Comments on: Some blog spam cases you might want to watch for http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss WordPress, web development, and world domination. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:00:23 +0000 hourly 1 By: Oturia http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-170825 Oturia Tue, 11 May 2010 22:52:56 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-170825 Our site is done on WordPress, as our most of our clients’ sites, so Askimet helps, but you are right, inevitably spammy comments will make their way through. I’m finding that people are getting more creative with their templated comments and it is making it harder to identify them. One of the more recent ones I received was: “I am using the same template that you are using for your site, but mine loads so much slower than yours despite the fact that you have considerably more multimedia than mine”. Seems like a valid comment, but the fact of the matter was that it was on a site I had just developed with only one “Hello World” article and absolutely no other content to speak of. It would be nice to see some kind of comment network, like an integration of WordPress or Gravatar, that forces users to login in order to post a comment across the major blogging platforms (Blogger, WordPress, etc…). Commentors could be “graded” (like sellers on eBay). Commentors with X number of spammed comments would be banned, making a registered user ID useless after only a day or so of use. It wouldn’t stop spam (I really don’t think anything will) but it would make spamming blogs hosted on/with major platforms a real pain in the butt. Our site is done on WordPress, as our most of our clients’ sites, so Askimet helps, but you are right, inevitably spammy comments will make their way through.

I’m finding that people are getting more creative with their templated comments and it is making it harder to identify them. One of the more recent ones I received was:

“I am using the same template that you are using for your site, but mine loads so much slower than yours despite the fact that you have considerably more multimedia than mine”.

Seems like a valid comment, but the fact of the matter was that it was on a site I had just developed with only one “Hello World” article and absolutely no other content to speak of.

It would be nice to see some kind of comment network, like an integration of WordPress or Gravatar, that forces users to login in order to post a comment across the major blogging platforms (Blogger, WordPress, etc…). Commentors could be “graded” (like sellers on eBay). Commentors with X number of spammed comments would be banned, making a registered user ID useless after only a day or so of use.

It wouldn’t stop spam (I really don’t think anything will) but it would make spamming blogs hosted on/with major platforms a real pain in the butt.

]]> By: Debra Morgan http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-170130 Debra Morgan Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:34:00 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-170130 spam sux :( i get about 100 msg everyday... I know its sux... spam sux :( i get about 100 msg everyday… I know its sux…

]]> By: Simon http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-167839 Simon Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:40:55 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-167839 I would like to know what spam filter Gmail uses? It filters the spam accurately. I am also thinking of integrating my gmail account with my blog to filter spam. But I don't have any idea about it yet! Let me look out for it. I would like to know what spam filter Gmail uses? It filters the spam accurately. I am also thinking of integrating my gmail account with my blog to filter spam. But I don’t have any idea about it yet! Let me look out for it.

]]> By: Dan Bradstreet http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-164010 Dan Bradstreet Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:59:13 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-164010 I Had no Idea spam was so prevelant, I guess it's all about intent, If the person making the post or comment is trying to contribute or share information that might be helpfull than that post is acceptable I Had no Idea spam was so prevelant, I guess it’s all about intent, If the person making the post or comment is trying to contribute or share information that might be helpfull than that post is acceptable

]]> By: Dougal http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-144254 Dougal Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:25:31 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-144254 Yes, it's easy to fake the referrer. But I based that test on what I have actually been seeing in my logs. I was getting <em>a lot</em> of attempted comment posts without referrers. Pretty much all of the tests I do (the ones mentioned above, and others that I didn't discuss) are based on direct observation of activity on my server. Sometimes I see requests that are not obvious spam attempts, but are at best unfriendly crawlers (doesn't respect my robots.txt, sucks down page after page of archives, ignores errors, etc). When these start having a noticeable effect on my server, I'll manually flag those for firewall blocking. When an unfriendly client can no longer access your server at all, it really helps out with your system load. :) Yes, it’s easy to fake the referrer. But I based that test on what I have actually been seeing in my logs. I was getting a lot of attempted comment posts without referrers. Pretty much all of the tests I do (the ones mentioned above, and others that I didn’t discuss) are based on direct observation of activity on my server.

