: National attention…Stop blog SPAM…
Over the past two months, I’ve noticed and deleted perhaps four blog spam advertisements from my comments section. They’ve been either pornography or pharmacy ads. Over the weekend, I received and deleted seven spams (see below).
Using Sam Spade 1.14, I was able to track down the owner of one of the domains (phentermine-rx-store.com). I have sent an abuse complaint to the ISP from which the spam was posted. I sent e-mail to the domain owner. And I called the company’s 800 number and left a pointed message for the manager.
How much of this is going on?
I will volunteer my site as a clearing house for blog spam information. Send me IP numbers, domain names, e-mail addresses, and 800 numbers of offenders. I’ll create a web page for this and keep a running tally so we can pool IP numbers for banning and other information for later, perhaps more drastic, action if needed.
UPDATE (3:08 p.m.): Here’s a possible solution from Jay Allen. This solution requires implementing 3 MT plug-ins. It looks very difficult. I’m just not sure I want to risk it. Take a look and tell me what you think.
UPDATE (4:05 p.m.): Jay Allen has left a comment scolding me for saying his solution is difficult. I should have qualified my remarks. The procedure looks difficult to me. But, after considering his comment, I have decided to try it. I’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE (4:37 p.m.): Okay, I’ve just installed the 3 MT plug-ins, and I am pleased (embarrassed) to report that it was very easy.
UPDATE (5:42 p.m.): I have completed the task. I did not add the code to the preview function because I did not understand the directions–entirely my own limitations. I’m going to text it now on this entry.
UPDATE (6:15 p.m.): The first two tests of the system failed. I must go back and check everything. This will take a little time. I’ll continue to report here even if this process takes more than one day.
UPDATE (9:50 p.m.): My first three tests have failed, i.e. I posted comments with “banned” URLs and the comments appeared. As I understand it, they are not supposed to appear. I have been though the directions several times now over the past three hours. I am unable to make Jay Allen’s script work. I have sent him e-mail asking for help. I’ll keep you posted.
Earlier, I said I thought this looked very difficult. From the pleased comments on Allen’s web site (see above), it appears many people have made this work. From the tone/content of the messages, I assume these folks have a lot more experience with scripts than I do. If any non-techie blogger reading Rhetorica is able to make this work, please let me know. Thanks.
BLOG SPAM
Andrew Cline is on a crusade against what he terms “blog spam,” advertisements that are placed in blog comments sections. Using Sam Spade 1.14, I…
Liz Lawley at Mamamusings has a “plug-in” solution for MT users. I’ve been getting 1-2 comment spammers a month, which I usually just delete (and with MT, block their IP address). It’s one of the dark sides of having a high page rank.
I had a few political blog spammers who were leaving anti-Clark articles sans comments on an entry I wrote about him, so I simply closed off comments for that entry b/c they weren’t commenting themselves, and it was starting to get annoying.
Tracked down the “mamamusings” blog, contacted Liz Lawley, and got the URL for that plug-in. It’s:
http://mamamusings.net/archives/2003/09/28/jay_allens_comment_spam_solution.php
Joe– thanks for that link!
Well, I took a look at the Jay Allen solution.
http://www.jayallen.org/journey/2003/09/killing_comment_spam_dead
Geez. It makes me tired just thinking about doing what he suggests. Has anyone done this successfully? How did it go?
The process requires implementing 3 MT plug-ins.
It’s NOT difficult. You see, this is the problem with writing something up fully… People always look at the length and think it’s too much. Yet, if you dont write it up fully, then you have to answer questions for two months afterwards…
You install three plugins (which are extremely useful ANYWAY). You make two template modules and copy and paste the code I provided.
Then, you add a few lines to whatever templates hold your comments.
Rinse, lather and repeat. Geez… Or you can wait, be inundated with more and more spam until eventually I get around to making the whole thing a plugin…
Up to you. But in any case, there is NO work after you set it up aside from adding a domain here and there to the blacklist template module.
Good luck.
Jay– I appreciate your exasperation with me as well as your complete instructions. But it is not the completeness of your instructions that’s the problem for me–I am, after all, an “expert” reader
Rather, this requires installing three plug-ins that require invasive procedures that make me exceedingly nervous. My problem entirely.
I’m sure more technically savvy people will have no problem with this. For me, I’ll have to work up the gumption–kinda like the ol’ run and go.
Let me say again that I do appreciate what you’ve done here. And, let me encourage you to write that plug-in–you’d be doing the blogging world a great favor.
Ah-ha! A plugin newbie… Well, consider this a wonderful welcome to the powerful world of plugins. Believe me, once you start using them, you won’t stop. They are the best thing to come out of Movable Type since Movable Type.
Anyway, the “scolding” was an unfortunate result of you being the final web page that said it was too hard. What I SHOULD have done is write nice notes all along, but instead I swallowed it and finally burst all over your comments. I apologize…
I created an abriged version of the instructions that are far less intimidating for those who have trouble withthe size of the original post. Unfortunately, I can do nothing about the plugin requirement.
Jay– No offense taken. I’m working on it now. And thanks!
This is spam blocking test #2. Test #1 failed; the spam posted.
commentspammer.com
commentspammer.com
Weblog Spam
What should be done to companies like Viagra who is owned by Pfizer that pay individuals to produce spam originally in the form of email and now in the form of Weblog comment spam. The question becomes why does this…
Why am I being hit so hard? I get 1-2 per day and sometimes as many as FIFTY in a week, and my traffic isn’t that high. I recently attempted to contact one of the companies and got shat upon in return – the four e-mails exchanged are up on my site at present.
Public Record, part two
Well. So much for my pleas being taken seriously: Original Message From: PhMS Award Editors To: Lisha Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 12:14 AM Subject: Re: Request Actually, I believe blogging should be made a crime, so I…
I was getting a whole ream of spam emails to my old blog, ’till I started banning IPs.
Ban list (all of these were comment spammers):
213.206.5.*
24.205.145.*
62.42.228.*
219.95.14.*
209.210.176.*
80.58.14.*
I wouldn’t normally use the asterisks unless necessary, but it’s not an active blog, so I didn’t worry too much about being overly generous on the banning.
With that list, the last spammed posting I saw was October 13th. However, I’m not sure if that’s because of the ban list, or because I was diligent in scraping that shit off the pages (reducing the ad value of it), or because they realized that it’s not an active blog and not getting huge heaps of traffic.
You can stop blog spam. Go here:
http://rhetorica.net/blogspam.htm
boysfirsttime
mikesapartment
welivetogether
bignaturals
topshelfpussy
inthevip-sex
milfhunter
cumfiesta
Milf Hunter
Big Naturals
We live together
Cum Fiesta
In the vip
Mikes Apartment
Boys First Time
Top shelf pussy
Tranny Surprise
Street Blow Jobs
8th Street Latinas
Captain Stabbin
Tranny Surprise
Street Blow Jobs
8th Street Latinas
Captain Stabbin
Ty skurwysynu You will die
All new the best sports betting out there!!
Blog spam is very difficult to stop. But you can stop blog abuse. There won’t be an automated solution though. Look how many years it took to develop spam filters, it’ll be here for a while.
Also, there is no point sending emails any more to abuse desks. Most of them don’t give a darn as long as it is not uce. They will humor you though. You are just pissing away your own time. That’s been my experience..