This is an old Blogger issue that hasn’t changed over the years and one that I had forgotten all about until I came back to Blogger recently and started following new blogs.

I have not been able to comment on Blogger using my Google account or like blog posts on WordPress.com since Christmas when I got my Pixel 2 Chromebook. Needless to say it has gotten rather annoying, people are writing some great posts that I have wanted to leave comments on or like.

After a bit of sleuthing around and doing a complete reset of my Chrome browser settings on my Chromebook, I think I have finally figured out the problem after Googling and thinking about the sort of cryptic responses/answers I read (actually some were pretty straight forward, it was me having to get to the correct checkbox to realize – oh that’s what they were talking about).

It is all about how Blogger and WordPress.com use third party cookies in their comments or liking button and one setting deep in the Security/Privacy settings of the Chrome browser.

Fortunately, many security experts recommend that we block those third-party cookies to better protect our privacy online. Which I believe is important and one of the first things I do when installing a new browser and go in lockdown the privacy/security choices for that browser. I really hadn’t noticed a lot of differences until now?.

Unfortunately, as I found out if we do, then commenting and liking become pretty difficult.

This is how I fixed my commenting/liking issues when I am using the Google Chrome browser:

1. Go to the right-hand corner of your Chrome browser, click on the 3 vertical dots
2. Which brings up and context menu
3. From there got to the Settings bar (second from the bottom)
4. Click the arrow beside the Advanced menu to open it up (it is on the left side of the page)
5. When that is opened up look for the Privacy and Security tab in the
6. Look for Site Settings (second from the bottom) and click that
7. Then click on Cookies and Site Data bar
8. If you are unable to comment or click on the like button and you have block third party cookies clicked (the button will be blue), that is why. 
9. Click on the slide and turn it off, you should be able to comment or like blogs again.

Sad that you have to do 8-9 steps to find this setting to be able to fix things.

I am pretty sure it works this way for just about all the different browsers (you just have to find this setting in the browser you use) since the three that I tried to comment on the other browser behaved the same way.

Helluva way to run a railroad ain’t it.

Better security/privacy or commenting/liking. At this point, I have decided to go with less security/privacy and become more a part of the blogging community again. We will see how it goes and at least now I know which setting is the one to change if I run into problems.

Originally posted on Aging & Retirement – My Thoughts, written by Harold L. Shaw, Jr.