I’ve come to realize that the most noxious comments I seem to be receiving are being sent through proxy servers, which allow the commenter to hide their true IP address and so avoid identification. The spam filter I use allows me to prevent commenters using proxy servers from publishing comments. I have now turned this feature on. It will not end the problem, but it will deny trolls and cyber bullies one more tool from their arsenal of deceit.
The only problem is that WP Spamfree, the filter I use, while generally a good product, has a history of false positives and preventing some legitimate commenters from publishing here. It is possible that adding this new level of protection will increase the number of false positives. In particular, commenters who attempt to add hyperlinks to their comments are often prevented from publishing. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused or may cause any of you. If any of your comments are ever filtered in error please let me know via the Contact link in my sidebar. If you retain a copy of the actual comment forward it to me and I will publish it in your name for you.
