandfather’s saddle gun, then my dad shot his first deer with this piece also, even though we had several rifles, my dad said I had to kill my first deer with the 32, I said no problem. I made my son & daughter do the same. Very nice & rare rifle.

      • Soo…you’re saying you can’t see the nice rack?

        Bad-dum-pa!

        (Lifesavor, if you’re reading this, I couldn’t resist :))

  7. People are too lazy to type out my long, sophisticated, and unique name – so I’m safe.

  8. Trump lost. The election was stolen. And no he was not a republican. It’s why the establishment didn’t ever support him. Now go smoke some dope to feel better. And be happy when paying more in taxes. Because most gun owners who worked to legalize pot also supported raising taxes.

    Because they used government tax collections as a reason to legalize dope.

  10. Posting comments should be like protesting, no face mask, no hidden identity. Just my opinion. If I can’t stick my name on it, I won’t write it. But generally something will be wrong with the spelling or grammar, it should be easy to tell if it’s mine or not.

    • Having the choice to remain anonymous used to be a hallmark of democratic participation. It’s only in this insane-o world of instagram and e-fame that somehow people have decided that privacy is a bad thing.

    • Randy Jones,
      Says the guy with the same name as 10,000 other people.

      I’m sure there may be some, too, with uncommon names but no responsibilities to speak of. Sorry if I’m not too keen on the notion of freedom of speech belonging only to those who have nothing to lose (because they never accomplished anything in the first place).

      Effective communication (actual exchange of information) depends on candor, and candor depends on a reasonable expectation of not having one’s candid opinions come back to bite him where he lives, works, etc.

    • I’m potentially the only person in the country with my name. If I Google my name, the search results are all me or my immediate family. When I Googled Randy Jones, I get a member of the Village People, a baseball player, and various other random people.

      With my somewhat anonymous name here, I can say what I think without worrying as much that someone will go to my employer and get me fired. It could always happen, but I don’t want to make it that easy.

      • I’m in a similar position. There are exactly three people in this country who share my first and last name, according to the searches I’ve done. It’s one of the reasons why I dropped Facebook the instant they started rumbling about requiring everyone to use their real name (and I have never once regretted getting out of that poisonous morass). Ing is not my real name, and that should not be in any way surprise-Ing.

  11. FWIW, I have a gravatar sign in. I haven’t used it in years, but it’s still there. Why not, you ask? Well – gravatar is a heckuva lot less intrusive than Facebook, Twitter, or the all-seeing eye of Google. But, it can and will intrude into sites where you don’t need or want Gravatar.

    Any third party site which has privileges on the site you are signing in to is a security risk. I don’t want Gravatar, Facebook, or anyone else tracking me around the internet.

    That’s just me, though. If you are one of those who posts your morning shit to Facebook, you won’t care at all about Gravatar.

      • The point goes back to this:

        Another wrinkle that’s cropped up in recent months is people posting (or being accused of posting) comments using other commenters’ names. To be clear, if we find that happening, the IP address of the person commenting using another another reader’s ID will be banned from posting in the comment section.

        If you want to ensure that no one can do that to you, the solution is easy…use an avatar for your comments.

        Anyone can take your gravatar and pair it with your name in a post.

        There is no concrete way to lock your posting identity. Not here at least.

        • They’d have to copy the image and then sign up with Gravatar to do it, though.

          It’s kind of like locking up your house; there’s no way your locks can stop somebody with tools and the time to use them, but that’s not the real point. 99.9% of the damage is done by casual opportunists, and all you really need to do is remove the easy opportunity.

        • It’s pretty obvious when someone’s name gets hijacked. The people doing the hijacking, like most hijackers, are not exactly Mensa material.

          • “The people doing the hijacking, like most hijackers, are not exactly Mensa material.”

            Whoa, whoa. Hey, hey. Stop that. There are actually only about a dozen actual people commenting here, the rest is pretty much me. Been pretty successful so far (of course I am not anywhere near Mensa).

    • Created mine by editing a public domain image. But as much as this stops someone from pretending to be someone they aren’t, it doesn’t get rid of the trolls.

      • “…it doesn’t get rid of the trolls.”

