Blogger's Spaminator is going postal. Another four today! Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to adjust it at all. Anyone know how to turn it off? It's not even catching any spam messages.
I don't know whether Blogger is like WordPress, but in WordPress if a comment has more than one link in it, it's regarded as spam or in need of moderation.
In WordPress the comments console gives a handy list of the number of comments classed as spam or needing moderation. And it's a matter of a couple of clicks to let them through, after I've got round to looking at them.
Rose, for example, frequently posts comments which contain 3 or 4 links, and I have to approve them before they appear. This didn't used to happen on LiveJournal, where it was instead difficult for anyone to post a comment at all.
From here: "We are always seeking feedback on how to improve this feature, so please share your feedback with us by clicking on the Report Spam Filtering Issues."
Which is a link to here. Which looks like yet another forum where, no doubt, lots and lots of other bloggers have complained, and get ignored, about the inaccuracy of the spam filter, so any comments you do leave there will go unnoticed.
For example someone wanting to disable the filter is told "tough tittie, you must participate in the filter training exercise - I don't care if you don't get spam."
The fact that the filter has been trained for the past few months and still isn't fit for purpose seems to elude a few people however.
That's the first time one of mine has fallen foul of the spaminator and there were no html links in it, only part of the Hippocratic Oath, which doesn't even contain any swear words.
The only way I know of to turn the bastard off is to disable Blogger comments altogether and put in another comment system. I've been using IntenseDebate for a while now, though I do have one annoying problem that I've been unable to fix - no link to the comment section under posts on the main blog pages. Don't know why because on other blogs using ID (e.g. Grim Reaper Writes) it works fine. The other annoying part about ID is that I've asked for help on this from them and have been met with a wall of silence. For all that I'm sticking with it as it's designed to work with Wordpress and I'm seriously thinking of moving my place there anyway. Another option is Disqus, which if you look at The Daily Teletubbygraph's website is the comment system they use for their articles. I tried that to but a few commenters had problems with it so I ditched it after only a couple of weeks. Echo is another one that looks excellent and is nice to use as a commenter, but they do charge for it which might put off people who want to blog as anonymously as possible and cheapskates like me - bad enough we all blog for free but to pay for the privilege ;-)
All three are discussed with links here and here, and that second one also mentions another one called Livefyre which I'd never heard of 'til now and can't recall ever seeing in use. Sounds relatively new actually, and seems aimed more at Twitterers and Facebook users. I don't tweet and and can't bear Basefuck so I wouldn't know if it's popular there.
If you do decide to bin Blogger comments for one of these then for what it's worth I'd try Disqus first as I found it easier to install and remove than IntenseDebate, though Echo might be even better in that regard. A few blogs use it - All Seeing Eye, off the top of my head - so maybe one of them could shed some light on that.
Other than that I guess the only option is to wait for Blogger comments to stop being shit.
At least the Spaminator keeps the comment for my approval at the moment. Once they've got them fully 'trained', they'll probably do the approving themselves, and stick all comments containing the words 'bomb' and 'revolution' and 'kill all the bastards' in the trash.
I'm completely baffled. Nothing unusual there you may say, but where does blogger put the spam?
Maybe it's the way I have my system set up but I get a copy of every comment in email form courtesy of gmail these days. I can regulate comments from either there (although they're already published) or from the blog itself.
Of course LI, may I advise you not to pay an iota of attention to me. My technical knowledge is on a par with my cow riding.
"I'm completely baffled. Nothing unusual there you may say, but where does blogger put the spam?"
You should have a "Comments" link at http://www.blogger.com/home (I'd post a direct link but they contain the blog ID and so it wouldn't be terribly useful)
That page has 3 tabs: Published, Awaiting Moderation, and Spam.
PJH, likewise. Email copy of my comment posted at 09:29 arrived at 18:29 AEST, i.e. instantly. But revisiting the comment isn't there. Probably dumped in the spam box because I provided a couple of links to articles on alternative blog comment systems. I'm half wondering if this will end up in the same place just for mentioning that you don't have to put up with Blogger's shithouse comment system... let's find out.
That worked too. Maybe it's two links? Decent alternatives to Blogger's default system let you choose how many links get automatically classified as spam as well as select some of your own trigger words. Blogger's effort really is third rate.
Larger genitals, Viagra, Russian brides (with moustaches), Norway, the National Spoon Museum in Henley, activate your account now, $10million waiting for you, Norway again, pornography...
If this comment gets through, I think you can say that your SPAM filters are buggered.
It has always done it at random, and it does catch 75% of spam comments, but I have also noticed that the past couple of weeks it has been catching a lot of non-spam as well.
But to be fair half the non-spam was by people who couldn't be bothered to log into their gmail blogger account thingy first.
But you get a notification of comment being posted sent to email and it's not too much hassle checking and removing from spam, so I'm still very happy with Blogger overall.
21 comments:
I don't know whether Blogger is like WordPress, but in WordPress if a comment has more than one link in it, it's regarded as spam or in need of moderation.
In WordPress the comments console gives a handy list of the number of comments classed as spam or needing moderation. And it's a matter of a couple of clicks to let them through, after I've got round to looking at them.
Rose, for example, frequently posts comments which contain 3 or 4 links, and I have to approve them before they appear. This didn't used to happen on LiveJournal, where it was instead difficult for anyone to post a comment at all.
It seems you can't turn it off.
Mine has at least caught a few bits of real spam, but far more actual comments...
