LJ Comment Stats Wizard FAQ
Why won't it let me log in?
As of 1/26/2006, the program doesn't work if you use a direct login, due to recent changes in LJ's authentication. In the meantime, you can use Internet Explorer cookies. (To do this, make sure you are logged in to LJ in Internet Explorer, cookies are enabled, and LJ is set to never log out. Then in the stats wizard, make sure "Use Internet Explorer Cookies" is checked on the login screen.)
If you prefer to use direct login instead of IE, download version 1.7, which fixes this problem.
How can I count comments I left to other people?
This is currently not possible.
LJ does provide a way to view recent comments you've made, but provides no facilities for taking comprehensive tallies of them.
Will it work with DeadJournal?
Version 1.5 will work with the following journal types:
As of version 1.6, DeadJournal is supported.
Why does it say my username is invalid?
You must enter your username exactly as you use it to log in to livejournal. Valid usernames can only contain lowercase letters, digits, or the underscore character (_).
Why does it even need my username and password?
It is necessary for the program to log in to your journal to get your comment stats.
If you do not wish to enter your password every time, you can alternatively allow the program to use your Internet Explorer cookies to log in. To do this, make sure you are logged in to LJ in Internet Explorer, cookies are enabled, and LJ is set to never log out. Then in the stats wizard, make sure "Use Internet Explorer Cookies" is checked on the login screen.
I have a Macintosh? How do I use this program?
This program only works on Windows machines. However, another LJ user created a similar tool that works over the web. If you use a Macintosh or Linux, check that tool out.
In the web version, I can't figure out how to...
The web version is independent of this program (i.e., I did not write it). If you have issues or comments about it, bring them to the attention of the author.
Why is the report limited to 100 commenters?
LJ entries are limited to a finite number of characters. Any charts exceeding ~140 commenters will exceed the alloted number of characters, resulting in a truncated entry. Truncated entries have the potential to corrupt the remainder of your journal page (and your friends page). Therefore, the limit was set to a nice round logical number of 100. Note that all comments are counted, but only the top 100 commenters are displayed.
Does this program work with journals with more than 10000 comments?
Yes.
Though very early versions of this program (versions 1.0 and 1.1) did not support this, the current version can support journals with any number of comments.
Does it work with communities?
It used to, when communities had their own logins. However, LJ has recently made changes to this design, and as a result, the current version will not work with communities.
What does "Insert LJ-cut into full report" do?
It automatically inserts an LJ-cut inside the report between the 10th and 11th commenter on the list...meaning that commenters 1-10 will be fully visible, and those 11 and beyond will be hidden under a cut.
(Warning: If you use this feature, do not manually insert another LJ-cut into the entry! This will confuse LJ!)
The bars in the chart don't seem proportional to the numbers! Why?
They are not proportional linearly, but they are proportional logarithmically. This design decision was made for aesthetic reasons; using a linear scale will result in a very sharp curve at the top for most journals. Using the logarithmic scale is more aesthetically pleasing.
What are Proxy Settings?
If you don't know what they are, then chances are you won't need to change anything. These settings are included for advanced users or users who access the web through a proxy server.
Why does it say that I am the top commenter in my own journal? That doesn't make sense!
This is the case in 99% of journals, due to your replies to others' comments! Your comments are still comments, so they are counted just like any other comment.
If you wish to exclude your own comments from the count (as most people do), make sure the "Exclude self comments from rankings" checkbox is checked on the report customization screen.
I don't care about comments from anonymous people. How do I exclude them?
Make sure the "Exclude anonymous comments from rankings" checkbox is checked on the report customization screen.
FAQ written by scrapdog, 5/19/2005
Go to the download page
As of 1/26/2006, the program doesn't work if you use a direct login, due to recent changes in LJ's authentication. In the meantime, you can use Internet Explorer cookies. (To do this, make sure you are logged in to LJ in Internet Explorer, cookies are enabled, and LJ is set to never log out. Then in the stats wizard, make sure "Use Internet Explorer Cookies" is checked on the login screen.)
If you prefer to use direct login instead of IE, download version 1.7, which fixes this problem.
How can I count comments I left to other people?
This is currently not possible.
LJ does provide a way to view recent comments you've made, but provides no facilities for taking comprehensive tallies of them.
Will it work with DeadJournal?
Version 1.5 will work with the following journal types:
- LiveJournal
- GreatestJournal
- Caleida
- Plogs.net
- JournalFen
- Weedweb
- Minilog
- CrazyLife
- AboutMyLife
As of version 1.6, DeadJournal is supported.
Why does it say my username is invalid?
You must enter your username exactly as you use it to log in to livejournal. Valid usernames can only contain lowercase letters, digits, or the underscore character (_).
Why does it even need my username and password?
It is necessary for the program to log in to your journal to get your comment stats.
If you do not wish to enter your password every time, you can alternatively allow the program to use your Internet Explorer cookies to log in. To do this, make sure you are logged in to LJ in Internet Explorer, cookies are enabled, and LJ is set to never log out. Then in the stats wizard, make sure "Use Internet Explorer Cookies" is checked on the login screen.
I have a Macintosh? How do I use this program?
This program only works on Windows machines. However, another LJ user created a similar tool that works over the web. If you use a Macintosh or Linux, check that tool out.
In the web version, I can't figure out how to...
The web version is independent of this program (i.e., I did not write it). If you have issues or comments about it, bring them to the attention of the author.
Why is the report limited to 100 commenters?
LJ entries are limited to a finite number of characters. Any charts exceeding ~140 commenters will exceed the alloted number of characters, resulting in a truncated entry. Truncated entries have the potential to corrupt the remainder of your journal page (and your friends page). Therefore, the limit was set to a nice round logical number of 100. Note that all comments are counted, but only the top 100 commenters are displayed.
Does this program work with journals with more than 10000 comments?
Yes.
Though very early versions of this program (versions 1.0 and 1.1) did not support this, the current version can support journals with any number of comments.
Does it work with communities?
It used to, when communities had their own logins. However, LJ has recently made changes to this design, and as a result, the current version will not work with communities.
What does "Insert LJ-cut into full report" do?
It automatically inserts an LJ-cut inside the report between the 10th and 11th commenter on the list...meaning that commenters 1-10 will be fully visible, and those 11 and beyond will be hidden under a cut.
(Warning: If you use this feature, do not manually insert another LJ-cut into the entry! This will confuse LJ!)
The bars in the chart don't seem proportional to the numbers! Why?
They are not proportional linearly, but they are proportional logarithmically. This design decision was made for aesthetic reasons; using a linear scale will result in a very sharp curve at the top for most journals. Using the logarithmic scale is more aesthetically pleasing.
What are Proxy Settings?
If you don't know what they are, then chances are you won't need to change anything. These settings are included for advanced users or users who access the web through a proxy server.
Why does it say that I am the top commenter in my own journal? That doesn't make sense!
This is the case in 99% of journals, due to your replies to others' comments! Your comments are still comments, so they are counted just like any other comment.
If you wish to exclude your own comments from the count (as most people do), make sure the "Exclude self comments from rankings" checkbox is checked on the report customization screen.
I don't care about comments from anonymous people. How do I exclude them?
Make sure the "Exclude anonymous comments from rankings" checkbox is checked on the report customization screen.
FAQ written by scrapdog, 5/19/2005
Go to the download page