        If it weren’t for trolls, we’d have no trolls at all.

        • Trollls. Hmph.
          Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live with ‘em.

          (Yes, if not familiar with the old school adage ya won’t get it.)

    • Congrats to Pink Sock!

      I sometimes post under pseudonyms, but wouldn’t even consider impersonating another poster.
      On forums, I do quote, and re-write the other poster’s commentary so say what they really mean, but their original post still stands, so it isn’t quite the same.

      Don’t mistake concealment for cover!

      • I’ve done that on another site, using different pseudonyms for comedy, or serious posts. when I added my avatar, it appeared with all of the screen names (shame on me, I wasn’t as anonymous as I thought)……………… wow my avatar…………… appeared………………..

    • “I am truly humbled and honored!”

      You’re humbled and honored your unit is half as long as my NAA Mini’s 1 and 1/8 inch barrel? 😉

  15. It seems like the target audience for this is fairly slim.

    By all means, do whatever you like but the demographics of the TTAG comment section don’t really bode well for widespread avatar use.

    • I have to agree. Heck, I haven’t even seen the movie! I leave all this computer stuff to the kids who were raised with it.

    • I don’t claim to understand how all of this “digital chicanery” really works, but I have been saying for a couple decades now that “Computers are the devil’s machinery, and will be the downfall of the planet as we know it.” Unfortunately, (by design) it is basically impossible to exist in today’s world without using computers, but I still attempt to operate in the digital realm with the same principles, honesty, and integrity as I do in the physical world.

      Here’s how I see it: I would be happy to “log in” at TTAG using an account I create along with a name and avatar I choose- as long as TTAG kept that information to itself. I would not do it, however, if TTAG “followed me around around the internet” having access to every “log in” I do wherever I go online.

      If you read Gravatar’s “Terms of Service” it appears that by using Gravatar you agree to be followed everywhere you go when signing in using Gravatar. Further, all data used, transferred, received (the who/what/when/how of everything you do) is accessible to Gravatar- and you agreed to that by simply signing up.

      I wouldn’t be interested in having TTAG follow me around on the internet- so why would I allow Gravatar to snoop on me at TTAG?

      The internet could be simple, safe, secure, and honest- but it wasn’t designed that way.

      If wishes were trees, the trees would be falling.

      • Gravatar, Google Analytics and a bunch of other shit is already following you on TTAG (and by extension elsewhere) if you’re not already actively blocking them.

        • Absolutely- but I didn’t blindly sign up with them and acquiesce to being “followed” simply for the convenience of using their “toy”.

          It’s simply frightening how many times I’ve been told: “What, you’re READING the fine print?! Nobody does that- JUST ACCEPT!”

          I do have control over who I choose to do business with- but I also understand that in the digital world I cannot control access to things I should be able to (my privacy and security).

          Choosing not to participate is principled.

          Forcing others to comply through misdirection, psychological deception, and nefarious proprietary design is… evil.

  17. I would use an avatar but it would be pointless…..as you know a Hole is a void, or space…you can take a picture of nothing, but would just be a blank (or it would capture what is beyond the hole). And since I am an A**hole….well you get the picture.

  19. Once somebody posted using my name, I got really pissed because I would never say what they did. Hells bells I don’t even have an email or Gmail account , don’t want one. This phone is so jacked up it puts my locations in places I ain’t, was off the coast of South Africa once, then Jacksonville FL. Now it’s got me in Missouri well it was last I looked. Works for me but everytime I post I have to clear my browser and start over to read comments. What some do in a minute takes me half hour.

    • Put down the crack pipe dude.

      I was at his throat back in the EDC days of this site.

      Need to see the arguments? You’d know better if you paid attention.

      • I think he had to go back to marry his new wife…of course he does not like her because she is a lying untrustworthy woman….but she does know how to clean and cook so that is a plus. LOL. Obviously I am joking. When he originally started posting I found many of his comments off putting, but later I came to appreciate his point of view even if I didn’t agree with him 100% of the time. I always agreed with him on gun rights but some social issues we differed on and I think that had to do with cultural upbringing, and I am not saying one is better than the other. I do miss his comments.

