Comments on: Spam With a Human Touch http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/ better communication makes the complex simple Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:10:07 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Monica Willyard http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1493 Monica Willyard Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:05:02 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1493 Thanks for posting about this issue. It's been on my mind, and I haven't known how to deal with it. I'm heading over to the WordPress site to get the plugin and to learn a little more about spam control for my blog. Thanks for posting about this issue. It’s been on my mind, and I haven’t known how to deal with it. I’m heading over to the WordPress site to get the plugin and to learn a little more about spam control for my blog.

]]> By: Allan Jenkins http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1398 Allan Jenkins Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:47:20 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1398 I freely and happily kill any comment that looks like spam... but I send a note to the commenter: "I appreciate your comment. Unfortunately, the link you gave seems to be a spam/scraper/whatever site (I fill in the blank). If I am wrong, just respost the comment with a link to your own site (or no link at all, if you don't have one). I've done that about 50 times in the last couple of months and have NEVER had anyone follow up. Allan I freely and happily kill any comment that looks like spam… but I send a note to the commenter: “I appreciate your comment. Unfortunately, the link you gave seems to be a spam/scraper/whatever site (I fill in the blank). If I am wrong, just respost the comment with a link to your own site (or no link at all, if you don’t have one).

I’ve done that about 50 times in the last couple of months and have NEVER had anyone follow up.

Allan

]]> By: Ike http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1397 Ike Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:38:21 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1397 No, intent is not more important, but it does become a factor. Had Chayah just made a comment about the importance of delegating work, or how underrated a skill it truly was, there wouldn't be much of an issue. But looking at the comment, and the rather blatant use of the url, and the almost-but-not-quite ad copy inserted -- it makes you wonder. Big yeah for transparency. But it's clear she was seeking more value from me than she was giving to the rest of you. No, intent is not more important, but it does become a factor.

Had Chayah just made a comment about the importance of delegating work, or how underrated a skill it truly was, there wouldn’t be much of an issue. But looking at the comment, and the rather blatant use of the url, and the almost-but-not-quite ad copy inserted — it makes you wonder.

Big yeah for transparency. But it’s clear she was seeking more value from me than she was giving to the rest of you.

]]> By: Mike Driehorst http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1396 Mike Driehorst Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:28:11 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1396 Ike, So, intent is more important than the outcome or result (forgetting about the link love/search engines results for the human spammers for a moment)? -- Mike Ike,
So, intent is more important than the outcome or result (forgetting about the link love/search engines results for the human spammers for a moment)?
– Mike

]]> By: Ike http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1395 Ike Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:16:32 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1395 John, you do raise an interesting issue. It's not so much the quantum of value added, as the vector of the intent. For instance, you tracked over here from Twitter. You already interact with me on a number of platforms and levels. Dropping in to say "Thanks!" doesn't trip any alarms for me, because you didn't seek me out based on just that content. In the example I give above, we're talking about someone that most likely never would have come to Occam's RazR until I used a keyword that fit their business profile. (A post that - including the title - only had 19 words.) That's not natural traffic, and it's most likely not someone who would hang around beyond leaving the egg to hatch. John, you do raise an interesting issue. It’s not so much the quantum of value added, as the vector of the intent.

For instance, you tracked over here from Twitter. You already interact with me on a number of platforms and levels.

Dropping in to say “Thanks!” doesn’t trip any alarms for me, because you didn’t seek me out based on just that content.

In the example I give above, we’re talking about someone that most likely never would have come to Occam’s RazR until I used a keyword that fit their business profile. (A post that – including the title – only had 19 words.) That’s not natural traffic, and it’s most likely not someone who would hang around beyond leaving the egg to hatch.

]]> By: Mike D, MikesPoints.com world-infamous blog http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1394 Mike D, MikesPoints.com world-infamous blog Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:47:42 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1394 I dunno. Maybe commenters who spam but leave somewhat thoughtful comments are really nice people -- simply "with a job to do." ;) -Mike, MikesPoints.com blog I dunno. Maybe commenters who spam but leave somewhat thoughtful comments are really nice people — simply “with a job to do.”
;)

-Mike, MikesPoints.com blog

]]> By: John Johansen http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1393 John Johansen Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:30:36 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1393 This is a very timely post. I've been thinking to myself lately that I should at least leave a short comment after reading blog posts to let the writer know that I was here and interested in what they had to say. Where I start having doubts is if that's useful without having something to contribute to the topic. I'm not looking to add spam to anyone's site, just let them know that I appreciate their take. I hope that the difference can be seen in my sincerity vs. the examples Lee gave of commenters who, while positive, may not really have cared about the content. This is a very timely post. I’ve been thinking to myself lately that I should at least leave a short comment after reading blog posts to let the writer know that I was here and interested in what they had to say.

Where I start having doubts is if that’s useful without having something to contribute to the topic.

I’m not looking to add spam to anyone’s site, just let them know that I appreciate their take. I hope that the difference can be seen in my sincerity vs. the examples Lee gave of commenters who, while positive, may not really have cared about the content.

]]> By: Mike Driehorst http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-1392 Mike Driehorst Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:13:15 +0000 http://occamsrazr.com/2008/03/06/spam-with-a-human-touch/#comment-1392 Ike, While Chayah's comment does seem more spam than contributing to the post, it's a good effort! For the ones you and I Twittered about this week (Julie/Jen), I'm going to let them slide, unless they start to increase. If the comment actually contributes to the discussion, I'll give 'em some link love. If it doesn't in my humble judgement, it's gone. It's random and subjective, but that's my policy. Mike Ike,
While Chayah’s comment does seem more spam than contributing to the post, it’s a good effort!

For the ones you and I Twittered about this week (Julie/Jen), I’m going to let them slide, unless they start to increase.

If the comment actually contributes to the discussion, I’ll give ‘em some link love. If it doesn’t in my humble judgement, it’s gone. It’s random and subjective, but that’s my policy.
Mike

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