One of the great mysteries of cyberspace--at least my small corner of it: why do so many people trying to sell shoes seem determined to spam my blog? I have the blog set so I see all the comments that are posted, and while Typepad does a decent job of filtering out most of the spam, a few make it though. And they're nearly all about shoes.
Oh, not overtly about shoes. They'll post some vague, seemingly innocuous comment. "Very, very well done" or “THIS IS A REALLY QUALITY POST. I FIND THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GOOGLE. GREAT JOB!!!” or, more poetically, “The road chosen in yesterday, please not return your head again and again. Regardless it ever gave …” (These are actual quotes of spam comments posted on--and now removed from--my blog.) And I will frown, and look down at the poster's name. And it will be something like "Discount [Brandname] Shoes" or "[Brandname] Chaussures." Or maybe the poster's name will be normal or at least innocuous, but there's the link to the website--www.[brandname]shoes.com. Arrant spam.
Is it just me? Are the spam trolls under the misapprehension that I am someone whose blog draws an audience of fine footwear aficionadas? Because anyone who's been paying attention would know that thanks to a badly healed broken toe, I've been living in Crocs the past couple of years, only recently acquired a pair of athletic shoes that I can wear without agony, and wouldn't know a designer shoe if it kicked me in the tailbone. Any shoe freak who finds her way to my blog would quickly give up in disgust and go elsewhere.
And I delete all the shoe spam as soon as I find it. In fact, I don't just delete it, I report it as spam. They're wasting their time, and mine. And their time is their own, but I'm really tired of spending mine deleting them.
So is it just me? Or is the entire blogosphere inundated with shoe spam???
Now you've done it. You mentioned shoes. More than once. Be prepared for the spam shoe-nami.
Posted by: sandrad | October 30, 2011 at 03:55 PM
I have wondered why on some blogs the s h o e s word has been moderated. Thanks.
I loved "The Real Macaw" I knew the Pruits couldn't be trusted! Can't wait for you next. Any idea when that might be?
Posted by: Melanie | November 06, 2011 at 08:45 PM
Dyslexics untie!
With T2 apparently gone, is everybody going to just forget about Nestor Garcia?
Or will Claudia and Tim encounter something suspicious--and dangerous--while on the beach in Miami, which ultimately (i.e. around page 200) connects to N.G.?
Posted by: Ted Powell | December 02, 2011 at 01:01 PM
I haven't figured this out either, but at least it's shoes and not anything worse!
Posted by: KrisL | December 04, 2011 at 02:42 AM
Careful, Donna- saying you don't like shoe ads is one step from saying you don't like shoes, and I think they can take away your girl card for that...;-p
Posted by: Joe Burkholder | December 19, 2011 at 04:15 PM
Hate to say it, Joe, but I seem to have missed the shoe gene. I like shoes, but I don't go bonkers over them, and ever since the badly healed broken toe, I pick comfort over style every time.
Posted by: Donna Andrews | December 19, 2011 at 05:33 PM
I own 3 pair, 4 if you count my walking to the mailbox flip-flops.
Posted by: Joe Burkholder | December 19, 2011 at 10:25 PM