Sunday, May 16, 2010

Missing Persons

Just a few quick things...

I deleted a two comments from this blogs this morning that looked like spam. I have one spammer that pops up once in a while that I know isn't real, but these were from someone who seemed like a legitimate poster, but then had a link below that looked like spam. When I checked the poster's profile, there was nothing there, another clue that this was spam.

Now, I don't mind commenters posting links to your blog or website or whatnot in your sigs, as networking is one aspect of being in an online community. I even try to link to the sites of my regular commenters as a thank you when I see them. But for those who post only to get a link in there for my readers to click on and sell something, it's gonna go bye bye. I'd prefer not to put my readers at risk of who knows what at the end of that link.

I guess I should be pleased that the blog has gotten big enough to start attracting spammers (grin).

EDIT NOTE: If I accidentally tag you as spam and delete you, just let me know and I won't do it anymore. Sometimes a real comment can look like spam.

In other news, go see Iron Man 2. It totally rocked. Better than the first one. I'm so going to go see it again soon.

13 comments:

  1. I've recently removed the word verification from my blog and am kinda worried about spammers. But so many people comment on so many blogs I'd like to speed up the time required for them.

    I don't understand people who spam. They really need to get a real hobby. *sigh*

    I haven't seen Iron Man 2 yet - but I've now heard several people who loved it. Just gotta talk the hubby into it :)

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  2. I feel your pain. I had to employ comment moderation for a period of time not too long ago due to a spamming epidemic. I haven't had a problem since, but I wouldn't be surprised if it pops up again. Comment moderation is a pain for both the regular readers and the blog administrator. I'd rather not have to revisit it.

    Already planning on seeing Iron Man 2. My son is an Iron Man fanatic (among other things), so I really don't have a choice. Haha. Glad to see someone else enjoyed it, though. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  3. I actually removed the captcha from my blog comments area because I have a dedicated reader with a visual disability, and it causes her unwanted trouble. When I run into difficulty I generally put on comments moderation for a period of time, but I've never found it necessary to maintain it all the time. It's a tricky equation given that the spammers are out there, but active maintenance pays off.

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  4. No spammers yet (one of the advantages to still being fairly anonymous, I guess), but we'll see if it pops up anytime soon.

    And yeah, Iron Man 2 rocked. I didn't like it quite as much as the first one, but it was reeeeally close.

    And I'm still geeking out about the scene after the credits.

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  5. Im so excited to see Iron man 2, just havent gotten around to it yet. Glad its getting rave reviews though (means Im less likely to be dissapointed)

    I really dont get the point of spammers. It seems utterly stupid. The same goes for people who do viruses... like seriously...what are you doing with your life???

    Love your blog though! And thanks for being concerned with the safety of our computers! I appreciate the sentiment.

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  6. I had one today too..."divine"-something is who mine was from. That's such a shame. As Lydia was saying, it's just a pain for the commenters and moderators.
    Thanks for the heads up! :)

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  7. Spam drives me crazy. Good for you. Delete, delete, delete.

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  8. Janice,
    Bit by bit, song by song, lowly spammers are ruining Youtube.
    Thanks,
    Mick

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  9. I haven't been spammed in a while but every now and then I'll get hit with a series of spam messages. Most of them wordpress filters and waits for me to approve or disapprove the comment but sometimes they get through.
    Glad you enjoyed the movie.

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  10. Fantastic blog. Keep on rockin, Radu Prisacaru – UK Internet Marketer & Web Developer

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  11. The post-end credits were great. I'm so looking forward to the Avengers movie in a few years as well. Joss Wheadon writing and directing! What's not to love?

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  12. Eoin Colfer discussed his first experiences with an editor, Disney-Hyperion, Hyperion at the time, I believe. Paraphrasing, he described how his novel was ripped apart and stripped down to the basics, then rearranged into parts. Characters were lost on the drawing room floor (recycled into cardboard boxes, purchased by Tor Books, and used as a means of transporting other characters from one paper-smelling place to another), storylines were woven more tightly together, etc. I won't pretend to know what happened, exactly. What I do know is that Eoin Colfer's writing style changed with his first professional editing. He said it, years ago, in an interview, which I can't find online.

    Janice, how did you writing style change after working with an editor?

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  13. Interesting question! I didn't have an experience like that with Shifter(thank goodness!), though we did do more work on book two. But that book really needed it. Even then it was only the plot we messed with not the story.

    I don't think my writing style has changed much. I'm certainly more aware of things. I can more easily spot scenes that drag, and I'm more conscious about escalating stakes and subplots that don't advance the story any (or do pretty much the same thing as another scene). Overall I think I'm a tighter writer now that I was before, if that counts as a change.

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