Spam comments tend to begin with a big compliment. Some of the real commenters here begin with a compliment. I wonder if they realize how much they're matching up with the spam I see every day.
ADDED: Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam.
Posts
59 comments:
I've seen some Spam Bots actual trawl through old comments and create spam comments similar to old comments that made it through.
Dear Beloved Professor Althouse;
I just call you that, on account of because i have a Huge Crush on you, and don't think Meade deserves you.... I haven't been trying to sound like spam. I try to quit it
I share your great blog with my friend thank you please sending USD money.
Spam jumps out to me as general. Spam compliments--"best article ever!"--could be (and certainly are) applied to anything. Compliments from real people tend to be specific.
Can we get The Escort Düsseldorf through the Althouse Portal?
Best flied spam ever! Love you long time.
That was the best spam offer ever! Why don't I get spam like that?
"That was the best spam offer ever! Why don't I get spam like that?”
You would have, if she hadn’t deleted it.
But maybe if we really feel like offering up an obsequious comment, we should just say “dittos”
Not a problem for me |:)
My favorite one, asking for a password, began “Friendly greetings from Microsoft."
"spam"-lish is practically a dialect of its own.
We're all spam now.
And Palestinians.
great insiteful sun picture. Please tell Bloomberg I am his friend and wish to set up automated plant-based spam factory in my computer for election work.
P.S. I do not want a MacPro; just send two iPhones.
Bots for Bloomberg
Spam, spam, spam, wonderful spam. Hawaiians love the stuff - althouse doesnt.
MODERATION QUESTION: if someone said something along the lines of “your position on issue X irritated me so much that I’m recommending everyone NOT to use the Althouse Amazon Portal for the next month.” Would that comment be deleted in moderation because it cuts directly into the family business?
Oh, I know it alright. You deleted me once because I complemented you.
Okay, I'll start off with insults from now on. Would you prefer hair or Wisconsin?
Such a great post! I think the spammers are looking more and more like the commenters, which means some folks are getting better and better at their jobs. You should reward them for their improvement and click on their links so that they get more better money. Click here please, to support me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
To answer your question, Chuck knows he sounds exactly like spam.
I went to the Spam museum in Austin Minnesota recently. That's entertainment!
I occasionally open with a compliment, usually on a photo post. I've not been moderated out (in a very long time) and so I think it is well known I'm not a spammer or bot. Just to be safe, I may start putting my compliment in the middle of the comment.
Speaking of spam & bots, got an email today from SwagRight titled "Start Your Day With a BIDENSPIRATION!". Offers to sell me a framed quote, "Go Vote For Someone Else" and a coffee mug with "You're a Lying Dog Faced Pony-Soldier". Only $14.99!
That's it! No more compliments from me.
The spammers would do well to read the blog they want to infiltrate. They would realize that criticizing Althouse is the sure bet to making past the filters.
"Some of the real commenters here begin with a compliment."
On the other hand, some of the real commenters keep it real. If only to avoid the inevitable "but."
"Escort Düsseldorf."
Don't these spammers know Althouse doesn't like to to travel overseas?
I love what you did with your hair today.
Good morning, Mrs. Cleaver. What a lovely frock you're wearing. Can Theodore come out and play?
Ms. Althouse, congratulations on your amazing blog that is completely devoid of spam comments. I recommend your blog to all my friends. I hope you can help us out in return by supporting Mike Bloomberg for President. We Like Mike- Mike Can Get It Done!
That, by the way, was me modifying a comment I saw over a dozen times yesterday on various blogs. Just literally from none to a dozen spread over over 4 different blogs in a day. At this rate, every internet comment is going to be Bloomberg ad by the end of the month.
"Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam."
Well, I'd have to check the OED.
Sorry, that was not a compliment.
But first we'd have to know what the meaning of "compliment" is.
It's contextual, no?
For example, coming from me the following would be a very big compliment: "You know, every once in a while, Althouse gets something right about politics."
I phrase it that way to make it though moderation.
ALTHOUSE: "...general proposition: Compliments are spam" ......Some are, some are not. BFD. Life can be complicated, hard and then you die. Never whine. Next?
What if Escort Dusseldorf is just another Laslo Spatula invention?
Although I was in software, I've taken little interest in web development and all its collaterals (spam control, f'rinstance).
Is it fair to say spammers can't or don't spoof (I think that's right term) real users?
There are "core commenters" here who are easily recognized. I'd think Althouse can almost always distinguish a valid comment from a regular user. Not likely that real "Yancey Ward" would write, "GREAT POST. Now get out your credit card and click here".
Spam! Lovely Spam!
Worst post ever.
Just click here...
I like the witch doctor posts. Maybe Bloomberg could call one of those guys.
Would love to get some compliments. All I get is this kind of stuff. Had to pay an online lawyer a couple of thousand to clear up the matter. Close call!
>>>>>>>
From: FBI OFFICE
To:
Sent: Friday, February 8, 2013 5:19 AM
Subject: FBI HAVE A WARRANT TO ARREST YOU GET BACK TO US FOR YOUR OWN GOOD
Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division
Fbi Headquarters In Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001 Website: www.fbi.gov
Attention, this is the final warning you are going to receive from me do you get me?
I hope youre understand how many times this message has been sent to you?.
We have warned you so many times and you have decided to ignore our e-mails or because you believe we have not been instructed to get you arrested, and today if you
fail to respond back to us with the payment then, we would first send a letter to the mayor of the city where you reside and direct them to close your bank account
until you have been jailed and all your properties will be confiscated by the fbi. We would also send a letter to the company/agency that you are working for so that
they could get you fired until we are through with our investigations because a suspect is not suppose to be working for the government or any private organization."
ETC> ETC>
Is this a compliment?
