Friday, January 18, 2013

Open Letter



Dear Anonymous,

Just wanted to write a little note to you.  Since I’ve taken the annoying word and number gadget from my comment section on my posts I’ve been getting my fair share of spam.  Sorry to say you are responsible for spamming me.  I’d like to let you know how annoying I find this and also how rude.

I feel I should let you know that I am not interested nor will ever be interested in neck hair removal, porn sites, real estate deals, herbal supplements, weight loss diets, remortgaging my home or visiting your web to find out about gout, sunglasses or sales of any kind.  I don’t want to know how to get more traffic to my blog or redo it with your wonderful advice.  There’s no way I can name all of you but you know who you are.  So please stop spamming me.  Your use of improper grammar is atrocious also:  (I visiting your site, you are good riter, feel free visit my web site etc.)

It’s only fair that if I don’t try to advertise on your web sites you shouldn’t try to advertise on mine.  Have you ever noticed that no matter how many times you send me the same comment I will never visit your web site or publish your comments, even though you try to comment with the same nonsense on different posts. Aren’t you just so clever but it hasn’t worked yet has it? So this is a plea from me to just stop!

Thank you very much and I’ve got to say I hope I won’t be hearing from you again.

Sincerely,
Grey Horse Matters

45 comments:

  1. I used to get some of that stuff too and went back and forth to the "prove you're not a robot" stuff... but then I tried something else. I selected to not accept anonymous comments and it has never happened again. Try it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let us know if it works. I get the same... so annoying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will. It really is annoying and time consuming to read and delete them.

      Delete
  3. so, you didn't like my neck-hair gout porn? you're no fun at all! message received, i'll stop sending it ;-)

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    Replies
    1. LOL! :) I get them too - it's crazy.

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    2. LOL - what if all the spam came from our own basements, sort of like that horror movie where the prank caller is inside the house? I get the spam comments too. It's pretty annoying.

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    3. Hi billie,

      I'll have to check out the basement and make sure no one is living down there with a computer! I thought I let them all out recently but maybe one slipped under the radar.

      Delete
  4. They are SO annoying! And those flippin' crawlers that skew our stats as well.... Hate 'em all!

    I don't think I can follow your lead and stop accepting anonymous posts, I'm pretty sure that would deter some of my Cork friends from commenting.

    PS jme.... you've been noted!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Martine,

      I don't know about the crawlers that skew our stats. Maybe that's best.

      Delete
  5. I just went through that. I had totally anonymous commenting as an option, and no captcha because I hate it and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Ok, maybe I would. but still, I found that turning off the anon option so that the person has to be signed in with something (OpenID) works wonders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kate,

      I sometimes get legitimate Anonymous commenters and wouldn't want to lose them but these spammers are killing me. Just got two more a few minutes ago for swollen ankles and feet.

      Delete
  6. I feel kind of left out.

    I've never gotten any SPAM or Anonymous creatures trying to advertise for free on my site even though I don't use the word/number verification baloney on my comments.

    Hey! Not fair. How'd you get to be so privileged?

    ~Lisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Lisa, I'm sorry to hear you feel left out because you get no spam. Trust me you'd hate it so consider yourself lucky you've been spared.

      Delete
  7. I also removed the ability to comment anonymously. And I threatened to pelt spammers with canned meat. Works like a charm. Either that, or my site just isn't attractive to spammers. ;)

    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shannon,

      You've probably scared them away with your threat to pelt them with canned meat. Lucky you!

      Delete
  8. Don't forget the Ugg boots . . .

    I had to choose between putting the "not a robot" stuff back on, or not accepting anonymous comments - I went with the robot stuff simply because I do occasionally get real comments from people who don't have a Google account.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kate,

      I'm still deciding. I guess I could try it both ways. I do get legitimate comments from some Anonymous people so I'd hate to turn them away. I never got any spam from Ugg boots but it's still not too late for them to try it.

      Delete
    2. Too funny Kate - Mine are mainly Ugg related (?), with a healthy dose of drug and porn for good measure.

      Glad to hear I'm not the only one ;D

      Delete
    3. CFS,

      Well at least you don't get the neck hair removal and swollen ankles and gout ones!

      Delete
    4. Drugs and porn do sound more exciting... maybe better while wearing some UGGs? ;D

      Delete
    5. Maybe the Ugg's would spice it up. Got one today for bust serum. Don't know what it is but we could throw that in with the Ugg's porn show.

