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Spam in Blogs: Is Spamming A Mental Illness?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Tann Starr & Associates, Inc.

Is Spamming A Mental Illness? Inquiring minds want to know because I keep hearing that insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

If you spam on AR we will report you. Why do some of you keep doing it? Why do some of you spammers point fingers at other people when you get caught and chastised for it? Why not pay for your own website and spam yourself? How about start a spam network where you can preside over a twelve step program to amuse yourselves or self medicate your addiction to annoying the rest of us?

Go annoy yourself and leave the rest of us alone. We have work to do and don't want your comments tainting our blogs and filling up our mail boxes with your extreme stupidity. BTW, if you get spam email that you think is deceptive, forward it to spam@uce.gov. The FTC uses the spam stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive email.

Spam in Blogs actually serves a purpose for the ones who do it who are not suffering from a mental illness. Here's the skinny on those calculating S.O.B.s if you Wiki it: "Spam in blogs (also called simply blog spam or comment spam) is a form of spamdexing. It is done by automatically posting random comments or promoting commercial services to blogs, wikis, guestbooks, or other publicly accessible online discussion boards. Any web application that accepts and displays hyperlinks submitted by visitors may be a target. Adding links that point to the spammer's web site artificially increases the site's search engine ranking. An increased ranking often results in the spammer's commercial site being listed ahead of other sites for certain searches, increasing the number of potential visitors and paying customers."

My advice: FLAG SPAM AND REPORT IT. DON'T JUST DELETE IT BECAUSE SPAMMERS MOMENTARILY ANNOYED YOU.

Reporting your concerns regarding inappropriate comment spam will help save our community by booting one jackass off at a time. You know who you are. Yes, I am talking to you. Get your grubby digital hands off my friggin' blog.

Here are a few very useful links regarding Spam:

http://www.ftc.gov/spam/

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/spam/rules.htm

Federal Trade Commission Spam Press Room

Here's the thing: when you comment spam, you are also e-mail spamming because I have to read your crap twice when my automatic notifications send it over.

This is not link love. Quit it. You are not making friends and influencing people. You are treading on dangerous ground with the FTC and FCC if enough of us report you. Be happy we are just booting your nonsense off of our blog posts and this wonderful network and not bringing suit for the lost time incurred from constantly having to remove you and your nonsense from where it does not belong.

Don't make me call the Feds... I'm getting tired of deleting you. Seriously... Find another way to introduce people to your product and website. I am not interested in comment spam...

 

Comments (73)

Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

C...you go girl!  Spamming I hate, and glad your post got featured. Perhaps the spammes will read this post and quit...

Aug 05, 2009 07:36 AM
Jayne Vaughan
Re/Max Home Team - Clarks Summit, PA
ABR,SRS,CNE

Thanks for a very good post.

Aug 05, 2009 09:27 AM
Cameron Wilson
Labrum Real Estate - Murrieta, CA
The Short Guy - Murrieta,Temecula,Menifee Californ

I vote that we all give them hell. I even have these morons hitting my old posts.

Good work C Tann.

Aug 05, 2009 11:50 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Report and then delete.

I think it is cleared up some, at least from a few weeks ago.

Aug 05, 2009 11:54 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

C, my personal take has always been spammers are sexually frustrated, don't know what to do with themselves, and have Waaaaay too much time on their hands.

Aug 05, 2009 12:54 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

C, I'm with Ryan. I really didn't get why they are doing this but now thanks to you I do! And thanks also for the info on where to report serial spammers!

Shaorn

Aug 05, 2009 02:35 PM
Damon Gettier
Damon Gettier & Associates, REALTORS- Roanoke Va Short Sale Expert - Roanoke, VA
Broker/Owner ABRM, GRI, CDPE

I am not having the pleasure (just kidding) of the spam and I dont want it.  I get hundreds of emails a day without getting spam!

Aug 05, 2009 02:50 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

I have been getting less of it lately... except here on A|R.  However, the forums I am part of are getting blitzed.  And it is a rough battle. 

Aug 05, 2009 03:53 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Thank you Ryan.

 LOL @ Candice.

Dean, the e-mail is just fascinating. I get the "free speech" "didn't mean any harm" lets see if we can feel her out crap as an explanation. I've had people argue they are just promoting their business like everyone else. I keep trying to tell people some writers don't mind links that continue and further a conversation but you have to get permission for it. Friends will let a friend do something they will not tolerate from a stranger, so saying someone else leaves links in the comment section is a moot point with me. Some people either don't get it or don't want to get it...

