Comments on: A comment on comment spam http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam An amateur's outlook on computation and mathematics. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Ignacio Segura http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2611 Ignacio Segura Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:37:11 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2611 Interesting topic. I just put to work an experimental technique to control the automated SPAM I was starting to defeat, but clearly I'm not ready to defeat human SPAMers. Dude, I can't imagine anything more boring than working as SPAMer! Anyway, I don't want to be a SPAMer myself, but opinions on my SPAM control technique are very welcome. http://www.isegura.es/blog/stop-spam-your-site-being-invisible-honeytrap-drupal-comments-form I just really want to find a SPAM control techique that works without causing much inconvenience to me or the good users. I find CAPTCHA a bit annoying, so I tried other solutions. Opinions welcome. Interesting topic. I just put to work an experimental technique to control the automated SPAM I was starting to defeat, but clearly I’m not ready to defeat human SPAMers. Dude, I can’t imagine anything more boring than working as SPAMer!

Anyway, I don’t want to be a SPAMer myself, but opinions on my SPAM control technique are very welcome.

http://www.isegura.es/blog/stop-spam-your-site-being-invisible-honeytrap-drupal-comments-form

I just really want to find a SPAM control techique that works without causing much inconvenience to me or the good users. I find CAPTCHA a bit annoying, so I tried other solutions. Opinions welcome.

]]> By: SundaraRaman http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2341 SundaraRaman Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:04:39 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2341 I'd agree with unekdoud - disabling direct links, and instead allowing links within the comment text would be a good idea, if your aim is to allow links to some relevant material alone. On the other hand, if you are concerned about allowing other people to 'link back' to themselves and form a network of sorts, URL filtering is probably the way to go (depending on how much of a pattern they have). I’d agree with unekdoud - disabling direct links, and instead allowing links within the comment text would be a good idea, if your aim is to allow links to some relevant material alone.

On the other hand, if you are concerned about allowing other people to ‘link back’ to themselves and form a network of sorts, URL filtering is probably the way to go (depending on how much of a pattern they have).

]]> By: Michael Slater http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2331 Michael Slater Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:24:57 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2331 If you are using WordPress blogging software (which I am happy with) the 'akismet' spam filtering add-on works very well. If you are using WordPress blogging software (which I am happy with) the ‘akismet’ spam filtering add-on works very well.

]]> By: baoilleach http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2282 baoilleach Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:29:30 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2282 On blogger, there is an option to moderate only comments on blog posts more than 2 weeks old. I find this is a good compromise. On blogger, there is an option to moderate only comments on blog posts more than 2 weeks old. I find this is a good compromise.

]]> By: Unblogged Bits for Saturday, 07 November 2009 | ***Dave Does the Blog http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2280 Unblogged Bits for Saturday, 07 November 2009 | ***Dave Does the Blog Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:42 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2280 [...] A comment on comment spam – I agree it’s sometimes a narrow call as to whether to accept or label as spam some of the comments I see. What they link back to is often the deciding factor. [...] [...] A comment on comment spam – I agree it’s sometimes a narrow call as to whether to accept or label as spam some of the comments I see. What they link back to is often the deciding factor. [...]

]]> By: unekdoud http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2279 unekdoud Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:41:00 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2279 I don't think it hurts that much to disable links. People can still copy and paste the URL for just a few seconds more. In that case, going one step further and creating a whitelist of link domains would be better. I don't think it makes sense to close comments on the older posts. Maybe just withholding those comments or allowing comments by email would work. Also, a heuristic approach to blocking links might be used, where the occurrence of certain terms is used to determine whether a link is likely to be spam/undesirable. There is also a possibility of hiding dubiously spammy comments like Youtube does, or moving them elsewhere. Of course, all this would depend in the blog technology, but it isn't impossible. I don’t think it hurts that much to disable links. People can still copy and paste the URL for just a few seconds more. In that case, going one step further and creating a whitelist of link domains would be better.

I don’t think it makes sense to close comments on the older posts. Maybe just withholding those comments or allowing comments by email would work.

Also, a heuristic approach to blocking links might be used, where the occurrence of certain terms is used to determine whether a link is likely to be spam/undesirable.

There is also a possibility of hiding dubiously spammy comments like Youtube does, or moving them elsewhere. Of course, all this would depend in the blog technology, but it isn’t impossible.

]]> By: unekdoud http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2278 unekdoud Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:37:55 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2278 I don't think it hurts that much to disable links. People can still copy and paste the URL for just a few seconds more. In that case, going one step further and creating a whitelist of link domains would be better. I don't think it makes sense to close comments on the older posts. Maybe just withholding those comments or allowing comments by email would work. Also, a heuristic approach to blocking links might be used, where the occurrence of certain terms is used to determine whether a link is likely to be spam/undesirable. I don’t think it hurts that much to disable links. People can still copy and paste the URL for just a few seconds more. In that case, going one step further and creating a whitelist of link domains would be better.

