Ouch! I’ve had to fix up something similar after a conversion and I couldn’t reconvert. . It’s not pretty. It’s a hack. It’s almost harmless though if it fails:
Run an SQL statement to select the comment post id # and comment author from the wp_comments table and write those to a file. Then write a script to read the file and dig out the real name and comment number and output a series of SQL update statements. Then you run the file of SQL update statements. (Backing up the DB first, of course)
I’ve got a Ruby script I can share that might get you close but its not an exact fit to your problem. Or you could use it as pattern to write in your favorite scripting language although the process I just described is probably enough. It’s a short script. Or you could do some clever search and replace in your favorite text editor that would turn the file of #ids and unconverted authors into a file of SQL UPDATE commands. Email me if you want the script.
Either way, It is a PITA but quite doable. There might be a plugin somewhere that changes comment author names, so I suggest you look for that first.
As to why the comments authors didn’t convert, I don’t have clue. <
(@lifesoelle)
16 years, 10 months ago
After switching over to WP.org from WP.com I exported the .xml file from WP.com and imported into the WP.org site. Everything went well except all of my comments are missing the name of the author. Instead, when I go to “manage comments,” they appear as: <![CDATA[author’s name]]>, which apparently renders nothing in the comment section. Any ideas on how to remedy this?