First, if you don’t have a gravatar already, please go to gravatar.com and get one. It takes all of five minutes.Now, let’s move on. How many comments are left on your site daily that don’t have a gravatar? I would say that no matter who you are, somewhere around 30-60% is pretty common. Sure, if you want to be a faceless commenter with no identity, or brand for that matter, go for it. Get lost in the crowd of milllions in the blog community and quicly fade into cyber-obscurity.
Of course, faces are my preference but I’d take a cartoon of yourself, your company logo, and even your pet rock. Aside from the reason I stated above about having an identity, there are also a plethora of other reasons why you need to get a gravatar. That said, those are not what this article is about.
The reason why I want you to have a gravatar is because I want to save myself time — I’m averaging about 200 spam comments a day. I know, it’s my own fault for having dofollow, comment luv, a half decent PR, blah, blah, blah. I still go through every single spam comment just to see if there are false positives. That ends up being about 3-5 per day. Essentially, Akismet does its job.
But guess what, my time is more limited than ever and if you don’t have a gravatar, I’m not approving your comment. That’s because I won’t even see it. I’m no longer going to glance at anything in my spam folder other than comments with a gravatar. So instead of a few minutes to review my spam, it should take me a few seconds. If I happen to lose a few legit comments along the way, I’m willing to deal with that.
I believe most bloggers who graduate to the number of daily spam comments that I get do the same thing. So if you don’t want your comment to get lost, one that you spent time thinking about and writing, go get a gravatar now. Even if it saves one comment, you’re investment was worth its while.
I am a business professional
with an entrepreneurial spirit. Although I have an MBA and managed websites and IT departments
for several Fortune 500 companies ...
OK final try at getting my Gravatar to work!
As I mentioned to another user, you probably have it cached. Come back on another PC or leave a comment on another blog — your gravatar is there!
AND THE IRONY… I had 170 spam today and your 3 messages were the only ones I approved because I saw your gravatar.
This may not be worth it’s weight for very long. The clever among the spammers realize the Gravatar issue, and are getting them for themselves.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing’s last post…Last Post and Current To-Do List
You know, if a spammer goes to all the work to get a decent gravatar, promotes a decent site with a decent comment, I might just be cool with that!
One thing for sure, the quality of spam commenting is inching up, at least at the high end.
Dave Doolin’s last post…Guest Post blogging – The other side of the story
Iv don’t mean this to sound sarcastic, but that really doesn’t sound like a spammer anyway.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing’s last post…Last Post and Current To-Do List
Exactly!
Personally, if XYZ Corporation from Dallas hired Rajeesh in Chennai to personally tout their products, and Rajeesh left comments pertinent to the discussion at hand, I’d be totally cool with it.
I just want to see a face. A real face. That’s all.
Dave Doolin’s last post…Who’s afraid of outbound links
True. Some spammers border on being commenters and some commenters border on being spammers.
Thanks for this site..the topics are always interesting to read..so keep it up guys…..Pink Realty
“Clever spammer” is an oxymoron. I’ll take my chances for the next few years!
LOL I know, you know what I mean.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing’s last post…Last Post and Current To-Do List
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brad, Dennis Edell. Dennis Edell said: RT @pnstlion Gravatar: Why I want you to have one – and it’s not what you think http://bit.ly/bJyrdi [...]
I appear just to have a default symbol not the icon I uploaded
gumelin’s last post…Visiosat – Antenne d’extérieure TNT gain 15 dB pour tuner DVB-T High-tech
Gabe, I’m in the same space you are with this: I scan the spam, no gravatar, no approve. Hardly even look at anything else.
Dave Doolin’s last post…Guest Post blogging – The other side of the story
Almost shocking how long it took me to do this. I was always too ‘nice’ to actually start skipping but I’m at a point when I don’t really care about losing a few legit comments here and there.
I don’t even get very many comments or spam and I still just scan for real gravitars most of the time. No gravi no comment. There are a few exceptions, but those are ppl I know from non-blogging things
Gurl’s last post…My Blogging Trials and Tribulations A Ramble
Well, if Akismet doesn’t stop it, it’s not like I would unapprove a comment because of a lack of gravatar.
I guess I’m a sucker and try to give people the benefit of the doubt. No more, I say!
Gurl raises an important point. You’re fine Gabe, as you clearly work with bloggers, and bloggers should know of Gravatars.
However, legit non-bloggers reading blogs for help may not. Hence this practice would really not be smart for all bloggers.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing’s last post…Last Post and Current To-Do List
Avatars are specific to each person. I like gravatar
Hieu Martin@Blog Tips’s last post…Awesome Marketing Tips For Your Blog
Gravatar do have a major effect on big blogs (just like yours), seeing as popular blogs have lots of traffic coming every day. And reading a huge amount of comments everyday is a very tiring task, and that’s understandable. I at first, faced the same issue, I never planned to use a gravatar and just expected that blog owners will eventually approve my comments “if” they were able to read it. But I guess assumptions are not enough for busy people
By the way Gabe, this is off topic but I just want to ask if “infolink” ads can convert well? Thanks.
