Blogging Peeve: Smarter S-P-A-M
If you’ve ever posted any content online, you know spam.
It’s like the neighbour who wouldn’t stop coming over to ‘borrow’ something or the other. You politely tried to dissuade her, gently but firmly told her no, talked to her about how annoying it is when people ask for things continuously and never return them or the favour back but nothing worked. So you trained your kids to always be on the lookout for Mrs Can-I-borrow-it-forever from next door.
You even tried to hide in your own home and pretend you weren’t there.
The neighbour still comes over and you still get spam.
Until one day it all mysteriously stopped. The neighbour stopped coming and you could opened the kitchen window and allowed your kids to play in the garden.
A few weeks ago, spam stopped coming in completely. I went from receiving over 200 spam comments a day to zilch. Zero. Nada.
Then I got one spam comment. I pounced on my spam folder sure that it was genuine comment caught up by mistake. At first look it did seem like it. The comment said: [note]Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.[/note]
I was ready to pump my fist in the air for catching an authentic comment in my spam folder when I noticed which post they’d left the comment in. That can’t be right. The person in question had been wondering about the issue of keeping my zen seat warm.
I checked the email and the domain looked fishy. So I let it remain in the folder to see if it was genuine or more of the same would follow.
A few days later, another comment got caught by Akismet. This one seemingly innocent with a request to copy the post to his website. It had google.com as its website and the post it question?
Yeah, you guessed it. Why spammers are so interested in my seat of zen is beyond me. It’s in my loo for heaven’s sake you dumb bots! I would flush each one of you down given half the chance.
Finally I got another comment caught in spam. [note]Nice Theme buddy! Can you tell me the download link for email.[/note]
Thanks, I love my theme too. I would also tell you where I downloaded it from if your website and email address didn’t promise the enlargement of a part of human anatomy that I don’t even have.
So got any smart s-p-a-m lately or am I the sole recipient of their newfound intelligence?
Photo credit: cursedthing
12 Comments
Leave a Reply
About Samar
Samar is a freelance writer, blogger and social media enthusiast.
She's the voice behind this blog, the writer behind each post and the one responsible for all the awesomeness (and goof-ups) around here.
If you want to outsource your blogging, get web copy written or have the social media end of things handled then she's your girl!
Connect with Samar
Join the Newsletter
June 13, 2009
at 11:13 am
I've had a few of those too, and they just don't relate to the post. Do these people think we're idiots? Uh, don't answer that…
I don't use Akismet though, I use the plugin WP-Spamfree which I find easier to use.
Melinda´s last blog ..11.3 Steps to Great Testimonials
June 13, 2009
at 11:30 am
Surprisingly, they're probably not automated: have a look on GetAFreelancer and other freelancing sites in the data entry categories. Site owners are PAYING people to leave these messages for a linkback (and thus better visibility for their site). Yup, that's right – spamming by hand is now a job. *sigh*
SpikeTheLobster´s last blog ..Writing For Children
June 13, 2009
at 12:15 pm
@ Mel – Thankfully, I've had a few of those too so the problem is easy to monitor and handle.
I use Akismet because it comes with WP and haven't yet felt the need to use another spam filter.
@ Spike – Whoa. That's a new one. As long as they're getting caught by my spam filter, I don't mind anyone making money from it.
What a waste of money though…
Samar´s last blog ..Blogging peeve: Smarter s-p-a-m
June 13, 2009
at 4:25 pm
I was just wanting to gripe about those comments, so thank you!
My favorite is that I get these comments on my one non-post post, where I explain that my blogging schedule was delayed. In response? "Thank you for posting about this issue. I had been wondering about that topic." – I posted that almost a year ago, so I'm pretty sure no one's been concerned about it.
The key with these comments is that they look innocuous and they compliment the blogger. Who wouldn't want to approve some simple, kind praise? I've become increasingly suspicious of any comment that doesn't specifically discuss the post's topic in some depth.
Good luck keeping the spammers at bay! We're all in this together.
David Garcia´s last blog ..Tools & Tech: Are you approaching video backward?
June 13, 2009
at 5:35 pm
Yes, me too. I've had a lot of these, mostly saying they think the site is brilliant, or that I have the most amazing domain name, and wanting to know how I chose it. Well, it's my name. Duh.
Joely Black´s last blog ..Feeling the pressure, just a little bit
June 15, 2009
at 9:43 am
@ David – You're welcome. Now let's just hope I don't get a 'I've been wondering about this topic' comment for this post
Honestly, it's still a lot better than those insanely long, url filled comments that used to pass through the filter some how. At least, the readers won't be turned off if they see it before we get a chance to delete them. (unless they click on it)
@ Joely – Hehe, If only they were genuine compliments. Imagine receiving flattering comments from readers daily. Oh the ego trip!
June 15, 2009
at 4:48 pm
Heads-up for you: I just received a new style of spam comment. It reads (paraphrased) "This is really great content. Is it copyrighted?" or something similar.
Very sneaky – an attempt to get you to let it through to clarify, or email them and answer. Either way, you've been spam-suckered. *sigh*
June 16, 2009
at 7:50 pm
I get that same first spam comment you posted a lot.
I especially love when I get it reference to a post which nobody in their right mind has been thinking about "this issue" like where I rant about my evil cat or ironically enough, how certain marketing tactics annoy me.
Oddly, there is one truly genius way for these people to spread their spam. I would never do it but it seems so obvious, I can't believe they don't utilize it.
I would post it, but I'd hate to give them any ideas they haven't already thought of.
June 16, 2009
at 11:31 pm
Hi Samar,
Fortunately I use Akismet and don't have to worry about too many spam making it through. Even though a legitimate comment gets picked up by accident from time to time, I can only hope the person who left the comment will contact me as I no longer check the spam folder as I get so much.
I have read spam is automated. How they find the blogs to target is uncertain, but I'm guessing they are using keyword searches.
Barbara Swafford´s last blog ..The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease
Pingback: Comment Spam « ScrawlBug
June 17, 2009
at 1:08 pm
I don't think there's is such a thing as smart spam, surely it's an oxymoron?
I just let Akismet do it's thing and much like Barbara I don't check it anymore
Marc – WelshScribe´s last blog ..Weekend Reading | Link Love Friday
June 17, 2009
at 3:09 pm
@ Spike – The new comment you posted about is scary! Barricade your blogs everyone and set up a secret password to let in genuine commenters. (Not exactly sure how to do that yet
)
@ BloggerDad – You have the head of a spammer my friend
But I have to say its nice to only get a few spam comments now instead hundreds.
@ Barbara – You're smart. I was just so sure the lone comment caught by Akismet was a genuine one
@ Marc – Lol! @ oxymoron. Just wait till you start getting it too.