This post is showing, on a very simple example, how to annoy a fellow blogger and get banned from a blog. The easy way.
We all receive spam comments and fight them with different plugins. I stopped using Akismet and installed Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin that does a great job of fighting those bots. But there is a worse thing than a bot – a human spammer.
This post is about Mr. Praveen from techperk.com (no, I am not even gonna link to his blog).
Since I’ve started this blog I received three comments from him. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I would be writing this post so I deleted one way back (it was the second one).
The first comment said: “Very good collections listed out here, i love the 2nd and 4th actually. good job.. go ahead Retweeted” and it was on one of my list posts.
I checked out his blog (at this moment Alexa 37.500, Google PR 2), approved the comment and wanted to check out his Twitter.
Now, as a new blogger, I love checking out how numbers grow on my posts, you know, how many times was the post retweeted, if anyone digged it, etc.
So I am on his Twitter and I see he did not RT the post. I have no problem with people not RTing my posts, but why would he write he did!?
And here is the most interesting thing. I Googled his comment (thanks for the suggestion @mrBenWan) and here is what I came up with:
This is all I could catch with the Print Screen option on my computer. There are some of my favorite blogs in the search results as well, like hectorjcuevas.com and his post 4 awesome online brands and bloggingbookshelf.com with his How to create the perfect blog footer.
There are exactly 24 same comments in Google results!!!
The second comment (the one I deleted) was along the same lines, again saying he retweeted my post. So I checked it and guess what, he didn’t! I started to realize what is going on so I deleted the comment. Sorry, spammer.
And 2 days ago, here he comes again, and posts his third comment: “Hey, nice and a very good piece of share. I like the way this has been crafted. Keep up the great work. promoted the post.. Thanks“. You can see it at my Blogging tribes post.
Promoted the post! Rings a bell, doesn’t it! No, he did not promote it. As I said, no problem, you don’t have to and I will still love you. But don’t say you did.
So I Google him again. He posted the same comment on 12 blogs:
Just a part of the search results
What did I do about this human spammer?
I removed his Comment Luv links and I will not be approving his comments any more.There is a commenting policy on my blog and it is there for a reason.
You know, you can see some short comments on my blog. I don’t mind them when they are coming from regular readers. I understand that you don’t have the time to spend hours on my blog commenting. And I am OK with that.
I am even OK if from time to time, you are commenting just for a link. I understand it.
But this is my blog! Don’t come to my house and show no respect.
I was surprised at his blog’s numbers (Alexa and Google) but I guess everything is possible in this world. However, I was told that his blog might be an auto-blog.
So, I don’t want to keep you here any longer but I would love to hear your opinion on this.
- Do you have his comments on your blog?
- Is this something you don’t care about or does it annoy you?
- Do you think his blog is real or it could be an auto-blog?
UPDATE:
I got a comment from Praveen.
I am copying it here. He was kind enough to include Comment Luv link to his comment and since for what ever reason the removal link is not there I am just pasting the text. No links from me, Praveen and thanks for the comment.
“Hi All
First of all thank you the blog owner for spending your time and writing a post on it.
I never have time to comment on any of your blogs as i am not a pro-blogger, i have a 2 member team to approve and write comments on other blogs. I have received same kind of complaints from few others too but never took it seriously. This time i got an e-mail from this blog owner so that is the reason why came here to comment.
I never know the 2 guys are using same kind of comments to fill all your blogs. I will ensure that this will never ever happen in any of the blogs found in the blogosphere.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused
Thanks”
And here is what I have to say:
First of all, Praveen, I do have a name. It is written all over the post. And my name is not “blog owner”.If you don’t have the time to comment, why do you? Why do you have 2 people getting links for you and signing your name? How are we supposed to create a connection with you when you actually never read any of our posts and never comment on any of them?
If you have received complaints before don’t you think it is utterly unprofessional that you never took time to see what is going on? Does this mean that you don’t care what people have to say?
You say you got an e-mail from this blog owner and came here to comment. I understand that English is not your native language, it isn’t mine either, so I don’t really understand. I didn’t send you any e-mails. Does this mean that you call everyone that has a blog “blog owner”?
I can not believe that you would run a business and not know what your friends/employees do! Again, very unprofessional.
I guess it is not your fault!?!?
I am not completely convinced you are sorry so I will stick with my opinion of not approving your comments any more. I guess you have so many links already that you don’t need mine.
And since you are not reading the posts and making comments, I see no need to see your links all over my blog.
Thank you one more time for responding to my post, I would have thought that you would present your case a bit better. I am sure people will find it in their hearts to re-approve all of your comments, now that they know you don’t read our blogs because you are too busy!
Brankica, the blog owner
SECOND UPDATE:
After this I got an e-mail. He wants me to do a screenshot and post it here. One note to you, you can’t tell me what to do on my blog!!!
And then another comment:
Hi Miss. Brankica
lol, thanks a lot for posting my comment here, i got this link from [link removed so bots don't pick it up] so i am not sure it is you or someone.
I do not have 4 hands to do all these, and i am not fully into blogging like others or you. I have some other work, i love blogging so i will spend time whenever i get and post comments personally in big sites. definitely not on your site, you will understand why i use those 2 when you grow in blogging but stop doing all these to grow. I definitely read all the useful blog posts in very good sites and leave my comments, so you need not teach me. lol
I can truly understand that your a newbie so very much excited about and tries to find something to write. I have not posted this with my link becuase i do not want your precious links
I will make sure that this type of commenting will not happen again in any of the other blogs. I will also ensure that myself or any of my workers to post GENUINE comments on your blog, becuase i do not want you to waste your link
If you say you are a good blogger then update the post with the screen of the mail i sent through your comment form. Please dont speak about Business ethics without doing this, and also you must have intimated me about this as someone has said in your comments. This is definitely not a professional way for an ENGLISH BLOGGER
I will definitely post about this and call you as a spammer who is trying to make money and people by blogging about others. Since you have called me so, do you know that? How many days you are into this? First learn how to call people and then do blogging.
PLEASE TRY TO REPLY TO PEOPLE IN A GOOD WAY TO GET A GOOD REPLY
Thanks
I guess it was the time for him to start insulting
You can comment as much as you want, you are not helping yourself.
If this is a small blog why did you bother in the first place? If this is a small blog, why are you sending these comments, you should not care!
You will NOT post GENUINE comments on my blog, as you say, because my small blog doesn’t need your comments.
Feel free to post this thing you are “threatening” me with: “I will definitely post about this and call you as a spammer who is trying to make money and people by blogging about others.” Just before you do, make sure you have your case right. You will need to prove that I am a spammer and that this blog is created to make money
Do you see ads here? Google AdSense? And do you think I really care
what you are going to post here? This is not my business, I have a job,
this is just fun.Bottom line, this is the last thing you sent and I published on my blog. I just needed to show people what you have sent me. This second comment of yours was so much “more professional”!
Have a great 2011. Praveen and it was great having you here! I have never received as many comments, you are the best
