« Float On | Main | ConLaw Practice Exam »
TypeKey No Thanks
During a study break (yeah, that's it) I learned that MovableType is beta testing MT 3.0, which they say isn't a feature release, except for the one big feature, comment registration, a.k.a., TypeKey Authentication Services. The point of TypeKey is supposed to be that it will reduce spam in the comments of MT blogs, which seems like a neat idea, except that problem has already been pretty well solved with MT-Blacklist. So instead of solving problems for users, it seems like TypeKey is just going to create hassles and reduce the fun and spontaneity of blogs by forcing people to "register" and "login" if they want to comment on blogs that use TypeKey. How often have you thought about leaving a comment somewhere, but decided not to when faced with a registration or login screen? I generally don't fight through those things; it's usually not worth it. I mean, I enjoy leaving comments on blogs, and I certainly love to read the comments here at ai (they're really what make blogging worthwhile, to a large extent—more comments, please!), but part of the fun of blog comments is that they're quick and easy. Read a post, jot a thought, and move on. Registration and login systems add those extra steps, thereby raising the barrier for commenting.
On the plus side, this faq says you don't have to use TypeKey to use MT 3.0, and it sounds like they've built at least some of the functionality of MT-Blacklist right into MT itself. I hope they keep things that way for all future MT upgrades, as well. I also hope MT-Blacklist sticks around and someone continues to update it. I think it's a far better solution to the spam problem than TypeKey promises to be.
Posted April 24, 2004 06:37 AM | meta-blogging
i totally agree with you about making comments easy. i have also refused to comment when sites ask me to register. lord knows i don't need another website where i've registered and thus opened my email address to more spam.
comments are what make blogging fun. i once had to sit through a workshop on communication, and feedback is like half of it. knowing that the message has gotten across - knowing people have heard it.
Posted by: monica at April 24, 2004 10:12 AM
From what I can tell, you're right about Typekey not being a required feature--you can disable it and (near as I can tell from talking to beta testers) MT-Blacklist works A-OK with the new version.
For you and I, Ambimb, Typekey's probably a bonus for a lot of blogs. For instance, John Kerry's blog has comment registration, and does seem to be using MT. (Look at the source of the HTML--it doesn't say Moveabletype, but it's very similar in style.) I'm wondering if Mr. Kerry is a beta test site...
Posted by: A. Rickey at April 24, 2004 10:57 AM
Sorry, Ambimb, there was an error in that last. It should read, "For you and I, Ambimb, Typekey's probably unnecessary, but it's a boon for a lot of corporate or political blogs."
I was then going to discuss how blogging is turning from a hobby to a corporate phenomenon (which means MT might make some money at some point), but decided not to. Sorry for the confusion.
Posted by: A. Rickey at April 24, 2004 10:58 AM
Incidentally, best reason to use Typekey, from Six Apart's full FAQ:
In Movable Type 3.0, can I allow both registered and unregistered visitors to comment on my weblog?
Yes. You can turn on comment registration as an option for your visitors, allowing them to use their existing TypeKey account to leave a comment--and preventing them from having to type in their information all over again.
In other words, you enable it, but it doesn't restrict anybody. On the other hand, those who comment on websites are likely to have Typekey identities, and they no longer have to retype their info on your blog every time they delete their cookies. (And this will work on all MT 3.0 blogs!)
That's actually a pretty nice convenience. I once tried to implement a 'single sign-on' tool for IE by creating a cookie for any site that uses MT, but predictably I failed. It's nice to see that Six Apart has put that in as a feature. So there are some advantages to comment registration besides controlling spam.
Posted by: A. Rickey at April 24, 2004 11:56 AM
but if you use mozilla, it'll remember all your stuff anyway.
Posted by: monica at April 25, 2004 06:36 AM
