Your Name is NOT Viagra

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Stacey

Let me start by apologising if your name actually is Viagra. In that case, of course, this blog post probably isn’t relevant for you… and out of interest, did you have a difficult childhood?

Anyway, I’ve managed a number of blogs over the last few years and whatever the niche area, whatever the tone, whatever the purpose, there was one consistency – COMMENT SPAMMERS! Rather than complain, whine and curse about them, however, I thought I would instead reach out and offer some ‘friendly’ advice. So here we go:-

1.     Your name really isn’t Viagra…

…. or ‘weight loss,’ ‘Payday loans,’ or ‘teen brunettes,’ for that matter. It’s really not. Now let me let you in on a little secret. You’ll find your name on your birth certificate. In fact, most of now have social media profiles… if you set yours up before you forgot your name, you could even just copy and paste it from one of your networking profiles straight into that ‘name’ section on the comment form.

2.     Fklgjdfgkdfjshjhsjfhfdjhg is not a word.

Nor does it become a word if you repeat it seventeen times. Just to add to that, finishing that sort of ‘comment’ with a link promising many teen hotties doesn’t make sdfjhsdfjhsdjkh a word either. It’s not in the dictionary. Really… go check for yourself.

3.     I know I’m not your first…

When you tell me I’m the best blogger you ever came across who made you feel as grateful for the ‘helpful’ content, when you tell me mine is the first blog of its kind you ever saw, I know you’re trying to make me feel special. And even if your target blogger is naive enough to believe you at first, when she goes through your back links, she’ll find out that you’re just another player spammer.

Ok seriously, we get why people comment spam. What I don’t get is why these people don’t take the time to make a valid point and obtain a link by taking part in a discussion. That type of networking has a much longer term positive effect than a disposable spam comment that will be deleted! I actually don’t even mind keywords in names (within reason, of course) when the comment is valid and adds something of value to the discussion!

I installed CommentLuv here, which provides a link to the most recent blog post of the blogger. Why? Well frankly I think if someone takes the time to partake properly then a link is perfectly fine! Plus, people actually taking part in a real discussion often have blogs with posts in a similar topic area. I use CommentLuv as a way to find other blogs and bloggers I often end up reading regularly.

But I won’t entertain spammers. Once upon a time, I found it funny to read spam comments (before deleting them, of course). Now? Well now I’m just bored of them….

About Stacey

Compulsive #hashtagger, lover of gadgets and a not-so-secret Simon Cowell fan. I find sarcasm funny. Digital Marketing Manager at Tecmark - a UK Digital Marketing Agency. All opinions expressed here are, however, my own and are in no way expressed on behalf of my employer! on Google Plus
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  • http://www.simplehomeorganization.com Melinda

    What a great title! I have had #2 numerous times. Those irritating comment spammers drive me crazy but you put them to good use with humor. Yesterday I got the longest list of links in one that I have ever seen and had to page down a few times. Funny that they seem to press on leaving them, yet I’ve never actually seen one approved in a comments section. You wonder what their success rate is. .000000001%? That makes for one expensive comment. :) I love your writing! You are hysterical!

  • http://www.famousbloggers.net Hesham

    I Knew it!

    I was sure that this post is about comment spam when I first read it’s title!

    I completely agree with you, I have just deleted a few comments by some buddies like “SEO company” and “making money online”…etc!

    Even if I provide all the tools to reduce this bad behavior but people still want to be banned!

    Thank you for the nice read!

  • Stacey

    Thanks both for your comments!

    I don’t know how they think they will get away with it… particularly the long lists of links. Any decent blog worth having a link off monitors comments, surely??

    Oh well… A fact of the blogosphere I suppose.

    Thanks again :)

  • http://stephaniesuesansmith.com Stephanie Suesan Smith

    I love the title. Every once in a while one is clever enough to almost make it worth keeping. But only almost. I delete them, too. What did these people do before computers? Were they door to door salesmen?

  • Stacey

    Lol Stephanie….

    I’ve wondered that myself. Yes, door to door salesmen (surely) or recruitment agents!!!

  • http://www.webuildyourblog.com/ Andrew @ Blogging Guide

    Stacey

    I delete all spam comments – even if it just looks like spam!

    I bet a few get through though. You know, the ones that could almost be genuine and I’m thinking, “I wonder…”

    I also delete ‘nice post’ type comments as well. Sorry to some people…but I do.

    Why do these guys do it?

    It must be because so many bloggers allow them to be published.

    Bit like the spammy emails saying you’ve won $36,000,000,000,000. Some people must respond. I often reply and say, “It’s not enough money…can I have some more?”.

    Andrew

  • http://writingfourmylife.com/blog Paul Novak

    You heard from Viagra? Tell him Cialis has been hanging out at my place and is looking for him!

    If it helps, most of the spam to blogs nowadays is from automated programs. The guys using em have little to no idea where the comments are going or oftentimes what the program is saying. They set it up, include a link or two, then set it to blast every place that’ll accept a comment. The best part is, according to some statistics I’ve seen, the sites they link to get high rank for about 3 days before being blacklisted by all the search engines. Not very bright don’t ya think?

  • Stacey

    LOL! If he stops by again I will be sure to tell him Paul!

  • http://www.pastymuncher.co.uk/ Mr G from Pasty Muncher

    Oh the joy of comment spam – it often makes my day.

    This contribution is especially worthy of note – dropped within a day of posting about the terrible earthquake in Haitit……..

    This article cracked me up. I started reading it in all seriousness then by the second paragraph I was rolling. Thank for this very comical post!

  • http://www.abnormalmarketing.com Fiona Bosticky

    I had to laugh when I saw the title. Very clever :) )) I really enjoyed your post. Yes, I cannot see any REAL benefits to people or programs doing this. But I guess it must generate SOME results or they maybe wouldn’t bother to begin with.

    I saw now, that some people/ “professionals” are offering a “blog commenting service”, where they write real comments on people’s blogs to build links for their clients. What do you think of this?

  • Stacey

    Thanks FIona :)

    Honestly, I think it’s difficult to dispute the services that provide genuine comments. There is, of course,a benefit to real networking within blog networks. I’ve made so many contacts through commenting on other people’s blogs and found so many other great blogs out there that way. At work, I also advise clients that they should be networking with other bloggers. I think if it’s carried out genuinely as a ‘networking’ type of activity, rather than just all about the links, I can’t really disagree.

    Of course, comments have much more value if the person commenting is the one whose site is linked to. That way you’re getting their views… rather than the views of someone paid to speak on their behalf.

  • Stacey

    Thanks Mr. G! :)