Comments on: The Spread of Spam http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/ Content Theft, Plagiarism, Copyright Infringement Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:12:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jonathan Baileyhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-112032 Jonathan Bailey Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:43:25 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-112032 <a href="#comment-110674" rel="nofollow">@Dr. Mike Wendell</a> - I've read and replied to your original post so I don't have much to say. However, those were the honest results of my test. I've never said that there is no spam on WordPress.com, just that it is far lower than on other sites, such as Blogspot.I doubt that there is a way to run a free blogging service without having a spam problem... @Dr. Mike Wendell -
I’ve read and replied to your original post so I don’t have much to say. However, those were the honest results of my test. I’ve never said that there is no spam on WordPress.com, just that it is far lower than on other sites, such as Blogspot.

I doubt that there is a way to run a free blogging service without having a spam problem…

]]> By: Jonathan Baileyhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-121668 Jonathan Bailey Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:43:25 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-121668 <a href="#comment-110674" rel="nofollow">@Dr. Mike Wendell</a> -<br>I've read and replied to your original post so I don't have much to say. However, those were the honest results of my test. I've never said that there is no spam on <a href="http://WordPress.com">WordPress.com</a>, just that it is far lower than on other sites, such as Blogspot. <br><br>I doubt that there is a way to run a free blogging service without having a spam problem... @Dr. Mike Wendell -
I’ve read and replied to your original post so I don’t have much to say. However, those were the honest results of my test. I’ve never said that there is no spam on WordPress.com, just that it is far lower than on other sites, such as Blogspot.

I doubt that there is a way to run a free blogging service without having a spam problem…

]]> By: Dr. Mike Wendellhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-110674 Dr. Mike Wendell Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:18:02 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-110674 Only 1 questionable on wordpress.com? That seems low to me. I found just under 100 on Sunday in about an hour using Goolge's blogsearch and a few common terms typical of splogs. (ie Make money fast, the domains that cj.com use, etc.)I've reported them but as of right now, they're all still online. Only 1 questionable on wordpress.com? That seems low to me. I found just under 100 on Sunday in about an hour using Goolge’s blogsearch and a few common terms typical of splogs. (ie Make money fast, the domains that cj.com use, etc.)

I’ve reported them but as of right now, they’re all still online.

]]> By: Dr. Mike Wendellhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-121667 Dr. Mike Wendell Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:18:02 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-121667 Only 1 questionable on wordpress.com? That seems low to me. I found just under 100 on Sunday in about an hour using Goolge's blogsearch and a few common terms typical of splogs. (ie Make money fast, the domains that <a href="http://cj.com">cj.com</a> use, etc.)<br><br>I've reported them but as of right now, they're all still online. Only 1 questionable on wordpress.com? That seems low to me. I found just under 100 on Sunday in about an hour using Goolge’s blogsearch and a few common terms typical of splogs. (ie Make money fast, the domains that cj.com use, etc.)

I’ve reported them but as of right now, they’re all still online.

]]> By: Jonathan Baileyhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-93920 Jonathan Bailey Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:00:35 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-93920 Voyagerfan: To pass on some immortal advice from my father, just take the compliment and run, lets not argue numbers! I have no idea what is considered popular anymore. I'm certain many readers of this site have blogs that are far more popular than it.There are a lot of things Google could to to make this problem easier, but at this point it's going to require a major shift in how Blogspot operates to have any major impact. I don't see that happening any time soon.But yes, a real domain name, a real WP/MovableType install and a good professional layout, rather than one of Blogger's defaults, will go a long way.Google Groups is insane. I've hit a point that I just ignore anything from groups.google.com. I haven't seen anything legitimate there in months.Out of curiosity, which comment tracker were you using? I use co.mments.com myself... Voyagerfan: To pass on some immortal advice from my father, just take the compliment and run, lets not argue numbers! I have no idea what is considered popular anymore. I’m certain many readers of this site have blogs that are far more popular than it.

There are a lot of things Google could to to make this problem easier, but at this point it’s going to require a major shift in how Blogspot operates to have any major impact. I don’t see that happening any time soon.

But yes, a real domain name, a real WP/MovableType install and a good professional layout, rather than one of Blogger’s defaults, will go a long way.

Google Groups is insane. I’ve hit a point that I just ignore anything from groups.google.com. I haven’t seen anything legitimate there in months.