"For a fat girl, you don't sweat much."
"Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam"
I don't want to be pedantic but the compliment is the part of the message which tricks you into reading the part that is spam.
A blog commenter may want to say something critical and if they want to have a better assurance that it gets read, it pays-off to make their post interesting. And you know what is usually the most interesting thing? Something complimentary regarding the person doing the reading.
But it isn't all bad. The person who only drops one comment after another, all of them critical and never has anything nice to say; do you read them? Probably not. They are just saying the same things over and over. But the person who crafts a nice compliment, one that fits into the contest of the blog post. They have put in some effort, maybe the (payload), (spam) or criticism is worth looking at. It is a valuable signalling mechanism.
" Something complimentary regarding the person doing the reading.”
When I see a post that starts with a non specific complement, I draw unkind inferences about the poster. It is a valuable signaling mechanism, but as Althouse has noted, not maybe in the way you think.
If I said all of the nice things I think about this blog all of the time, even more of you guys would be bored by my comments. I let the fact that I come back every day be my compliment.
My daughter in law’s dad was Manager of the Spam plant in Austin , Mn. Now he does the bar b que and other slow cooked beef for the dinners. No spam. That’s the only Spam plant in existence. He is a very intelligent Norwegian and a heck of a co-grandad .
Compliments are spam - unless they are a complementary.
Someone probably already said that, but I'm late to the thread and being lazy.
This happened yesterday to my cell:
"Hi I'm Hope from Mike Bloomberg's campaign. With so much at stake, Americans deserve a Democratic candidate who can beat Donald Trump. Will you support Mike?"
Hope.
I couldn't help it. I replied even though Hope was surely a bot. I'm hoping that someone collates responses:
"Haaahahaha. Yeah. No. If you did a bit of research you wouldn't support him either, Hope. He's used sexist, demeaning language toward women. He would deny care to an elderly patient with cancer because it's not cost effective. And fyi, farmers are business owners, sonetimes of very large operations. They often use the latest technology, and they understand supply chains and global markets. You might tell Mike that they actually do possess ample amounts of “grey matter". And also, I rather not have China own us. The Chinese Communist Party is not ecologically friendly, democratically accountable, and invulnerable to the threat of revolution - even if Mike thinks they are. But you have a nice day and carry on helping a billionaire buy the presidency."
Did I mention only give my cell to family, friends, doctors, and the pharmacy? I also have only ever gotten campaign texts from Democrats - first Obama and now Bloomberg. I have always voted in the Republican primaries.
I can't believe how many errors were in my previous post. Normally I would delete, correct, and repost.
Today is not that day.
And today apparently it's going to take 100 tries for Blogger to let me post this.
Starting off with compliments remind me of slimy Eddie Haskel on Leave it to Beaver. Sorry if you are not old enough to get that reference.
"Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam"
........
Depends. Anyway, while on the subject, obviously admirable how personal insults to Althouse are generally taken in stride. Not talking about legitimate disagreement.
commenting is a compliment.
Here's a genuine compliment: You folks are all hilarious -- these are great.
So nice to come here and not have to wade through all the b.s. comments you find at other blogs.
Reminds me. Taking the troop camping tomorrow night, projected 19 deg F. Dinner menu: Spam Parmigiana. I hope the other leader getting the food remembers I like real Spam, not the imitation generic stuff.
Real Spam - now there's a contradiction in terms...
It's actually a pretty tasty meal and easy to prepare. When camping. I think the last time I ate Spam in the house was before I was a teenager.
But as to the real topic, generally, a compliment starting out a reply generally means spam. Unless it's on a picture rating site....
“My, you look lovely today Mrs Cleaver.”
Mrs. Cleaver gives Eddie the stinkeye.
"Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam"
Sometimes they are. A person can get very annoyed posting something he thought was interesting only to get back a bunch of unrelated compliments. All noise, no signal.
Ass-kissers aren't as bad as spammers . . . but they are close.
On the whole, pat-on-the-back comments that do nothing more than agree really do not advance a discussion and, hence, are a waste of time and space.
I'm not a contrarian 100 percent of the time, but I do often comment only when I disagree or have a different take, which implies that the given take is either wrong or incomplete.
"On the whole, pat-on-the-back comments that do nothing more than agree really do not advance a discussion and, hence, are a waste of time and space.".
Well said. +1000. Smart comment. Wins the thread. Best thing I read in the last minute.
😛
Took me a second...
I wonder if the Escort from Düsseldorf was named Rolf...
To avoid appearing to be a spammer, I think we should scold Ann for having spent too much time in the faculty lounge. Anyone second the motion?
Spam is a complement
Fried Spam and eggs with biscuits, a great breakfast. BTW, I cannot tell the difference between Walmart's Great Value Luncheon Meat and real Spam. They're both much better that Treat.
Rarely comment so I've never had the experience before, but just joined the club of being scrunched by Blogger. So, another go.
>>Karen of Texas: "Hi I'm Hope from Mike Bloomberg's campaign. With so much at stake, Americans deserve a Democratic candidate who can beat Donald Trump. Will you support Mike?"
Got exactly the same text message a day or so ago from "Zoe" (and a somewhat different earlier one from "Joe"). Extremely obnoxious/intrusive (do people actually respond positively to this type of crap?), but I have mightily resisted the temptation to respond "Go f* yourself. Only one atom in a great lake, but I figure any response gives them more info/data than they deserve/should have than simply ignoring the obnoxious intrusion.
--gpm
Sebastian said...
"Feel free to debate the general proposition: Compliments are spam."
If "compliments are spam" means that praise is flattery is suckupitude meant to ingratiate and get stuff, how about this:
Nice tits, prof!
Vote for _________!
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