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A message to spammers and self promoters - Common decency
by Babel-Fish | April 5, 2008 at 05:49 pm | 533 views | 17 comments
by Babel-Fish
Many web based citizen journalist communities are becoming open house to those that wish to advertise or promote their web site or blogs. The problem is the advertisers and self promoters do not read the rules of each site they publish on.
The point being that if a site is dedicated to pure citizen journalism and there are defined guidelines set by the community then self advertisers and self promoters, are wasting their time. The members of the site only want to read or write about the news and get very annoyed at seeing their community web site, their rules being treated with disrespect.
The real annoying thing is such companies that write application to publish items on a broad network of social internet communities run rough shot over those communities that do not wish to see spam and self promotion. Many users of such software are annoyed when they find that a community site delete their account.
The annoying thing is when a member of a community is pulled up for self promotion or advertising many argue that its their right to abuse the rules, where as when they sign up they promise to keep the rules. They simply do not care that they are interfering with the wishes of dedicated citizen journalist of whom join a dedicated community because they are fed up with the advertising, self promotion and abuse they have received else where.
Marketing and self promotion is fine, but there are many, many web sites that entertain those options. I suggest if you are marketing or self promotion please have respect for those that have set rules against those options it is only common decency to do so.
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April 5, 2008 at 05:49 pm by Babel-Fish, 533 views, 17 comments
Author
Crowd Power
Babel-Fish
Sibulan, Negros Oriental, Philippines
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Comments (17)
at 17:55 on April 5th, 2008
Babel-Fish, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:12 on April 5th, 2008
Thanks vinny
at 18:12 on April 5th, 2008
Babel-Fish, I like this story. We have had experience on NowPublic with what you are describing above so it's nice to see our members take a stand against it!
at 21:21 on April 5th, 2008
Its a big problem on most dedicated social communities
at 22:50 on April 5th, 2008
Babel-Fish, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 23:46 on April 5th, 2008
Thank's Pasi its nice to see a good friend comment on one of my articles.
at 07:44 on April 6th, 2008
I agree, Babel-Fish!
at 08:23 on April 6th, 2008
I think that spam is sort of like algae in the fish tank: it's a result of the behavior of the online ecosystem. Algae-eaters will always be in high demand!
at 04:43 on April 7th, 2008
Unfortunately the spammers are mostly people being paid to sit in a small room in india or pakistan and flood as many sites as they can with spam. They don't read the articles, let alone the terms of use. The goal is to get as many posted as possible.
I've even had a spammer reply to me flagging their story as such with 'Thanks for commenting on my story!' they hadn't even read that I took it off the site as spam! This happens much more often than you would think.
Although arguably worse are the people who post 'press releases' or hold 'community events' that are clearly just designed to promote their own agenda. Then they argue until they're blue in the face that 'it's not spam'.
Yes, it is, and it's not welcome here.
Thanks for your comments guys, always interesting!
at 18:27 on April 7th, 2008
Rob, yep. Human drones, and once they get in with one post, sometimes they figure out how to use a 'bot, although that's harder here at NP than some other places.
Oh yes, the "community event" or "let's let me write about me in the third person so I can get attention for whatever I'm selling or doing" and calling it "news." Sigh.
at 15:41 on April 7th, 2008
As long as people do not spoil the entertaiment of others or break site rules and have respect for the wishes of those on a communty its not harmful but when people just don't care it is. If nowpublic are happy at what you are doing thats fine.
at 16:02 on April 7th, 2008
I work on a website that has very tight rules concerning spam and self promotion, they have an anti spam group that look for spam and self promotion. The problem is this group sometime remove a member thats making simple mistakes or no explain reason what so ever. I have no idea why Pasi was removed from the said site for example. I am not a member of their anti spam group in fact the owner of the group constantly refuses to let me become a member though the members of the group started using my services.
So I try to get to the person offending and breaking the sites rules to make them understand that site is purely citizens journalism. I have many successes. But their are many idiots that do not understand advetisements are simply not read there and they are just wasting their time.
at 15:49 on April 7th, 2008
Hey, guys, do you honestly think the spammers, etc., are going to actually read this?
at 18:22 on April 7th, 2008
Nope, but it's kinda fun! :)
What they hear is when their material disappears, zip!
When I have insomnia in the wee small hours, or am just up late and relaxing from work, I now and then still mark spam. There's a whole shooting gallery available by about 2 or 3 a.m. Don't get to do it as much as I used to, but there's still times when I can.
at 17:25 on April 7th, 2008
Actual I am working on a big list of spammers and placing this article on their web page as a comment or emailing them a copy. Spam the spammers. lol
at 18:17 on April 7th, 2008
Hi Babel-Fish, I'm adding this in hoping to maybe save you some work.
Here at NowPublic we value transparency. Any member can comment on something and say it's spam.
However, when an editor marks it as spam, the material is unpublished from NowPublic, right then and there. Zip! Gone!
If the same user "contributes" enough spam, their account gets deleted.
So some of those on your list may already have had material unpublished or may no longer be with us!
Feel free to comment on any article if you believe it to be spam; and most especially, alert any editor or staff member if you see repeated material from the same user that you believe to be spam. We rather enjoy nuking spam, actually, and tend to hop right to it. ;}
Thank you for being concerned.
at 19:24 on April 7th, 2008
I have been saving spammers webs and blogs from another community nowpublic is not the only community suffering from these pests. Many of the pests use advertising tools to send out their horrid little adds and rubbish they have no clue what the communities etc, feel about such rubbish. Most of them have a stupid notion you can get rich on the web.
Its also my idea to have a bit of fun and place things they don't want people to see on their own blogs and sites. Sweet revenge, lol
I like the way your handling spam here. I actual have not seen any yet. Possibly I should be writing here more and no where else. Seems more organised here.