My Daily Dose Of Spam

Want to get more comment spam on your blog? 

Well then may I suggest that you post a quiet little tale about an evening at an Italian restaurant and a visit to the zoo.  A post like this one that I wrote on Friday, for instance.

And for good measure, in your blog post be sure to mention Bourbon + uppity sheep.  Because, apparently, it’s this combo that gets comment spammers interested in your sweet little bloggy. 

Or so it seems.

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To me the fascinating thing about comment spam is that some of it is rather thoughtful and pleasant.  As if someone I know really cared about what I had to say and then took the time to post a comment.

  • I could watch Schindler’s List and still be happy after reading this.
  • Great hammer of Thor, that is powerfully helpful!
  • Unbelievable how well-written and informative this was.
  • So that’s the case?  Quite a revelation that is.
  • You put the lime in the coconut and drink the article up.
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Pity spammers aren’t sincere because what blogger wouldn’t enjoy seeing such unique comments underneath his or her blog post?  Makes me wonder why comment spammers do what they do.

My guess is that they are clever and misguided individuals with too much time on their hands– looking to make a quick buck [somehow?] from someone else’s work.  Not really my type of people.

But you have to admit that sometimes they’re kind of funny.

19 thoughts on “My Daily Dose Of Spam

  1. Typepad has done a good job keeping out comment spam but every once in a while one sneaks through. I deleted one this morning that was left by a website apparently selling leather jackets. I didn’t go there to find out. It said, “So fun article is! I know more from it.” The broken English always cracks me up.

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  2. Your spammers are quite eloquent! Mine are generally rubbish and not very entertaining, apart from one I might have told you about before who said he hadn’t understood the subject prior to reading my article but was now getting the dangle of it. I think he might have meant hang of it. So funny, it kept me smiling for a while. This morning, four out of four comments were spam, so disappointing.

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  3. Polly, many of my spam comments are complete gibberish– which is why when I found 5 in a row that made sense, I was surprised. And wondered what I’d written that caused them to appear.

    I know what you mean about being disappointed. You see that you have comments and think: “oh good.” And then you read what is there and think: “oh botheration.”

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  4. Wow, those are some creatively flattering spam comments. I had noticed an increase in flattery in my spam comments, but yours are more colorful.

    I hadn’t checked my spam box in a while, and now I see a new trend: troll spam. I have a good dozen or so comments along this line:
    “This is pointless, why am I even reading it and not enjoying ? I should learn to spend my time better.”
    “Seriously? This post is mediocre in my opinion, just like . I know you can do better :)”

    I liked the flattery better.

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  5. alejna, they are flattering comments. Oddly vague, but creative nonetheless.

    Weird that you’re getting troll spam. That’s a new one. What would be the point of that? To get you to click on their link because you are angry? And then what?

    That’s just plain stupid… pointless & mediocre. 😉

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  6. HAHA ok – SO when I saw that this post was about Spam, guess where my mind went? Shouldn’t be too hard. I was trying to SO hard to figure out how spam, bourbon and going to the zoo related. I felt lost. DUH!! OK… don’t judge me 😉

    Anyway, I haven’t really encountered much in the way of comment spam, but what I have encountered are some comments that are pretty hateful and hurtful, regarding the fact that this anon. person thinks food bloggers are wasteful and terrible humans. I have had to delete, breathe and move on. Really makes me sad sometimes.

    Anyway, on the 16th, you’ll have to tune back in for the BK review 😉 I actually have to go seek one out too… I know where there’s a Wendy’s, a Mickies, a Taco Cabana, a Taco Bell, a Jack in the box, a chick-fil-a, a panda express…. a sonic..a church’s, popeye’s, kfc…. I know where there’s a dominos, pizza hut, lil Caesars… and papa johns…. i just can’t place where BK is…

    I did search for one on the restaurant locator on their site, and found 2 in the town next over. They better still be there!

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  7. I am tempted now and then to edit the comment spam so I can remove the links and trackbacks and then post it. Most of it is pretty funny. What I don’t understand is how they think they’re fooling anyone.

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  8. Katie, you’ve given me my laugh for the day. Sorry to confuse you with the title and the bourbon and all. I can see where YOU would go to the food angle of things.

    You’ve received troll comments about being a food blogger? That astounds me. Haters gotta hate, I guess. But still… sorry.

    Now that you’ve done all this research re: BK I feel like I should do the same. Here I sit waiting for you to take on the monumental challenge of eating free fries all by yourself. Don’t mean to burden you with that!

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  9. Zazamataz, they’re not fooling anyone, but what do they get out of it? That’s what I can’t quite figure out. Me? I get a few laughs and then the opportunity to use my DELETE key.

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  10. Ha! I just spent the last 10 minutes composing a “witty” comment on my new iPad (that I am still clearly learning to use) and then somehow I deleted it! Ha, maybe your blog is filtering out “witty” comments as spam if they aren’t witty enough! Anyway, great post as always! 🙂

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  11. Kristen, witty spam is a perfect name for what I’ve been receiving of late. Sorry you and your iPad aren’t seeing eye-to-eye yet. I’m not a natural born techie so I understand how frustrating it can be to have a new piece of technology. Still, I wouldn’t mind having an iPad… you lucky duck.

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  12. Margaret, years ago when I was on Typepad I got very little comment spam, but lots of anonymous trolls. So this time I went with WordPress and have the reverse. If it’s not one thing, it’s another here in the blogosphere.

    Melisa, yes, isn’t it wonderful that comment spammers think that I’m helpful?! And agreed re: spam blockers. They’re the best.

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    • Yes, it’s running. But I still get some dubious messages which are automatically directed to a file where I can double check them for spam– or to see if a real person’s comment has accidentally gotten caught in the system.

      All of it really is no big deal. Just another step in my blogging day!

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