Comment moderation is ON.
Generally I won't reject any comments other than ones that are insulting to the writer of the query.
Insult me all you want, that's ok, but not the queriers. I have a bully pulpit. They don't.
And please for godiva sake would someone invent an anti-spam comment program. At this point I'd be willing to pay cold hard cash for one.
32 comments:
Use Wordpress. It's filtered over 300 spam comments from my lowly blog since I started it in July
Thanks for watching out for us little fishes. While your bites are sharp, they're welcomed because you "are" the business and your purpose is to educate. I once submitted a query letter to a conference where it might have been read out loud, but then chickened out of going for fear of being laughed at or getting ridiculed by the audience. I know, I need a tougher hide.
I suppose at some point all websites that allow comments will require a user id and password. It won't prevent all spam, but it would make it much more difficult.
Good Lord Janet, what are you doing awake at 2am. Please say "not reading queries".
Have you looked into Wordpress? If you use a wordpress.com blog, it has a built-in spam blocker, and if you host your own blog, there are a number of other alternatives (all free).
I"m not sure how it works on blogger, but on my wordpress blog I have an addon that catches spam comments and stores them until I can moderate them. Try doing a search for blogger spam catchers? I'm not sure how affective that would be, but it's worth a try. Good luck.
The Domino-based blog I use has spam filtering that's very effective, based solely on the fact that web browsers can execute Javascript and auto-commenter programs can't. I get lots and lots of spam comments on my blog, but they are all automatically sequestered and I just periodically delete them en masse.
I'd have thought captcha by itself would also be enough. Do you need captcha and moderation?
Janet - most spammers start using older posts, rather than newer ones, hoping you won't notice. There might be a setting to turn comment moderation on only for posts older than a certain date.
Unfortunately, Blogger doesn't offer many options for you. If you migrate your site to a WordPress Content Management Tool there are tons of options available which work quite well.
Hope that helps.
You can, however import your entire blogger into a slef hosted wordpress one. It's pretty simple, and even all your comments xfer over. My blog started out as a blogger one, but the spambots forced me to buy a domain name and pay hosting. I am kinda grateful to them for that. :)
Akismet that works with WordPress will take care of it.
*makes the spammers a nice lei out of chum*
Ver. word: Mater... git 'r' done ;-P
The spam filter on WordPress only made one mistake on comments to my blog out of thousands of spam attempts. Blogger is very behind the times both in editing, automatic comment filtering and various other features.
You can import your blog into WordPress.
What it WON'T do, sadly, is replicate the Bloggger "Follow" feature with the grid of happy faces following your blog.
I agree with what has been said already: move your blog to WordPress. Their Akismet spam-block program works great. And, they will import all your posts and comments over, so you can have your blogged up and running on WP in just a couple clicks.
I'll fourth the Wordpress recommendation. In addition to catching most spam up front so that it never even makes it to your blog, Wordpress will also send you an email every time someone comments (I have a message rule set up where they all go into the same folder) so if the program doesn't catch it, you do.
I set up a fledgling Blogger blog in the beginning when I was comparison shopping that I've never taken down, but whenever I've tried to use it I'm shocked by how little control it gives me, I'm so used to all the great Wordpress features. (And I don't even customize much or add plug-ins; even the basic features seem so much more useful than what Blogger offers.)
I just checked and I'm told that in the 2+ years that I've had my blog, Akismet (Wordpress's spam filter) has fended off 4989 spam comments.
It is frusterating. These days my only problem with spammers is Anonymous. Usually I adhere to the belief if you have something worthwhile to say, leave a name to back up your words. However I left that option open to make commenting easier. I'm beginning to think, it's no longer an option.
The thing is technology advances and eventually they'll find a way around whatever.
I agree that it does take a lot of guts to query an open audience. Those who adhere to cruel commentary obviously don't respect that.
I set my blogger account to only moderate comments left on posts older than 30 days - then if someone grabs an old post to comment 'junk' it comes up for moderation. Love your stuff! Thanks for all your work.
After reading this and commenting myself, I took the initiative on my own blog to deal with Anonymous spammers. Thanks, for the inspiration. Indigo
Amen, I just had to turn on word verification for the first time in 3 years. Hope it helps.
I've been having the same problem-- mostly with foreign language spam, oddly enough, including one post that got so many filthy postings in Japanese that I had to close comments on it entirely. I don't think my very low-profile blog attracts nearly as much attention as yours, so so far word verification seems to be working fairly well. But based on what everyone here is saying, if I ever thought it was worthwhile to pay for my blog, I would definitely look into Wordpress.
We appreciate the protectiveness of the Shark.
When I hone and submit my humble query, I will want your unvarnished reaction and the helpful criticisms and encouragment of the commentators (commenters?). I do not want to feel I have added a target to my back for haters to insult me, or, in the case of spammers, to unwittingly express a need for impotence cures. I'm a girl. When has a girl EVER wanted an impotence cure?
I had to put moderation on too. These people don't know where to draw the line, inviting children from my kid's site to phone their call girls.
So far I've avoided having to do comment moderation, but it's only a matter of time. I got hit by my first spammer today.
You can try using Disqus or Intense Debate comment programs. They require an email from everyone who leaves a comment.
You'll figure out a way to beat them. Sharks are way tougher than spammers.
I hate spammers!
I concur with the Wordpress.com recommendations. I have or oversee several blogs on WP and its filter has caught thousands of comment spam messages. I check them all and it has only been wrong half a dozen times.
I'd like to agree with Tim and Rachel. So far, Akismet has caught about 10,000 spam comments on my (Wordpress) writing advice blog, Superhero Nation. I've only had to pull about 10 comments out of the spam filter.
If it can be invented for good, someone will find a way to abuse it.
............dhole
Wordpress is the answer... no annoying wordy thing I can't read and always get wrong to type in before I can leave this comment, either!
Love what you're doing.
Cheers
BC
I love Query Shark. If I never have my query critiqued I'll still love it. My only complaint, I wish there were new critiqued queries more often.
I learn so much.
Thank you.
MaryAnn Kempher
My dream is to create a Spam blocker that sends a ten gigawatt electrical surge back to the offender and renders them sterile. If a unforeseen side effect is that they chant "Redrum" for eternity I could live with that.
spammers are annoying no matter where they send it too whether regular email, blogs, webpages...I've set up mine to approve all messages, this way I even catch all those with porn links for my webpage...so far my blog is still unknown as no comments on it have shown up. yes its on wordpress because its the only one I can remember....hehehe..sorry no caffeine not to mention no sleep.
I love your website and helpful tips Janet...I hope you don't mind my referring them to your webpage/blog. I especially love your 250 words or less Query. Can you post it here on your website because guide to literary agents, is loading properly.
blessings and thanks Query Shark...up loading caffeine 50 gallons is that a bit much? for a week or less? :) Have a great Weekend and Are you going to watch the superbowl? I don't think I will...its not one of the channels I get...
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