 

 

Aug 05, 2009 10:43 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Liz, my love, when are you coming back to the states? I've been trying to talk my cousin in to Seattle and Canada. We shall see... You'll have to babysit me if we do. I tend to run amuck collecting eye candy (LOL) ;-)

ROTFLMAO @ Greg. Can I re-Tweet you on this? (LOL) ;-)

Rick, I have to admit a few of the lotteries made me howl with laughter. I keep wondering why I read those things (LOL).

 

 

 

 

Aug 05, 2009 10:49 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

LOL at Sue. Hmm... ;-)

ROTFL @ Carol. You just gave a whole new meaning to the concept of digital torture (LMAO).

Michael, Dr. Seuss is the bomb (LOL).

Margaret, you are a very practical lady. It is a bit useful in that regard, eh? Turns out I missed answering a few people as well (LOL). ;-)

Aug 05, 2009 10:54 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Fernando, it's a bit distracting at times. :-)

Thank you, Richard. It irks me as well. :-)

Janice, Internet Pollution is a nice term for it, eh? I agree. :-)

ROTFL @ Irene. Methinks Carol just edited herself (LMAO) ;-)

Maureen, some of them use HTML to make a white letter that has a link you can't see. You have to highlight the entire area where the comment is located to discover if there is a link in the nonsense (LOL).

 

Aug 05, 2009 11:01 PM
Marilyn Harrell
Better Homes and Acres - Beaverton, MI
Wixom Lake - Beaverton MI

So much to learn - and be annoyed by! Thanks for sharing this information!

Aug 06, 2009 04:55 AM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Marilyn, you are very welcome.

Richard I, it can be a lot of work weeding out those comments that have to be moderated.

Pocono, knock on wood, indeed... :-)

Julie, you are very welcome, lovely.

 

Aug 06, 2009 07:10 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Neal, you would think the fines would deter them but they keep finding new ways to do this.

Bob, the number of members who do appear to be growing. :-)

Mike, I noticed lots of references to exotic places in some, which always makes me wonder if they are sitting in NJ claiming to be in France (LOL). :-)

IMF, the bank log in ones really whomp. I remember reporting one and getting a letter stating it really was them and not spam (LOL).

 

Aug 06, 2009 07:31 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

David, it is kinda sad that we have an expectation of having to deal with this.

Robert, I am really tempted to go uncheck that box (LOL).

Marcy, I find myself unfollowing a lot of strange icons over there.

LOL @ Tammy. :-)

LMAO @ C-Sally-C. :-D

Hi Paddy! I've been working on that B-Switch issue. Nothing like a little blog post therapy...  (LOL). ;-)

 

Aug 06, 2009 07:37 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

ROTFL @ Carla. I thought about it in so many colorful ways (LOL). ;-)

Thank you, Patricia. :-)

LMAO @ Julie A. Be careful what you which for lovely... you may never get rid of 'em (LMAO). :-)

 

Aug 06, 2009 07:40 PM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Nancy, it's very frustrating to have to keep reporting these people. I'm taking it one day at a time.

Aug 11, 2009 06:12 PM
Dave Halpern
Dave Halpern Real Estate Agent, Inc., Louisville, KY (502) 664-7827 - Louisville, KY
Louisville Short Sale Expert

C Tann-Starr LOL! Is spamming a mental illness!!! Hilarious. I think the spam blogs are funny and the AR member response comments are even funnier.

Sep 16, 2017 06:22 PM
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

The FTC does not have a reporting mechanism for blog comment spam. CAN-SPAM laws are for spam email.

To block blog comment spam, I use spam filters on my WordPress blog, and I moderate all comments that pass the filters, so spam links do not get automatically published. Before I approve a blog link, I check to see that it is a legitimate business or blogger, usually in my same or related industry.

I do not approve short comments of praise, such as good post, great info, well-written, that add no value, and may be auto-generated by a spam bot to insert a link.

Since the goal of the spammer is to improve their SEO by adding many links, I save the spam evidence in a folder, then delete the spam link and comment.

Rather than reporting to the FTC, report the spammers to Google. Let Google penalize or remove the spammer's website from Google completely.

See Google rules on link-building shemes and reporting at spammer link-building schemes.

Dec 16, 2018 08:38 PM