Out of curiosity, which comment tracker were you using? I use co.mments.com myself…

]]> By: Jonathan Baileyhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-121666 Jonathan Bailey Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:00:35 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-121666 Voyagerfan: To pass on some immortal advice from my father, just take the compliment and run, lets not argue numbers! I have no idea what is considered popular anymore. I'm certain many readers of this site have blogs that are far more popular than it.<br><br>There are a lot of things Google could to to make this problem easier, but at this point it's going to require a major shift in how Blogspot operates to have any major impact. I don't see that happening any time soon. <br><br>But yes, a real domain name, a real WP/MovableType install and a good professional layout, rather than one of Blogger's defaults, will go a long way.<br><br>Google Groups is insane. I've hit a point that I just ignore anything from <a href="http://groups.google.com">groups.google.com</a>. I haven't seen anything legitimate there in months.<br><br>Out of curiosity, which comment tracker were you using? I use <a href="http://co.mments.com">co.mments.com</a> myself... Voyagerfan: To pass on some immortal advice from my father, just take the compliment and run, lets not argue numbers! I have no idea what is considered popular anymore. I’m certain many readers of this site have blogs that are far more popular than it.

There are a lot of things Google could to to make this problem easier, but at this point it’s going to require a major shift in how Blogspot operates to have any major impact. I don’t see that happening any time soon.

But yes, a real domain name, a real WP/MovableType install and a good professional layout, rather than one of Blogger’s defaults, will go a long way.

Google Groups is insane. I’ve hit a point that I just ignore anything from groups.google.com. I haven’t seen anything legitimate there in months.

Out of curiosity, which comment tracker were you using? I use co.mments.com myself…

]]> By: Voyagerfan5761http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-93856 Voyagerfan5761 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:09:57 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-93856 Spreading butter around is usually a good thing because it gives a more uniform taste to your toast. Spreading spam around just makes the world a more annoying place to Internet. I am happy to be considered one of those "few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot" you consider legitimate. (Does 1,400 visits a month count as popular? I'm not so sure... But I appreciate the compliment. :-) )If Google were to spend more time actively looking for splogs, or make it easier to flag a blog as spam (the navbar, with its button, is altogether too easy to hide), or even tighten the ToS so splogs are less legitimate under the rules of the hosting site... The world would probably be a better place for it.All the more reason to get myself a real domain name, I guess. If I do that, I can start putting other services on it as well; custom domains seem to be the latest trend in free amenities.Google Groups does seem to have a large amount of spam going on, too. It's gotten to the point of being ridiculous.PS: Yes, I know it's been days since the last comment, but the comment tracker I use has apparently been slacking on its checks lately... Grr... Spreading butter around is usually a good thing because it gives a more uniform taste to your toast. Spreading spam around just makes the world a more annoying place to Internet. I am happy to be considered one of those “few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot” you consider legitimate. (Does 1,400 visits a month count as popular? I’m not so sure… But I appreciate the compliment. :-) )

If Google were to spend more time actively looking for splogs, or make it easier to flag a blog as spam (the navbar, with its button, is altogether too easy to hide), or even tighten the ToS so splogs are less legitimate under the rules of the hosting site… The world would probably be a better place for it.

All the more reason to get myself a real domain name, I guess. If I do that, I can start putting other services on it as well; custom domains seem to be the latest trend in free amenities.

Google Groups does seem to have a large amount of spam going on, too. It’s gotten to the point of being ridiculous.

PS:
Yes, I know it’s been days since the last comment, but the comment tracker I use has apparently been slacking on its checks lately… Grr…

]]> By: Voyagerfan5761http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-121665 Voyagerfan5761 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:09:57 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-121665 Spreading butter around is usually a good thing because it gives a more uniform taste to your toast. Spreading spam around just makes the world a more annoying place to Internet. I am happy to be considered one of those "few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot" you consider legitimate. (Does 1,400 visits a month count as popular? I'm not so sure... But I appreciate the compliment. :-) )<br><br>If Google were to spend more time actively looking for splogs, or make it easier to flag a blog as spam (the navbar, with its button, is altogether too easy to hide), or even tighten the ToS so splogs are less legitimate under the rules of the hosting site... The world would probably be a better place for it.<br><br>All the more reason to get myself a real domain name, I guess. If I do that, I can start putting other services on it as well; custom domains seem to be the latest trend in free amenities.<br><br>Google Groups does seem to have a large amount of spam going on, too. It's gotten to the point of being ridiculous.<br><br>PS:<br>Yes, I know it's been days since the last comment, but the comment tracker I use has apparently been slacking on its checks lately... Grr... Spreading butter around is usually a good thing because it gives a more uniform taste to your toast. Spreading spam around just makes the world a more annoying place to Internet. I am happy to be considered one of those “few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot” you consider legitimate. (Does 1,400 visits a month count as popular? I’m not so sure… But I appreciate the compliment. :-) )