From here:
"We are always seeking feedback on how to improve this feature, so please share your feedback with us by clicking on the Report Spam Filtering Issues."
Which is a link to here. Which looks like yet another forum where, no doubt, lots and lots of other bloggers have complained, and get ignored, about the inaccuracy of the spam filter, so any comments you do leave there will go unnoticed.
For example someone wanting to disable the filter is told "tough tittie, you must participate in the filter training exercise - I don't care if you don't get spam."
The fact that the filter has been trained for the past few months and still isn't fit for purpose seems to elude a few people however.
That's the first time one of mine has fallen foul of the spaminator and there were no html links in it, only part of the Hippocratic Oath, which doesn't even contain any swear words.
The only way I know of to turn the bastard off is to disable Blogger comments altogether and put in another comment system. I've been using IntenseDebate for a while now, though I do have one annoying problem that I've been unable to fix - no link to the comment section under posts on the main blog pages. Don't know why because on other blogs using ID (e.g. Grim Reaper Writes) it works fine. The other annoying part about ID is that I've asked for help on this from them and have been met with a wall of silence. For all that I'm sticking with it as it's designed to work with Wordpress and I'm seriously thinking of moving my place there anyway. Another option is Disqus, which if you look at The Daily Teletubbygraph's website is the comment system they use for their articles. I tried that to but a few commenters had problems with it so I ditched it after only a couple of weeks. Echo is another one that looks excellent and is nice to use as a commenter, but they do charge for it which might put off people who want to blog as anonymously as possible and cheapskates like me - bad enough we all blog for free but to pay for the privilege ;-)
All three are discussed with links here and here, and that second one also mentions another one called Livefyre which I'd never heard of 'til now and can't recall ever seeing in use. Sounds relatively new actually, and seems aimed more at Twitterers and Facebook users. I don't tweet and and can't bear Basefuck so I wouldn't know if it's popular there.
If you do decide to bin Blogger comments for one of these then for what it's worth I'd try Disqus first as I found it easier to install and remove than IntenseDebate, though Echo might be even better in that regard. A few blogs use it - All Seeing Eye, off the top of my head - so maybe one of them could shed some light on that.
Other than that I guess the only option is to wait for Blogger comments to stop being shit.
I just post direct to Frank's Spaminator.
I know my place.
Rose
Ha!
At least the Spaminator keeps the comment for my approval at the moment. Once they've got them fully 'trained', they'll probably do the approving themselves, and stick all comments containing the words 'bomb' and 'revolution' and 'kill all the bastards' in the trash.
I'm completely baffled. Nothing unusual there you may say, but where does blogger put the spam?
Maybe it's the way I have my system set up but I get a copy of every comment in email form courtesy of gmail these days. I can regulate comments from either there (although they're already published) or from the blog itself.
Of course LI, may I advise you not to pay an iota of attention to me. My technical knowledge is on a par with my cow riding.
"I'm completely baffled. Nothing unusual there you may say, but where does blogger put the spam?"
You should have a "Comments" link at http://www.blogger.com/home (I'd post a direct link but they contain the blog ID and so it wouldn't be terribly useful)
That page has 3 tabs: Published, Awaiting Moderation, and Spam.
LI
Post with multiple links duly despatched to the Spaminator via the previous thread.
You know, this is far less stressful than simply wondering where it went.
Rose
I cast my post into the universe...
Well, it appears my post in reply to subrosa directly above seems to have been caught in the trap.
I got the email which tricks you into thinking it got posted, but it ain't visible as I type...
PJH, likewise. Email copy of my comment posted at 09:29 arrived at 18:29 AEST, i.e. instantly. But revisiting the comment isn't there. Probably dumped in the spam box because I provided a couple of links to articles on alternative blog comment systems. I'm half wondering if this will end up in the same place just for mentioning that you don't have to put up with Blogger's shithouse comment system... let's find out.
Okay, that worked. Let's try it with one link to Blogger comment alternatives.
"PJH, likewise. Email copy of my comment posted at 09:29 arrived at 18:29 AEST, i.e. instantly. But revisiting the comment isn't there"
Hmm - odd stuff happening then; guess what arrived in my email box at 09:29 this morning? With links to alternative comment systems.
I don't see it here either though.
That worked too. Maybe it's two links? Decent alternatives to Blogger's default system let you choose how many links get automatically classified as spam as well as select some of your own trigger words. Blogger's effort really is third rate.
PJH, that's really weird. Blogger really is getting worse with the commenting.
Larger genitals, Viagra, Russian brides (with moustaches), Norway, the National Spoon Museum in Henley, activate your account now, $10million waiting for you, Norway again, pornography...
If this comment gets through, I think you can say that your SPAM filters are buggered.
Yep, they're buggered.
TS - more amusingly, the filter on my gmail account actually caught the mail notification on that one.
Perhaps the Blogger developers should be talking the the Gmail developers?
:-o
It has always done it at random, and it does catch 75% of spam comments, but I have also noticed that the past couple of weeks it has been catching a lot of non-spam as well.
But to be fair half the non-spam was by people who couldn't be bothered to log into their gmail blogger account thingy first.
But you get a notification of comment being posted sent to email and it's not too much hassle checking and removing from spam, so I'm still very happy with Blogger overall.
The odd thing is, Blogger does send the comment as an Email but doesn't tell me it's in the spam cage.
I'll just have to get used to checking...
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