Admits to blog spamming
I found someone accessing my old site using the search engine phrase:
blog spamming software
I tried it myself, and happened on a Threadwatch discussion about the Spam summit and blog spammers.
In that discussion, I found a SEM guy who openly admits to blog spamming:
Jason Duke
Heh, I guess he hasn’t figured out that we get every spamvertized URL we find banned by Google, eh?
March 23rd, 2005 at 4:22 am
Hi Ann,
Thanks for the link, even with a rel=nofollow
In all seriousness though I am one of those few spammers that admit to being so but I’ll be brutally honest here. I don’t actually want to do it.
I spam because that’s what the market demands and the market demands it because everyone else is doing it in certain industries.
Although the blogging and other communities that offer interaction with their website visitors may not like my creed I do believe that working with those people (people like me) that undertake the nefarious link spam is the way forward in finding out a real, dependable and final answer.
I was (and still am by the way) happy to work with the engines in showing them a solution that will kill the problem once and for all. Unfortunately I wasn’t invited to the summit organised by Technorati. That was a decision for them to take and I respect it entirely. It was their show and for them to decide whether they wanted me or “my kind” there or not.
They chose not
Unfortunately what you and other blogging spam fighters do in trying to ascertain who the spammers are (however admirable) will not kill the problem, it will simply displace it to others who aren’t as knowledgable as yourselves. It will also only be the smaller style link hunters that you’ll end up putting off and not the harder core, more experienced ,knowledgeable and financially motivated spammers. In essence it is fire fighting when what is needed is a solution that will simply not combust!
I have been told on more than one occasion that I am a WANKER and I agree
I Work According to Need, Knowledge, Experience and ROI
While I and others take the commercial view and while it is legal to link spam (and unlikely to ever change) the problem isn’t going to disapear.
The Register at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/31/link_spamer_interview/ had a superb article where they interviewed a link spammer and I think it is a worthwhile read. You may not like what is said but it is a fair example of why this takes place
On a fun note I just wanted to make a small comment about your final paragraph. The reality is that if you can find the relationships between the sites I spam for and me then those sites deserve to be dropped from the SERPs as I haven’t hidden them well enough!
Also there is more than one search engine and Yahoo, MSN, Ask and others deliver tremendous financial value to me so don’t forget to try and get me banned there too.
Finally I want to offer myself as willing, happy and able to work with you in finding a long term answer. Drop me a line and we can have a chat and put a plan of action together.
It will put you out of work as the spam huntress, but I am sure that is a price you’re happy to pay !
March 23rd, 2005 at 4:36 am
I’ve been given some link love
It seems that I have won a new fan going by the name of the Spam Huntress.
She received a visitor on her blog that found her via the search term “blog spamming software” and thought, “Hmmm, let’s take a look at those results” and went off to her
March 23rd, 2005 at 5:00 am
I had to ban Jason. He’s set his Newsgator to fetch both my feeds every minute. I’ve sent him a private e-mail, though.
I have to say I’m intrigued. Would like to see a sample of his ‘impossible to crack’ spamvertized sites.
March 23rd, 2005 at 6:03 am
Now this is interesting, two people on opposite sides of an issue, willing to hammer stuff out with each other to come up with a solution. I know I’m impressed.
Finally I want to offer myself as willing, happy and able to work with you in finding a long term answer. Drop me a line and we can have a chat and put a plan of action together.
March 23rd, 2005 at 6:12 am
I’ve unbanned Jason after he stopped feeding crazily. From what he says, the Newsgator software does that thing by default. Guess someone should have a talk with the developer. I know it’s possible to override that setting though, because I have other Newsgator users here who have figured it out.
I’ll e-mail you, Terry.
Finally, have a look at my latest post
http://spamhuntress.com/2005/03/23/pattern-exclusion/
Splendid idea, in my opinion.
March 23rd, 2005 at 7:07 am
Hi Ann,
Just to be fair to the Newsgator developers I didn’t say that it was set to 1 minute by default but I have it set up to poll every minute (as other feeds are quick changing and I want the news ASAP) and as yet (because I haven’t RTFM) I am unsure if I can set individual feeds to individual poll times
I just wanted to add that our private emails are moving along and I echo Terry’s thoughts that working together and from opposite sides I KNOW a real answer can be delivered!
March 23rd, 2005 at 7:41 am
Terry said her bold section was just quoting Jason. Duh…
And as for the polling every minute… It’s abusive no matter where you do it. So I suggest you set it to every hour or at most every half hour - for all the sites you poll. I’m one of those anal people who actually check for such things. Doesn’t mean the others wouldn’t disapprove if they knew about it.
March 23rd, 2005 at 7:57 am
[…] self-proclaimed spammer) hopped over to SpamHuntress’s blog and introduced himself: Admits To Blog Spamming Finally I want to offer myself as willing, happy and able to […]
March 23rd, 2005 at 2:05 pm
Out of 121 total accesses (including repeat accesses) to this post so far, 34 referrers were from threadwatch.
Thank you, Jason!
March 24th, 2005 at 5:33 am
I haven’t heard from Jason after he asked me what I had to bring to the table. Apparently ‘the ear of important people’ wasn’t enough.
Jason, I have to HEAR what you have to say and think about it before I’ll forward it on, OK? I’m not going to take it on faith that you have the solution to the problems.
I mean, you’ve been talking about this for some time now, how come you didn’t just e-mail some important people and be done with it?
Exactly what are you waiting for? Give us your insights, then if they’re good, it’s up to the engineers to implement them.
You see, I doubt the REALLY ‘important people’ will be asking your for this info in public. You are a self professed spammer. That means you’re lower than dirt in their eyes. I’ll listen to you, but at this point, I doubt anyone higher up the pecking order will give you that acknowledgement in public. Go through me and have a chance at being heard, or keep whining.
March 24th, 2005 at 7:39 am
Did hear back from Jason today. I guess we’ll see.
March 24th, 2005 at 7:52 am
Ann,
With respect I run a business and I am not going to drop everything I do to have 24/7 email correspondence with you.
I also would respect that email conversations between us are private. If I post here it’s public, if I email you it’s private. It’s just standard business courtesy.
Whether you decide to take my word for it or not then that is a decision for you. What I am not going to do is enter into an open discussion in these posts when I am considered by you as, “lower than dirt” and it seems that normal politeness as to our correspondence is not occuring. I refer to my paragraph above as an example.
I already have the ears of many “important people” as you call them, but am looking at working with the blogging community to help take the plan of action forward.
At this moment in time I do not feel you are neccesarily the right person to work with. Please help me prove that thought wrong
March 24th, 2005 at 9:11 am
Sounds like someone’s just stalling for their own trollish amusement and never had any real intent on carrying through on his claims.
March 24th, 2005 at 9:39 am
Derek,
That’s not the case but I repect (although don’t agree) with your point of view.
I am legitimate, not a troller (Well not here anyway) and can deliver the answer to the problem. In time you’ll see it implemented but until then I understand your cynicism.
I want to thank Ann for her time today and hope she now knows a little more about me, my team, my answer and my sincerity. I am sure she’ll comment when she is ready
March 24th, 2005 at 9:54 am
We spent half an hour on the phone. I’m intrigued. Don’t know much yet, but enough to want to hear him out.