Can I block followers?

• 

  cswehrman · Member · Apr 23, 2014 at 6:14 pm

  • Copy link
  • Add topic to favorites

  can I block followers

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

• 

  timethief · Member · Apr 23, 2014 at 6:17 pm

  • Copy link

  We cannot block or delete subscribers from public blogs. Anyone and everyone can access public blogs and that’s indeed what the public designation means. However, please read this about public blogs that become private blogs > Blog Privacy and Subscribers > http://wpcommaven.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/blog-privacy-and-subscribers/

  Note that you have complete control comment moderation. http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-moderation If your blog is public others can, of course, read it and they can submit comments but you can Moderate all comments and choose which ones to approve or not.

  I suggest you set your blog so that first time commenters are held in moderation until their first comment is approved, then from that point forward they will not need approval. Settings > Discussion. The next step up is to set it so that all comments are held in moderation until approved. http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/

  Mark only spam as spam http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2013/01/24/mark-only-spam-as-spam/ and delete all troll comments. http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/how-to-starve-a-troll/

  For trolls, you can “blacklist” them at Settings > Discussion toward the bottom of that page. Enter their email address, their username, and if they included it, their website URL. That will automatically send them to moderation so that their comments do not appear on the blog. Do note though that if they are determined, they can use a different email address or username to get around that.

  Also, do not put their IP address in the blacklist. IP addresses are no longer unique, and you might end up blocking legitimate visitors. Also, all they would have to do is go to a wi-fi hot spot, or connect via a different ISP and they could get around that.

  Anyone can get a new IP in a couple of minutes.
  Anyone can get a new email address in a couple of minutes.
  Anyone with internet access can subscribe to any public blog in a feedreader.
  Anyone with internet access can read any public blog.

  Blocking would be a useless exercise.

• 

  raincoaster · Member · Apr 23, 2014 at 6:18 pm

  • Copy link

  No.

• 

  cswehrman · Member · Apr 23, 2014 at 7:43 pm

  • Copy link

  Thanks for the detailed answer. I’m just concerned over a few followers to my new blog that is mostly family related. Their profiles just don’t seem to “fit” with my blog’s purpose. I’m concerned about trolling and spamming in the future from them.

• 

  timethief · Member · Apr 23, 2014 at 7:47 pm

  • Copy link

  I’m sorry but unless you are willing to make the blog private and extend invitations only to those you select there is no other alternative.

  To change blog visibility to Private go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading scroll to Blog Visibility and choose option 3 .
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/

  If you’d like to invite others to publish posts or help approve comments on your blog, you can invite them to be a Contributor, Editor, or Author. If you want users to receive updates each time you publish new content you can invite them to be a follower/viewer.
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/adding-users/
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/user-roles/