I Need Your Help

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Someone filed a complaint about how this site handles cookies. I am required by federal/international law to give readers the option of opting out of cookies. This has never been a problem, until now. I suspect the person who filed the complaint has ill-intent; it doesn’t matter. I’m now on the clock with my service provider. If I’m not compliant, they are required by law to take down my site.

I thought I had the problem fixed; they filed another complaint. I have one remaining issue with the JETPACK plugin. It loads its cookie before the approval choice, which is not allowed.

I could set my site for US only. This would immediately cut off international readers from this site. This would fix the problem, but I’m not willing to do so. I have too many international readers to do that to them (and me).

You may have noticed that you were served a cookie approval box when first coming to this site. Once a reader chooses to accept or reject some or all cookies that setting will be remembered for one year.

I have spent days working to make this site compliant, and as of today, I think it is. Except for the JETPACK issue mentioned above. I can disable the plugin, but I really don’t want to do that, since doing so will affect reader experience in a negative way. What I need is for someone with WordPress expertise — especially the cookie process — to go through my site and make sure everything is compliant. I had to remove several plugins that improved the site for readers. I couldn’t find a way to make them compliant.

If you have expertise in this area and would like to help me, please let me know.

Otherwise, please make a burnt offering to your god for me; or a grain offering if your deity is vegan. If you don’t have a deity, I appreciate telepathic good vibes too. 🤣

I’ve been running on near empty for a while now. This hassle has caused further energy loss, as I suspect the person who complained knows. I’m sure they are happy-happy-happy causing me pain. Otherwise, they would have sent me an email about the problem instead of contacting my hosting provider.

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Comments

20 responses to “I Need Your Help”

June 29, 2026

BJW

I’m sorry this happened, Bruce.

Reply
1. June 29, 2026
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  Me too. It’s one thing I did NOT need to mess with. I’m sure you understand. Just one more damn problem to deal with when I have no energy to do so. 🤬🤬
  
  Reply
June 29, 2026

Chuck

I bet it’s those Kookies for Khrist people again, they can be real pests.

Sending you good internet mojo Bruce!

Reply
1. June 29, 2026
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  Thanks! ❤️ Never seems to end with those pests. May the Lord spray them with Raid on Judgement Day. 🤣🤣
  
  Reply
June 29, 2026

… Zoe ~

I click on “no thanks” because I haven’t a clue what the “cookie” thing is. Would it help to just accept them?

Dear Jesus, the saboteurs are at it again.

Reply
1. July 1, 2026
  
  GeoffT
  
  Sorry to hear this Bruce. I can’t understand why the cookie option can’t just become a universal choice on a PC or tablet, so as to cover all sites, but as it isn’t you’re faced with the problem. I’ve no idea how to fix it but I wish you well.
  
  Reply
2. July 2, 2026
  
  Troy
  
  You should always click “YES” for cookies. A “cookie” is a token that allows a web site to remember what you did on different pages in the same website. This allows a cohesive experience while browsing a web site. It is for the user, it isn’t the website “spying” on you.
  
  Reply
  1. July 2, 2026
    
    Bruce Gerencser
    
    Sadly, half of my readers, so far, have declined all cookies. It remains to be seen how it affects their site experience — particularly the comment function. It has fu*ked up my statistics plugins. And I had to remove the Share-It buttons at the bottom of every page.
    
    I hope everyone feels safer from my prying eyes. 🤣🤣
    
    Reply
  2. July 3, 2026
    
    … Zoe ~
    
    Thank you Troy. Clicked and done.
    
    Reply
June 29, 2026

Melissa Montana

I’m sorry to see this happen to you, Bruce. I can’t help fix your problem, but I clicked accept all cookies because I trust your site. Good luck on getting this problem resolved soon. 🍀

Reply
June 30, 2026

Revival 🍆 Fires

It wouldn’t be a bad thing if this site was shut down. It can plant seeds of doubt in struggling followers of Christ there’s enough of that already.

It leads people into hell. 😭

Reply
1. July 1, 2026
  
  Astreja
  
  So your god isn’t up to the challenge of dealing with a website? Mwahahaha!
  
  Reply
June 30, 2026

Neil

In my experience, Bruce, WordPress aren’t much interested in complaints. I made one about a nuisance commenter on my own blog but as he doesn’t contravene WP’s guidelines by dumping great screeds of gibberish on a regular basis, they say there’s nothing they can do about him.
So… all might work out okay. Sending hopeful thoughts into the blogosphere that it might be so for you.

Reply
June 30, 2026

Robert Williams

Hi Bruce,

According to Reddit, a plugin called CookieYes will override the issue you are having with Jetpack.

Hope this helps! Better > Bitter.

Robert (Fellow TCP member)

Reply
1. July 1, 2026
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  Thanks, Robert. I’m using paid WP Consent, which is wonderful except for the Jetpack issue. I tried CookiesYes, but my hosting provider said at least part of Jetpack is loading before cookie approval.
  
  I asked WP Consent for help on this matter. This is the most frustrating tech issue I’ve had to deal with over the past 20 years as a blogger.
  
  Again, thank you for your help.
  
  Bruce
  
  Reply
June 30, 2026

John S.

Bruce I am sending you best wishes as always. I tried to figure out which catholic saint whose intercession I could seek for this situation, the closest I could come up with was St Carlo Acutis, who was reportedly very tech savvy.

That’s probably a lot easier for me than a burnt offering. I would end up burning my apartment down and you would still have the cookies issue 👍. It would be interesting explaining my motives to the fire department, though.

Reply
July 1, 2026

Captain Cassidy

Jetpack was too complicated for me to figure out. I use something else for tracking views. What a headache. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I wish I had advice, but my understanding of site maintenance is pretty dated. So all I can offer is my deep hopes you can get it worked out.

I wonder if we get a “cookie” for guessing the ideology of the person making that complaint?

Reply
1. July 2, 2026
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  🤣🤣 I have a good idea who it is — a butthurt Evangelical. This cost me time, money, lots of fucks, and frustration. Of course, this was what they intended. Twenty years of Evangelical bullshit; this is a new one. As I am sure it is with you, I’ve never wanted to do such things to Evangelical content providers. I fight with words.❤️
  
  Reply
  1. July 3, 2026
    
    Captain Cassidy
    
    It really says something about Christians that they resort to such measures to silence their enemies. They can’t do it any legit way, so this is what they try instead. So sad. Well, you know, as my first pastor used to say: “Dogs don’t bark at what don’t move.” May your struggles give your metaphorical sword-arm strength.
    
    Reply
July 3, 2026

Bruce Gerencser

Everyone,

Thank you for your support and help. The problem is now resolved. My provider says I am now in compliance. No more deep-state spying from me. 🤣🤣

Please let me know if your cookie permission selection affects your experience on this site. This may fix the nounce problem some of you are having. Time will tell.

Bruce

Reply