Anyone who owns and operates a blog or an on line message forum knows this. Who are these “spammers” I’m talking about? We generally think of spam as unsolicited (junk) email coming into our email mailboxes. That is certainly spam, but it is not the only kind.
Let me explain about the kind of spammer that plagues blogs and message boards. I have both a blog (you’re reading it right now) and a message forum on my Web site. I invite site visitors to join and contribute to my Web site message board. Likewise, when I post an article on this blog, I invite comments from readers. The kind of comments I invite are those which make sensible, even if contrary, points which add to the value of the discussion on the message board or to an article on the blog.
Spammers do not contribute to a message forum or a blog. They add messages for only one purpose. That is to publicize their own business ventures. Well, what’s wrong with being able to publicize a business venture? Nothing if it is a desirable business venture but spammers are not involved in desirable and legitimate business ventures. The products and “services” they promote are not those things we really want to buy. We certainly don’t want to patronize the products and services of merchants who engage in shady business practices.
That aside, the ONLY reason they join message forums or post a comment on a blog is to create exposure for their own business venture links. As a result, the actual value of their own comments and posts are of no value at all. They often post what is best described as “boiler plate” messages. In other words, message phrases or statements which they use for all posts on all blogs or message forums they attempt to post on.
Apparently they believe that most bloggers or Web site message forum administrators either do not pay attention to the messages put on their boards or believe the comments to be of a legitimate purpose. Perhaps there are a few un-moderated boards spam messages can slip onto un-noticed and unchallenged. This is not one such blog. Neither is my Web site message forum. I know every time anyone attempts to place a comment here on this blog and I know every time a message is sent to my message forum. Before any comments or replies can appear here on this blog I have to approve them. Do the spammers really believe I will fall for their attempts? Apparently they do for they keep trying.
Like I said, spammers aren’t very smart.
Dan W. Dooley
Dooley’s Treasure Chest