Regards,
Jason Acidre
Infolink has performed better than others that I’ve used in the past.
That is what I intended to say, face will help you build up your brand and gravatar is the best way to do that. Thanks
Tinh’s last post…PayPal Electronic Withdrawal Service for Indian Bloggers Now Resolved
Gravatar will make your comment look interest and get more people click to.
How to blogging’s last post…Way to find profitable niche markets
I’m trying it now. But seems there are some thing wrong.
As I stated for a few other folks, the default gravatar was cached on your machine. Try clearing your cache or another browser.
It definitely worked. Out of 281 spam, you’re the only one I approved because you actually had a gravatar!
Gravatar will make you popular and give you an identity. See my Gravatar for the first time here ? Hehe !
Baba Pandey’s last post…Indian Idol 5 3rd August – Swaroop Khan Eliminated
Glad I got at least one convert!
Now I have my gravatar after reading your post
Let’s see if its working…
Basant | Techno-Pulse’s last post…LightSwitch- The Simplest way to Build Business applications for Cloud & Desktop
I just signed up to gravatar. Nice to see that your profile is link on different site when you do comments
With this avatar, it’s display when you make a comment, it’s for your personal or you also can put the banner for advertising on there. Look good !
Tony @ Android’s last post…Logitech Alert digital security system
Using Gravatar to make your comment looking good as much as possible. Also it’s nice.
Andrew’s last post…Free VoIP calls via Vonage Mobile app for Facebook users
I only recently got into using gravatars because in the past my blogs were using the disqus comment system which had different profile pictures. So I never felt the need to have one. But now I no longer use it so I have a gravatar now
Robert @ Techinfo-4u.com’s last post…Sounds That Can Kill You
Make one and it must be unique to help you building your brand name.
Andrew @ Mobile Phone’s last post…AT&T launches Samsung Flight II- quick messaging phone
Your post make sense.. I think it is really important to see the picture of the person commenting on your post.. Its worth the time signing up for gravatar though I’ve just been using this for quite sometime..
I actually got my Gravatar few weeks ago and while checking the site for interesting and very educational material, I bumped into this. So I think I need to share that I really like this set up. I mean it would be great that you will see the person commenting on your site. At least you have a glimpse of someone whom you don’t know but did some comments on your site whether they are constructive or destructive.
The only thing is I do not really like setting up a lot of things. I definitely agree with Nemie above me. 
Though it is worth the registration.
It takes less time to register for a Gravatar than it does to look at FB status updates!
Excellent post, thanks.
Just the information I was looking for, thank you
Wonderful post Gabe, not only it reduces the website by identifying the person or a spammer, but akismat sometimes mark spam for good comments, I believe we have to try Onibalusi method in controlling spams
Seems like it could be useful. Not sure it will work for what we need.
Well by using Gravator you can make your comment more effective and impressive.Go to gravatar.com and make your gravator,place your pic or company logo on there.Whenever you comment or forum posting this gravatar is shown on comment area.
I got a Gravatar after reading this article. This is my 1st comment after getting one…
Geet | Painting Ideas’s last post…How to Start Glass Painting- A Beginners Tutorial
Well said, I’d also like to add what I enjoy most about Gravatar, and it is not the fact that you can post easier on blogs, not the fact that you no longer have to upload your avatar each time on a blog, because there are few I’m truly loyal to and I’d be willing to personalize my profile on them, but the fact that if I someday realize I want a new avatar, perhaps my company’s logo has changed, changing my avatar would change it on absolutely all the comments I’ve posted before! Neat
Catalin’s last post…Optimizing and organizing your CSS code
…gotta have a gravatar!….wait, do I have one? aghhh…let’s change that.
ryan’s last post…The State of Poker Tutorials
Thanx for this useful information.
Excellent blog! I truly love how it’s easy on my eyes as well as the info are well written. I am wondering how I may be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
Thanks for sharingd
Thanks for this very useful info you have provided us. I will bookmark this for future reference and refer it to my friends. thanks
shop cart’s last post…Who are you sharing your customer data with
First of all, are a valuable tool for helping to create an online presence and identity. This is business or personal, brand recognition and are increasingly important.
All you have to do is leave a comment on an article, and your gravatar will appear with your message. No registration is required as a member of the site or to download an avatar. Everything is automatic. Also, if you ever decide to change Gravatar, the image change will be reflected in all his previous comments, because the images are obtained directly from gravatar.com.
This also means that it is not too late. Even if you have already sent thousands of comments on hundreds of blogs, you can still save your own Gravatar and suddenly see your reflection in all previous comments – as long as the support sites Gravatar.
Nepal Environmental Treks & Expedition : Leading Trekking Agency in Nepal. For more Details log on: http://www.gotonepal.com.
Cool blog, I love the content.