Tobold's Blog
Saturday, November 01, 2008
 
Comment spam is getting more intelligent

Recently a reader remarked that one of the many sites that pretend to be a blog, but in reality just copy content from other blogs to get hits for their advertising, used a new technology: They ran my content through a program which replaced half of the words with the help of a thesaurus, so that it looked like completely different content. Now I noticed the same technology being applied to comment spam: The spammers take real comments from various blogs, run them through a thesaurus program to make them appear new, and then post them to another blog. At first those comments look a bit strange, but legit, until you notice the link at the bottom to some gold-selling or advertising site. As I said in my Terms of Service, you can link to your blog, but you can't link to a commercial site. I'm deleting this new form of comment spam, as I've always deleted the old-fashioned kind. But the advances in technology even for spam are interesting.
Comments:
I can't help wondering how much more money such people could make if they used their obvious ingenuity more constructively.
 
I was that mysterious reader.

And if you want irony, this is what that site is making of your latest post:

Recently a reverend remarked that digit of the whatever sites that play to be a blog, but in actuality meet double noesis from added blogs to intend hits for their advertising, utilised a newborn technology: They ran my noesis finished a information which replaced half of the text with the support of a thesaurus, so that it looked aforementioned completely assorted content. Now I detected the aforementioned profession existence practical to interpret spam: The spammers verify actual comments from different blogs, separate them finished a wordbook information to attain them materialize new, and then place them to added blog. At prototypal those comments countenance a taste strange, but legit, until you attending the unification at the lowermost to whatever gold-selling or business site. As I said in my Terms of Service, you crapper unification to your blog, but you can’t unification to a advertizement site. I’m deleting this newborn modify of interpret spam, as I’ve ever deleted the old-fashioned kind. But the advances in profession modify for email are interesting.
 
I have under consideration how much wealth generation could be performed if the abilities and skills were placed towards more constructive ends. (Insert link to www.richnigerianbankaccounts.com)

(I also predict a bunch more of these jokes in he comments of this post.)
 
Spam has gotten rather annoying on my blog, but i think i finally got it under control. I started to use Akismet which help cut a lot of the spam down. And all comments have to be approved (except from people i approved before)
 
Akismet is definitely the way to go. I don't think thats an option with blogspot though.
 
I get about 10 a day and they have been becomming a little better that I actually have to sift through them now, shame that is all the comments I 'do' get :D
 
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