Running a blog with comments is great fun. Often the messages left by readers are useful to others and informative. Even if they are telling me I've made a mistake I'm happy to see them there. However, I do approve all comments as the blog also attracts less useful content. In a word; Spam.
I don't like Spam. It doesn't taste very nice (I prefer corned beef) and on the web it's often ridiculous. Take this latest effort:
Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get listedd in Yahoo News?
I've been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Appreciate it
my website divorce advice for men in nebraska
Seriously? You think that people will be browsing a post telling them how I set up the drive train for a Bantam Tug and then thing, "You know, I'm in Nebraska and a bit fed up with my wife, what a handy link!"
Of course not and to be honest, this isn't what the spamming scum think either. They just want to get a link on my blog so it fools Google that their pathetic site is worthy of some consideration.
Sadly for them, I just read them and laugh. Then I hit "mark as spam" and away they go.
I love spam! Absolutely hilarious stuff. Of course it never gets published on my blog but it does make me laugh, especially as some messages are written in a kind of pidgen English that could almost be some kind of spy code.
ReplyDeleteI do moderate the content but I have found the word verification to be unnecessary.
Shame the internet is full of it. Don't mind the meat myself, but internet, not so much.. You really cant have much unmoderated now a days. Viruses and phishing sites and just plain stupidity. Glad your blog is moderated. I really enjoy the daily posts.
ReplyDeleteSpam was one reason I changed to another blogging platform. My current one seems mush better at blocking dody comments and letting real ones through.
ReplyDeleteI remember one beauty that got caught by my filter, when I wrote a post about a chelsea tractor and referred to it as a "four wheeled pollution machine": I got a spam comment saying "If you want to insure your four wheeled polluting machine, go to (Link) car insurance cheap (Link)"
I still can't work ot if that was a ver ymart Bot or a spammer with a sense of humour...
I would also guess that these people are just following the "advice" they get on the internet. Most places I have researched on increasing traffic have always said it is important to leave a comment. While most did not advise including a link, they did say that if people liked your comments they would probably click on you, and "somehow" find their way to your page.
ReplyDeleteI guess a lot of people are hoping to be internet millionaires.
I have not had this problem, but I have had inflated page views hoping I would click on them myself. I was pretty surprised when 1000 people checked my page. Since I usually only get single digits I was pretty excited..... until I did some research.
Oh, the life of an internet blogger.
Priceless - unlike these wasters and their scams.
ReplyDeleteI always thought spam was best served up as fritters.
Loads of bloggers - and forum administrators - seem to have their own "recipes" for this stuff. However, most of them usually seem to follow the same basic format:
* Take some spam - you don't want much (preferably none at all) - but you might as well chuck it all into the mix.
* Chop it up into tiny little pieces.
* Batter it.
* Burn it.
* Spit it out.
Obviously, it's possible that I might have missed out a couple of steps.
One (US based) forum site developed their own, distinctive, form of spam baiting - the mods banned the bots - and removed the hyperlinks from the spam - then members piled in to poke fun at the spam and the spammers. They got some choice comments, too.
After a while, the site changed the routine. They altered the site registration procedure - and the spam seemed to go the way of the dodo.
Good - even if it spoilt the fun for some people.
Come to think of it, I'm sure somebody must be looking for a "no questions asked" supplier of dodgy golf clubs - fake diplomas - and "drugs" with badly spelt names.
Somebody might even wish to take financial "advice" from some shadowy guy - who's desperate to transfer their ill-gotten gains out of some far-away land - in exchange for bank details.
That somebody is not me.
Mmmm spam, my grandma used to cut it thick, dip it in yorkshire batter and fry!!!
ReplyDeleteYumm
PS. I hope to make it to BRMA Adelaide Convention
Glenn (BRMA Member)