An update on the commenting problem is that it’s not fixed and it looks as if it never will be—unless it suddenly and unexpectedly resolves because of some software update or whatever. If you’re having trouble commenting, either persistently or intermittently, know that you’re not alone: I am still getting plenty of emails and Twitter comments about it. We can’t seem to fix it. (I still can’t comment on MY OWN BLOGS unless I’m replying to someone else’s comment from the dashboard.) We have repeatedly contacted the web host. Paul is a computer guy and has repeatedly investigated/tinkered. I have gone into the commenting settings and tried to change things that might help.

Nothing helps, and we can’t even find a pattern: last time I wrote about this, I asked for feedback that Paul could use to diagnose the issue or to help the web host diagnose it—but there was no pattern. Some people could comment from their desktop computers but not from their phones; other people had the opposite issue. Some people could comment as long as they went to the site directly, but not if they followed a link (like from Twitter/Facebook); other people had the opposite issue. Some people could comment on the regular blog but not on the baby names blog; other people had the opposite issue. Some people could comment before, but now can’t; others couldn’t comment before, but now can.

It is discouraging and disheartening and maddening. All I can do is advise you to try what is working for other people: a different browser, phone/desktop instead of desktop/phone, link/direct instead of direct/link. I really am holding out hope that there will be some update on the host or on WordPress or something, and that’ll turn out to be the missing piece that fixes it all.