I don’t think it makes sense to close comments on the older posts. Maybe just withholding those comments or allowing comments by email would work.

Also, a heuristic approach to blocking links might be used, where the occurrence of certain terms is used to determine whether a link is likely to be spam/undesirable.

]]> By: bit-player » Blog Archive » A comment on comment spam Scripts Rss http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2276 bit-player » Blog Archive » A comment on comment spam Scripts Rss Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:50:08 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2276 [...] posted here:  bit-player » Blog Archive » A comment on comment spam By admin | category: perl scripts | tags: being-paid, general-public, gnu, humanity, [...] [...] posted here:  bit-player » Blog Archive » A comment on comment spam By admin | category: perl scripts | tags: being-paid, general-public, gnu, humanity, [...]

]]> By: Doc Terror http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2275 Doc Terror Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:24:47 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2275 You guys should learn what it's like on the dark side. People regularly pay $100-$300 for a link from an old site that's established: those are typically 'good' links, but crummy links from blogs and forums are worth at least a buck. See http://slightlyshadyseo.com/ and http://bluehatseo.com/ to learn about cutting edge techniques. You guys should learn what it’s like on the dark side.

People regularly pay $100-$300 for a link from an old site that’s established: those are typically ‘good’ links, but crummy links from blogs and forums are worth at least a buck.

See

http://slightlyshadyseo.com/ and http://bluehatseo.com/ to learn about cutting edge techniques.

]]> By: Joao http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2274 Joao Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:53:01 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2274 This is the first I hear about the issue of spam commenting (yes... I must be new in the intertubes...), but I wonder how certain one can be that all comments that bear an ad link are spam. Forgive my technological ignorance, but how hard it would be for the baddies to create malware that would add such links to all posts originated from the infected computer? Maybe simply by automatically filling this Homepage URL box that was offered to me. This is the first I hear about the issue of spam commenting (yes… I must be new in the intertubes…), but I wonder how certain one can be that all comments that bear an ad link are spam.

Forgive my technological ignorance, but how hard it would be for the baddies to create malware that would add such links to all posts originated from the infected computer? Maybe simply by automatically filling this Homepage URL box that was offered to me.

]]> By: Craig http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2273 Craig Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:30:11 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2273 Jon, I would go further -- don't analyze the URL, but download the page at that URL and analyze it. It's easy for a spammer to disguise their payload in an innocuous-looking comment, but I imagine it would be more difficult to obfuscate the destination of that payload if they want it to generate any revenue when visited. Another approach would be to analyze the universe of legitimate links in the history of comments on this blog, and try to find a pattern in <em>those</em>. If such a pattern existed, you could have a whitelist-style filter that would only let through some comment links. A third option would be to make the spam screening question much harder. At least that way, your low-paid spammers would be furthering their mathematical education... Jon, I would go further — don’t analyze the URL, but download the page at that URL and analyze it. It’s easy for a spammer to disguise their payload in an innocuous-looking comment, but I imagine it would be more difficult to obfuscate the destination of that payload if they want it to generate any revenue when visited.

Another approach would be to analyze the universe of legitimate links in the history of comments on this blog, and try to find a pattern in those. If such a pattern existed, you could have a whitelist-style filter that would only let through some comment links.

A third option would be to make the spam screening question much harder. At least that way, your low-paid spammers would be furthering their mathematical education…

]]> By: Jon Snyder http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2272 Jon Snyder Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:18:35 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2272 Why not analyze the link urls from comments and see if there is any pattern? You might be able to automatically filter the comments based on the url of the link. Why not analyze the link urls from comments and see if there is any pattern? You might be able to automatically filter the comments based on the url of the link.

]]> By: Michael Trick’s Operations Research Blog : Comment Spam http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2271 Michael Trick’s Operations Research Blog : Comment Spam Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:05:57 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2271 [...] computing science column and author of the bit-player blog, has a very nice article on issues with spam in the comments of his blog.  My blog is nowhere near as popular as Brian’s, but I too attract a reasonable [...] [...] computing science column and author of the bit-player blog, has a very nice article on issues with spam in the comments of his blog.  My blog is nowhere near as popular as Brian’s, but I too attract a reasonable [...]

]]> By: D. Eppstein http://bit-player.org/2009/a-comment-on-comment-spam#comment-2270 D. Eppstein Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:26:50 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=504#comment-2270 If deleting inane comments with a spammy payload is wrong, then I don't want to be right. If deleting inane comments with a spammy payload is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

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