  21. Banning or using IPs is kinda silly in the world of VPNs which everyone should be using anyway.

    A better method would be to simply use the email addresses (real, fake, whatever) as confirmations. My IP is different every day but the text I type into the email bar is the same.

      • Lol. He thinks we use personal email accounts

        No surprise.

        Then again, I’m just pwrserge with a law degree from eBay. What do I know…

        • “Then again, I’m just pwrserege with a law degree from eBay.”

          Law degree from eBay? Then you paid too much. I produce them in my basement, on a 3-D printer, for free.

          Unfortunately, my grandson to took his printer back home, so I am a little slow filling back orders right now.

        • Sam, I have disagreed with you many times, but I don’t doubt your professional experiences. Unlike PwrSerge who was ousted very easily and exposed as a fraud. He pretty much did it to himself.

          As far as that law degree goes… Just send me the .stl 😉

          • “Sam, I have disagreed with you many times,…”

            No problemo, but….

            Are you sure you disagreed with me, and not me pretending to be me?

      • The point is that the person trying to imposter someone else would not know the original poster’s (hidden) email address. If a name has been using “midgets4some(at)aol” for 3 years and someone comes along trolling under their name with “elvis_lives(at)yahoo” then the latter person’s comments could be nuked.

        But because the system isn’t really set up for it the mod would have to look back manually, I think.

  23. And here I thought you were going to address how Black pilled and toxic the comment section has become.

    • “I can’t for the life of me, think anyone would want to imitate me🤣🤣”

      Because…….why not?

  29. So…what non off topic comment am I not responding to? Actually none. But, Skeeter Skelton’s writings are still greatly missed! God rest his soul. And to stay on subject…I have no idea what an Avatar is.

    • Here is an Avatar:

      https://www.google.com/search?q=Avatar 4&client=opera&hs=Fb2&sa=X&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLVT9c3NEw2S06rNDLIU-LSz9U3iM9IMrQw1JLKTrbST8vMyQUT8cWpRZmpxVYgdvEjxnhugZc_7glLhU1ac_IaYwAXHsVCelxsrnklmSWVQipcglKoNmowSPFzoQpZMWkw8ixi5XAsSyxJLFIwAQBItfvXpgAAAA&sxsrf=ALeKk02AyOW1sg3rOG90s_FHoAaymX_U0g:1610140292116&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=c-6CvPzzwxbPtM%2Csb8PFEiyRYiykM%2C%2Fm%2F0_hb181&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQlbdvf1R7BzOEKc-rpyN3kHJgFIw&ved=2ahUKEwiLopmBoI3uAhVCRKwKHRYKD3wQ_B16BAgqEAE#imgrc=c-6CvPzzwxbPtM

      🙂

      Does anyone recognize my Avatar?

    • “And to stay on subject…I have no idea what an Avatar is.”

      See how easy this is? If you don’t know what an Avatar is, you are already off-topic.

  32. Take 3.

    China Joe is bought and paid for by the CCP. He didn’t take a penny. Hunter did the dirty work then forwarded the $ to the old man.

  34. A shadow ban/mute feature would be a God send.

    Your mental health becomes better when you yeet those who bring nothing but trouble to the comment section. Going out your way to get a rise out of people on the internet is a sign mental illness/decline. Im not being funny btw.

    Yeet’em. Their parents didn’t give them attention and neither should you.

    • Sound off like a true constitutional patriot. You sound just like the left, but think your right free speech is what i say it is.

    • If you’re so fragile as to be unable to deal with other people’s comments in a section shouldn’t you stick to myspace?

      • and why this doesn’t get put in the ‘needs to be moderated’ queue but my comments above do makes no sense

  38. I have had absolutely no luck with creating an avatar. Would love to do it, but it is just too involved for me to understand. Maybe, if there were a 12 year old nearby, I could make it happen, but oh well.

  40. I’m banned by most social media.
    DON’T CARE!!!!
    Freed up my time to do ‘real’ things (like shoot!)
    instead of wasting my time reading other people’s
    anti-gun-anti 2nd shit.
    Let ’em bitch to each other – I’m out of that crap.