      Delete
  9. My friend Aarenex has this statement on her blog:
    "To err is human; to be anonymous is not."
    Works for her...

    I've been lucky and haven't gotten more than two or three spams, but I think there is some sort of captcha on mine (I can't see it, myself). But when I go to look at my stats, they are hugely skewed by the crawlers.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Evening Song. Everything is worth a try.

      Delete
  10. It really only takes about the same amount of time to "create an account" to not be anonymous as it does to enter in the captcha, maybe not quite, but close. I get so frustrated with trying to decipher those things, it takes a few tries most of the time. My eyes have seen better days. I haven't experienced too much of that on my little blog, it seems to go in phases. It's a tough call though, I love getting comments and would hate to have to make that choice. Time will tell I guess. Good rant by the way, very well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mary. I do like to get in a good rant once in a while when I'm beyond aggravated. Just ask my kids or husband! ;)

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  11. Oh! So love this! I understand the spam and appreciate your courage at lifting the captcha sign-in. They can be difficult and sometimes after writing a detailed comment, I just give up and go to bed.
    Rant on, McDuff!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi D.J.,

      I sometimes have to put in the letters and numbers a few times before I get it right. Like Mary said my eyes aren't what they used to be.

      Delete
  12. Sorry, but I'm in hysterics right now. This is such a brilliant rant, sure puts it all on the line! Your pictures are also perfect! I join you in this annoyance, especially at Simply Marvelous (spam magnet)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Marvel, glad you got a chuckle out of it.

      Delete
  13. I do not allow anon comments on my blog and the spam is minimal. One time I did get a comment advertising children's playgrounds. I am not sure how that was relevant to riding, but at least it wasn't totally offensive.

    Good Luck!

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  14. Hi Val,

    You're lucky you don't get much. I got a few more this morning for refinancing and facial makeovers.

    ReplyDelete
  15. So sorry you're getting so much spam :( I'd be happy to do verification for commenting, given that you have such a problem. I'm lucky in that I don't get very many spam comments.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Carol,

      You are lucky. I don't know why they picked some of our blogs and not others but the word verification is definitely a turn off for some commenters. I probably won't turn it back on but just needed a little rant to feel better.

      Delete
  16. I am so blasted @#^=/X**! sorry for the spam.
    I have never minded your comment moderation, as you have not required the word veri and numbers. I do hate those two combinations...have to put the readers on for it, and I still have a difficult time spelling the muddled looking words!

    There were not many- If any- that said that they did not get spam, above in your faithful readers.
    I have a strange confession about the spam...I ONLY get it on ONE BLOGPOST-that I've posted in the past. Over and over, to this very year. It was a post called "ATTN PONYGIRL"...I get all the spams for that post. I have my blog comments set on moderation if over 7 days so- they all come to email, and I spam-the-spammers!

    It certainly does seem they choose who to spam. I wonder ??? if it in the title of blog or just blog post...maybe both!

    I am cracking up and tearing up, because I know how frustrated you are.

    ReplyDelete
  17. P.S.
    I appreciate not having to put my readers on for your commenting to you, so thanks for this Arlene~
    KK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi KK,

      It does seem odd that you only get spammed on the one post? I like your idea of spamming the spammers though. I might give it a try!

      Delete
  18. No spam here, but I suspect it it a kind of tribute to the popularity of your blog. They seem to, for the most part, leave mine alone.

    Hate the new captcha. It is so hard to read the numbers sometimes and the letters are no picnic either. I'm sure is puts spammers off, but sometimes it even puts me off!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Jean,
    I find it hard to read the captcha too. You're lucky not to have spammers. It's very annoying.

    ReplyDelete
  20. i've been getting a ton lately too. I always wonder who takes the time to write all this crap. Some of it must be computer generated because it's gibberish, but some people must actually sit down and (try to) write it.
    - The Equestrian Vagabond

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Merri,

    I don't know who writes this crap either. But I think a robot would have a better shot at the grammar being used!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Alright, I just exclaimed outloud, "ohwa, give me a break!"
    Opened up my blog, weren't to sign in, saw I had 5 comments to moderate, since last night! I got excited, love comments...but..........ALL SPAM......ALL on
    " Attn. Pony Girl"!!! I took a Photo.
    Amazing-

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I recently switched to no Anonymous comments in the settings and it's done wonders. Haven't gotten any spam for a few days. Not from Anonymous anyway.Good luck.

      Delete

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