Too Much Blog Spam

[Shawn Gossman]

Does the enormous amount of blog spam ever get to you?

Does blog spam ever make you want to give up blogging altogether? Have you ever turned off comments because of it?

If you have figured out a way to combat it, what steps have you taken to do this?

 

[JWeb]

I use Turnstile and it has worked out well for me.

But before I set anything up, it's disappointing to see a bunch of comments on a post only to find out they are spam

 

[Heatman]

Akismet is a well-known spam filter for blogs, especially for WordPress sites. Most of the blog sites I've visited makes use of it and I think it's very effective.

Spam isn't good for any kind of website, not just blogs.

 

[Mike30]

Yes, it's a non stop process. Tons of time wasted. And when a true user post a comment, it's lost among the spam.
From my perspective, there is no much difference (context wise) from a blog post vs a well formed forum posts. And there is more control against spam with a forum than with a blog.

 

[Uncrowned Guard]

I have always found blogs lacking in spam tools. Even with something like Invision Community, I will grab forum spam almost as soon as I log in, but the blog comments get lost with ease.

 

[Heatman]

Yes, it's a non stop process. Tons of time wasted. And when a true user post a comment, it's lost among the spam.
From my perspective, there is no much difference (context wise) from a blog post vs a well formed forum posts. And there is more control against spam with a forum than with a blog.

The tools available right now are not enough to help blogs manage spam effectively. It would look like they have more focus on forums with regards to handling spams and other technical issues.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Yes, it's a non stop process. Tons of time wasted. And when a true user post a comment, it's lost among the spam.
From my perspective, there is no much difference (context wise) from a blog post vs a well formed forum posts. And there is more control against spam with a forum than with a blog.

I'm constantly checking my spam folders on my blog to ensure that a legit comment hasn't been added to spam.

I often wonder if simply turning off the ability to add a link would stop most spam.

 

[Mike30]

I'm constantly checking my spam folders on my blog to ensure that a legit comment hasn't been added to spam.

I often wonder if simply turning off the ability to add a link would stop most spam.

My few attempts to run a blog, I simply remove the ability to post comments... Still, when I make a new post, I forget to click that option, and spam pours like heavy rain...

 

[Shawn Gossman]

My few attempts to run a blog, I simply remove the ability to post comments... Still, when I make a new post, I forget to click that option, and spam pours like heavy rain...

I definitely want comments. I love it when engagement happens.

But today I went to look for an option to remove the ability to input a URL on the comments and that option doesn't exist!!!

You either have to edit the code or add an addon to make it to where a comment form doesn't have the URL field.

I'm disappointed that WP doesn't have this feature out of the box. Not every blog needs to allow URLs in comments. My hiking blog for example can do without it. I'm not targeting people who own websites with that blog. I'm targeting people who hike.

I hate that I have to add a new addon to do something so basic that it should be a default feature.

 

[Mike30]

Unbelievable right? How big is WP and lacking such a trivial function...
But's not only the problem with urls. What about comments similar to : "sXXJDIFlkjlkhHOIIHD" that does not contain urls? I mean, I had many thousands of those.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Unbelievable right? How big is WP and lacking such a trivial function...
But's not only the problem with urls. What about comments similar to : "sXXJDIFlkjlkhHOIIHD" that does not contain urls? I mean, I had many thousands of those.

Oh yeah. I see those all the time.

With all the AI tech, you'd think platforms like WordPress and even the forum software platforms would have a handle on spam by now.

 

[Heatman]

Oh yeah. I see those all the time.

With all the AI tech, you'd think platforms like WordPress and even the forum software platforms would have a handle on spam by now.

AI techs have been struggling with handling for so long. It's even the same thing outside forums/blogs too. Even in social media platforms like all Meta products, their AI algorithms struggle with handling spam as they keep mistaking so many things as spams which aren't spams actually.