If Google were to spend more time actively looking for splogs, or make it easier to flag a blog as spam (the navbar, with its button, is altogether too easy to hide), or even tighten the ToS so splogs are less legitimate under the rules of the hosting site… The world would probably be a better place for it.

All the more reason to get myself a real domain name, I guess. If I do that, I can start putting other services on it as well; custom domains seem to be the latest trend in free amenities.

Google Groups does seem to have a large amount of spam going on, too. It’s gotten to the point of being ridiculous.

PS:
Yes, I know it’s been days since the last comment, but the comment tracker I use has apparently been slacking on its checks lately… Grr…

]]> By: Jonathan Baileyhttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-92603 Jonathan Bailey Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:51:14 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-92603 Forrest: Reading the comments from the black hat seo types, there does appear to be at least some benefit from having an edu domain.You are right though that the vast majority are coming from other domains. I'm seeing a lot of items from Weebly, Google Groups and your usual Blogspot crowd. It still seems that the "soft" targets are the ones being targeted the most because it is still a battle of quantity over quality.I seriously doubt that the number ever got up to 93% but you are right that the perception was/is there. Right now, other than Voyagerfan, I can only think of a few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot that I would consider popular and legitimate. Even among the legitimate bloggers, it seems to be favored by sex bloggers due to the lack of adult content restrictions.It truly is the perfect site for spam isn't it? Forrest: Reading the comments from the black hat seo types, there does appear to be at least some benefit from having an edu domain.

You are right though that the vast majority are coming from other domains. I’m seeing a lot of items from Weebly, Google Groups and your usual Blogspot crowd. It still seems that the “soft” targets are the ones being targeted the most because it is still a battle of quantity over quality.

I seriously doubt that the number ever got up to 93% but you are right that the perception was/is there. Right now, other than Voyagerfan, I can only think of a few blogs that are hosted on Blogspot that I would consider popular and legitimate. Even among the legitimate bloggers, it seems to be favored by sex bloggers due to the lack of adult content restrictions.

It truly is the perfect site for spam isn’t it?

]]> By: Forresthttp://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/comment-page-1/#comment-92598 Forrest Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:53:37 +0000 http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/03/04/the-spread-of-spam/#comment-92598 I've noticed a lot of .edu spam myself lately. Whether it's true or not, there's a perception that they get special loving treatment from search enginesBut that's a drop in the bucket compared to the flood of comment and trackback spam I seem to attract. Today a comment got past Akismet from a sex blog on a legit seeming domain. The comment itself was questionable, so I had a look at the site. What's interesting, to me at least, is that the text wasn't just stolen from somewhere else, like a lot of the trackback spam I get; it was pure gibberish. Almost certainly created by "content generator" software. This is a lot less irritating than someone stealing my work ... if it would just stay out of my corner of the network, I'd be happy.Personally, I've read reports suggesting as many as 93 % of the blogs hosted on blogspot are spam. This always seemed a little shrill ... again, with that <i>perception</i>, I'm not surprised they're cracking down and causing a mass exodus. I’ve noticed a lot of .edu spam myself lately. Whether it’s true or not, there’s a perception that they get special loving treatment from search engines

But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the flood of comment and trackback spam I seem to attract. Today a comment got past Akismet from a sex blog on a legit seeming domain. The comment itself was questionable, so I had a look at the site. What’s interesting, to me at least, is that the text wasn’t just stolen from somewhere else, like a lot of the trackback spam I get; it was pure gibberish. Almost certainly created by “content generator” software. This is a lot less irritating than someone stealing my work … if it would just stay out of my corner of the network, I’d be happy.

Personally, I’ve read reports suggesting as many as 93 % of the blogs hosted on blogspot are spam. This always seemed a little shrill … again, with that perception, I’m not surprised they’re cracking down and causing a mass exodus.

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