Editing Spam
I read an interesting post today by Lorelle at WordPress (now given the article Lorelle wrote that will sound just like spam, but it’s not….. Lorelle makes a really interesting point in her article).
The interesting point isn’t about the spam, although she quite rightly points out some of the comment spam that you can look for that you may have let through in a weak moment (drunk, tired, had enough, just shutting down the PC etc.).
The interesting point is the fact that rather than just deleting the spam comment, if it adds value to the discussion you might as well keep it – but if you do decide to keep it, remove it’s value:
- Change the commenter’s name.
- Remove the links in the comment.
- Remove the link in the URL/address form.
You have the right to edit the link on your blog!
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Another guideline: Never start a blog with “I read an interesting post today by Lorelle at WordPress….”
Your trackback was almost instinctively marked as spam because it had that famous opening used by spammers all over the place. And other clues, like using WordPress not WordPress – a common hint that the commenter isn’t paying attention to details and could be a spammer. Over time, it’s the little things you notice that makes or breaks a comment’s integrity when it comes to cleaning out comment spam.
You are so right. People don’t seem to understand that they can edit the comments, especially the ones that they are in doubt about. Remove the links but leave the content – nothing wrong with that. Thanks!!!!
I think I did the WordPress/WordPress thing without thinking! In fact I think I’ve got that wrong forever!!
[...] in my Akismet Spam box – just in case there’s something there I really would like to read, or even edit to make into quality content. However I really can’t face piling through pages and pages of spam with links to all manner [...]