Polite Spam

(Warning: This is a blog post about blogging. How tiresome.)

Okay, so, I’ve been blogging for about six weeks (I can tell because I’ve done six Improv/Writing Tips). I blithely turned on the comments for each blog entry, hoping for intelligent discourse and new connections.

I want as many comments as possible. I vowed to avoid that “captcha” thing so commenting would be easy-peasy. When I had a blog several years ago, I seldom got comment spam, so I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal.

But the spam, she comes. And little did I know that the comment spam universe has a new weapon—flattery. In just these few short weeks, I’ve been treated to the kind of flattery that would make Napoleon blush. But the rough approximations of English make me wonder—could it be they’re not sincere?

From a fashion coupon site:

Stunning ideas altogether, you simply gotten a brand new viewer. Precisely what would you suggest in relation to your post that you produced some days ago? Any positive?

Being called “stunning” by a fashion site should have been an honor.

From a hotel booking site:

Not long ago, I did not give a lot of thought to leaving comments on site page reports and have placed responses even less. Reading by means of your enjoyable post, will assist me to do so sometimes.

See how I’ve done my duty to the blogosphere by encouraging this timid person to make more comments? Are you grateful?

From a movie download site:

This is really a quite very good read for me, Have to admit you might be a single from the greatest bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.

I’m definitely a single, but I don’t know from what.

From something to do with cellulite:

I’m thankful that yahoo has showed me your post. The form of presenting your point of view is awesome! Keep it up!

Yes, thanks Yahoo! I’m in your debt, too.

From some sort of wiki site:

I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already Cheers!

Well, if I were famous, wouldn’t they know it? Or maybe I am famous, and nobody told me.

From a site of TV listings:

I don’t suppose that you simply may possibly be following up this post with another a single?  I adore what you wrote right here, but I would adore to obtain much more information.

What is this single thing? Is the universe sending a message? Yes, I’m single already!

A clever ploy from some  hotels in Paris (almost fell for this one, but note: they never posted to the original thread):

When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!

No. You are subscribed for life and I will send you multiple notification emails until your in-box dies a tortured death.

From some luxury hotels

You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people agree with you. But it’s human nature for some to disagree. But whatever. They’re in the minority.

That’s comforting.

These are amusing me enough that I’m not yet turning on the “captcha.” But I’d love to hear from more real people, like YOU. What kind of spam do you get? What do you do to avoid it/trash it? Or, if you don’t want to talk about spam, just comment below to say “Hi!” Please!

Tagged as: Blogging, SocMed, Spam