Blogger.com's comment policy sucks
Most blogs hosted by Blogger.com won't allow you to post a comment, except if you are a member of Blogger.com. Why should I do that? I already have a blog, haven't I? Oh, and you can post anonymously, of course. All bloggers are equal, but some are more equal so they deserve a name? What a generous offer, thank you, Sir! Next time, maybe.
Preventing people from posting named comments does not make any sense to me. Okay, it sure makes sense for Bloggers.com, 'cause they maybe get some more some people into using their service. However, it also keeps many people away from commenting. Me, for example.
Since Blogger.com offers the option to allow anyone to post a comment, what is the reasons it is so rarely used? Since I haven't got an account back on Blogger.com (I though about creating one, just for research purposes, but I couldn't find any information about how to get rid of it again), I'm not sure, but I strongly suppose it is because it simply isn't the default. I can't image that nearly all users of Blogger.com choose this strange behavior on their own decision.
I think, the developers of Blogger.com are to blame. They may have done a god job building the platform, sure (although some people think, it sucks), but they did a horrible thing introducing this particular comment policy, and making it the default. The way we build applications like blogs or forums has an impact on how people communicate. In this case, communication is handicapped. And that's not what blogs are for.
PS: Just for example, have a look at these five sites, picked out randomly from my feed subscriptions:
PPS: MSN Spaces sucks even more. They want you to become a member of Microsoft .NET Passport, before you are allowed to post a comment.
What sucks is comment spam - look at any (popular) open commenting system and that is all you will see. This is why MSN Spaces (and probably Blogger) ask you to authenticate first.
Blogger's commenting system totally sucks. This is good example of a technology being bastardized after being acquired.
Mike, you're joking, are you? Or are you seriously trying to tell me that Microsoft's answer to comment spam is Microsoft .NET Passport? That this is all the development team of MSN Spaces - including you - was able to think about? Hell, this is 2004 and Microsoft ain't no fricking nobody, right? Tell me: Can't we expect the world's largest software company to do better than this?
Oh, and of course comment spam is not "all you see" on any open commenting system. Trust me.