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ActiveRain Comment Spam Is Getting Out Of Control

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSatisfied

Perhaps I'm the only one being effected, but I doubt it. 

The amount of spam comments getting through the ActiveRain system is simply too much. The number of emails containing spam comments coming to me this morning on old blog posts is quite remarkable. It's unfortunate. I have had my email settings here on ActiveRain set to notify me of comments on existing blog posts from day one. Today I turned them off. 

ActiveRain comment spam

spam comments

 

 

 

Comments (24)

Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

Well, I obviously haven't written here in a long, long time, so those comments are few and far between. :)

Jul 14, 2011 06:37 AM
Kerrie La Guardia
ActiveRain, Community Manager - Kirkland, WA
Let it Rain!

I am just as fed up with these spammers as you are Jeff.  We do our best to filter them out and block them but it's a business for them and they just will not stop.

One thing you can do, is to uncheck the "Allow Non-Member Comments" box under your Settings tab.  This will drastically reduce the amount of spam you receive.

Jul 14, 2011 06:39 AM
Sharon Lord
Maracay Homes - Peoria, AZ
New Home Advisor

Jeff -  I guess my blog just isn't as popular as yours with the spammers....I haven't hand ANY recently!  Wonder how/why they pick the ones they do....?

Jul 14, 2011 06:43 AM
Maria Morton
Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Jeff, I had to stop allowing non-member comments due to this problem. Unfortunate but necessary.

Jul 14, 2011 06:47 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

Sharon, consider yourself lucky. And, Maria and Kerrie, turning off just non-member commenting is fine for someone like me who may not be trying to attract consumers, but not a great option for real estate agents. In my opinion. 

Jul 14, 2011 06:55 AM
Lee & Pamela St. Peter
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC
Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

   Jeff, I'm with Sharon, I get the occasional...  on another note made me smile to see you show up on my blog roll.  Don't stay away so long. 

You're missed here in the RAIN!
Pamela

Jul 14, 2011 10:18 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Jeff

Amen, bro. I can't tell you how many spam comments I have gotten recently. In one week I had hundreds, and I finally turned off the non-member comments for the first time in years. It's back on and things were good for a bit but getting worse again. I find it hard to believe there is nothing that can be done. And I see spam on many many other posts.

The problem with turning off non-member comments is potentially losing the consumer interaction. Not good IMO. Is Akismet an option? It works well on Wordpress

Jeff

Jul 14, 2011 05:04 PM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate
Put if you report them you get 10 points, Jeff!!! Said with a big grin on my face.
Jul 15, 2011 12:18 AM
Jeremy Blanton
Myrtle Beach Homes Blog - Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach REALTOR®- myrtlebeachhomesblog.com

Missy- *like*

Jul 15, 2011 02:43 AM
Susan Brown
Keller Williams NE, Kingwood Texas (Humble & Atascocita too) - Kingwood, TX

I am getting so many of those darn things too!   I'm glad to see I'm not alone.

 

Jul 27, 2011 06:04 AM
Bob Force (REALTOR®)
Weichert Realtors - Aspen Hill - Mount Airy, MD
The FORCE in Maryland Real Estate

Ijust recently got hit too.  It was the same message on several posts, one new and the other old.

Jul 28, 2011 06:12 PM
Nina Rogoff
Boston, MA
Wix Websites for Real Estate Agents

I'm sick of them, too. They all seem to be stupid comments about hiring someone to write essays for you! Maybe AR needs to make it so that you have to register as a "commenting member" before you can leave any kind of comment. Then they could monitor new member comments until determined that the person is legit. I belong to several listservs that moderate new members. It works to keep out the spammers.

 

Jul 30, 2011 03:07 PM
Debbie Small
Long & Foster Realtors - Martinsburg, WV
REALTOR

The spam postings had slowed down for awhile, but here we go again. I know I haven't posted in awhile, so can't imagine what some of the heavy bloggers are going through.

Sep 06, 2011 06:08 AM
Sheila Newton Team Anderson & Greenville SC
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - C. Dan Joyner - Anderson, SC
Selling the Upstate since 1989

wow.. i had almost a hundred this morning.. and I do go in and report them all and then delete... however, i never get 10 points anymore.. used to.. maybe they don't give points for that anymore.?

I don't want to turn off non member comments but may be forced to if this continues. it is usually gibberish and looks bad if left on as a comment IMO.

Oct 05, 2011 05:17 AM
Garreth Wilcock
Sherlock Homes Frisco - Frisco, TX
Sherlock Homes Frisco

asfasfasfasdfadfa

 

Only kidding. I'm seeing hundreds of spam comments in the last weekend, and it's driving me nuts. I'm wondering what's in it for the spammers? Does it discredit a post and elevate a rival post if the former is spammed to buggery?

Oct 17, 2011 07:22 AM
Kevin Mackessy
Blue Olive Properties, LLC - Highlands Ranch, CO
Dedicated. Qualified. Local.

What was the content of the spam messages?  Just automated responses with generic content?  Multiple postings of identical content by the same poster?  Just wondering as I have yet to see any spam, nor realize it was a problem.  Although the accounts with several hundred thousand points are likely more susceptible than I.

Jul 05, 2012 05:05 AM
Mike Young
203kOnLine.com, covering the USA - Stallings, NC
FHA 203k Consultant 916-758-1809

I have received a few on my other blogs but not too bad with ActiveRain blog. 

Aug 31, 2013 06:07 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

There are many changed on AR since 2011. There is much much less spam these days.

 

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