Sometimes I see requests that are not obvious spam attempts, but are at best unfriendly crawlers (doesn’t respect my robots.txt, sucks down page after page of archives, ignores errors, etc). When these start having a noticeable effect on my server, I’ll manually flag those for firewall blocking. When an unfriendly client can no longer access your server at all, it really helps out with your system load. :)

]]> By: USA-News http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-143824 USA-News Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:05:45 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-143824 By the way, posts to wp-comments-post.php without referrer variable it's very rare today. Even a most stupid coder can read documentation for curl, for example and put a fake referrer to GET request. The best solution in this case it's some sort of Captcha plug-in like mentioned by Gerald above. By the way, posts to wp-comments-post.php without referrer variable it’s very rare today. Even a most stupid coder can read documentation for curl, for example and put a fake referrer to GET request. The best solution in this case it’s some sort of Captcha plug-in like mentioned by Gerald above.

]]> By: Fitri ulina http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-131997 Fitri ulina Fri, 10 Nov 2006 04:19:48 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-131997 I Was 40 comment spam everyday I Was 40 comment spam everyday

]]> By: Mathieu http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-130100 Mathieu Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:29:47 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-130100 Ditto Marsha (2.) and Stephen (5.), Bad Behavior, Spam Karma and Askimet saved this particular blogger from giving up in disgust. I was fielding 2,000 spam comments a day and now Askimet catches perhaps twenty and I hardly ever get any it's not sure about. Ditto Marsha (2.) and Stephen (5.), Bad Behavior, Spam Karma and Askimet saved this particular blogger from giving up in disgust.

I was fielding 2,000 spam comments a day and now Askimet catches perhaps twenty and I hardly ever get any it’s not sure about.

]]> By: Stephen http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-130050 Stephen Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:27:11 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-130050 I have a pretty solid spam-blocking combo on my blogs. I honestly can't remember the last time an actual spam got through. Details and links on my site: <a href="http://www.striderweb.com/nerdaphernalia/2006/10/if-spam-blockers-were-superheroes-this-would-be-the-jla/" rel="nofollow">Nerdaphernalia - spma blockers post</a> (In a nutshell: Bad Behavior + Spam Karma + Spam Karma "Akismet" plugin) I have a pretty solid spam-blocking combo on my blogs. I honestly can’t remember the last time an actual spam got through. Details and links on my site:

Nerdaphernalia – spma blockers post

(In a nutshell: Bad Behavior + Spam Karma + Spam Karma “Akismet” plugin)

]]> By: MatGB http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for/comment-page-1#comment-129714 MatGB Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:53:23 +0000 http://dougal.gunters.org/blog/2006/10/27/some-blog-spam-cases-you-might-want-to-watch-for#comment-129714 Ebonmuse; a problem with that is less web-literate users and commenters. I regularly see people try to post links etc using BBcode on blogs, and regularly those are legitimate links and users. Thee and me know proper html, many more don't, and bbCode was designed to make things easy for the non web-literate. I installed Bad Behaviour last weekend. My Akismet caught stuff has plummetted (one in the last three days) and the uncaught has disappeared. Bad Behaviour has blocked 1955 in the last 7 days, which is about what I was getting before. Very impressed. My host doesn't allow firewall access, so SpamValve no good to me currently, but it looks useful as a set of rules. Ebonmuse; a problem with that is less web-literate users and commenters. I regularly see people try to post links etc using BBcode on blogs, and regularly those are legitimate links and users. Thee and me know proper html, many more don’t, and bbCode was designed to make things easy for the non web-literate.

I installed Bad Behaviour last weekend. My Akismet caught stuff has plummetted (one in the last three days) and the uncaught has disappeared. Bad Behaviour has blocked 1955 in the last 7 days, which is about what I was getting before. Very impressed.

My host doesn’t allow firewall access, so SpamValve no good to me currently, but it looks useful as a set of rules.

]]>