  42. I’m banned from google because they are mean to me so what can I do? Also quora for supporting Q-non. It used to be internet was about information freely shared but now it seems like tv… misinformation and dumbing down of society by speaking illiterately and then passing it off as a joke or in the sake of humor. It was never about humor but making people stupid. If you act stupid others will copy you because it creates an environment will their type of behavior is encouraged. I never trolled. I told the truth. It was the truth because it was what I sincerely believed. I do not have time for broke ass jokers or to suffer fools. They were just mad because my opinion threatened their core belief system. Instead of doing what republicans said they would do and debate intelligently they just used the same tactics as the democrats and tried to silence me by going off topic and being abusive. Both parties are communists and only pretend to oppose each other. Even if they have rivalries that is more infighting and vying for position rather than defending the stances and interests of the voters.

    Trump said that he disagreed with their political opinion but would respect the political decision and the peaceful transfer of power and the media attacked him and called it hate speech. He was labeled hate speech not for hate speech but simply disagreeing. Politics is the process of polite solving of problems. Polite means you are allowed to disagree. The alternate is war or totalitarian rule. The way the media handles news is like how 3rd world banana republics handle war, actually worse, they handle it like USSR, NORTH KOREA or Chinas National security act. This isn’t America anymore.

    Either you want freedom or security. Blacks never complained about hate speech and NEVER demanded it be regulated or moderated in ANY form. Only white liberals who are in tech push those commie ideals ostensibly to “protect” blacks from being called names. What makes Blacks angry is not slurs but racist ideology even if said in a respectful tone that would never be moderated because it was respectful. Government has failed Blacks for 400 years. Making laws does not help. Voting does not help. Protesting does not help. Not even democracy helps. There are bad people in the world and they will hurt you regardless of any of the preventive measures listed above. What do you do when everything fails? Even in America you have crime and you have whites disgruntled by government. Wednesday proved that.

    What moderators are trying to do is get rid of great American debate. The more you post jokes the more you make a mockery of freedom of speech. You do not use the time given to say thoughtful things and as a resulf freedom of speech is being banned because you abused it. All a flame war is is passionate debate. As an American I am not offended by passionate debate and neither are Blacks… IT IS ALWAYS whites. You are dead wrong for moderately anything to the point the only free speech online is places like reddit and apparently the exclusive domain of white supramists. You are never going to terrorize blacks into accepting your view of how society should be censored for the sake of not being annoying. Saying people are annoying makes you sound like a little girl. You are exetremely whiny and not very manish. Its gross.

    Even if someone is trolling me I would still debate them as they are just going to prove they are a troll and do not really care about the truth. As such they will be seen as a liar and lose credibility while will be seen as someone who actually cares about the topic and the truth. Your only advice was to avoid trolls. That is stupid advice. I never bite my tongue and always let the playa haters know the way I feel. Maybe you need to learn how to be men and stop whining about people not liking you are trying to use white privilege to ban blacks when they win arguments and prove you wrong. You debate like how a women does, lies and dismissiveness, and now it has created cancel culture and its your fault. You cancelled other people and now it is happening to you. Its a not right but it is the world you created. I blame you 100%. You never tolerated anybody who disagreed with you and you abused power to marginalize them or silence them and now the commies are doing it to you. You set precedence by creating an environment for corruption and abuse to occur.

    The right thing to do would be to respect free speech even if hateful or a flame war than forcing anonymous cowards to go underground. Whites ban free speech to protect their feelings. Blacks openly speak there mind regardless of the consequences because they are not scared of prison or death. Being banned is a joke. 0% gun control 0% moderation in online forums.

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  48. To avoid hurting their sentiments, white people suppress free speech. Since they are not afraid of being sent to jail or killed for their opinions, black people have no problem voicing their thoughts and feelings publicly. Getting blacklisted is ridiculous. Not one percent gun control Free and open discussion on internet forums with no moderation.

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  53. To prevent this from happening to oneself, Zimmerman suggests using an avatar for comments, which can be easily added by registering fnaf with Gravatar.com and uploading a chosen image. This will make it evident if someone attempts to impersonate another commenter.

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