Friday, October 21, 2005

DEATH OF AN ANONYMOUS POSTER

One interesting discovery in my blogging adventures is how many spammers use other people's blogs to try and promote their own totally unrelated products--everything from laser hair removal to selling life insurance policies. God knows it's never anything interesting. Let alone relevant.

I can't imagine this is very effective advertising, since (speaking only for myself--but I know I'm not unique in my disdain for spam and the inbred halfwits who perpetrate it) I instantly delete these idiotic ads the second my email alerts me that they've been posted (which is about ten seconds after they show up).

Like here's an example:

ANONYMOUS SAID:

"I just came across your blog about ebay selling techniqueand wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have a web site & blog about **keyword** ebay selling technique so I know I'm talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!"

Uh, well, I like to think so, but it's not actually a resource for ebay selling techniques. In fact, anyone who follows my technique is in for trouble--and probably refinancing. My dear Anonymous, can it be that you did not actually bother to READ WHAT MY BLOG IS ABOUT????

Golly. Are you just targeting every place on the web that mentions eBAY selling? Is your winning strategy truly no more sophisticated than random machine gun fire? Is this how financial wars are won and lost--and fiscal security achieved? You simply spam everyone on the web who mentions eBAY in passing?

Interesting.

(Kind of like newbie writers who send book announcements to an entire mailing list directed towards "everyone who loves a good mystery!" Yes, there are still people out there that...gosh, what's a nice word for it?...Naive?)

I know some of these goofs aren't even that subtle. They merely watch to see who has recently updated his / her blog, and then they add a little congratulatory post (often in broken English) with a spurious link to some weird product or service that only someone like themselves would be interested in. I mean, seriously, if I was going to indulge in laser hair removal, I wouldn't be scouring the web for a provider.

Does any of this stuff work? That's my question. These people must imagine it does.

Question of the day--heck, let's hear what the spammers themselves have to say, because after I post this, we'll get a couple of the usual "YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB COME SEE MY SITE OF SWEATERS MADE FROM HAIRBALLS COUGHED UP BY PEDIGREED CATS." Or the like.


Sorry. So the question of the day is...do you respond to spam? Those email offers or blogged advertisements: do you ever click through and check 'em out? And say you do, have you ever bought anything from one of those sites?

Speaking of which, think about it. It's not like we're exactly high traffic here--the spammers are our most faithful readership. So how sad is that? They're wasting their grand promotional efforts on each other--and something tells me they're not the best listeners in the world. They're wasting their time and energy on every little blog or site that happens to mention keywords like...eBAY???? That's a lot of hopeful clicking and clacking.

But getting back to Anonymous and his (her?) recent post. You've got to wonder if these random acts of spamming reflect the avaunted (Avaunted? Is that a real word? Did I just make it up?) bidding technique. Or was it her selling technique? I forget. I mean, if she's (he's?) so successful wouldn't she at least have written a book that she could be spamming us about on discussion lists?

Anyway, let's go fishing and see if Anonymous will show up on cue and prove my point. I feel like we're after the Loch Ness monster or something!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loss of Winn-Dixie Jobs affects Sept. employment
Data released today shows the number of people employed throughout the state dropped in September, a result of grocery store chain Winn-Dixie closing its stores, said economist Mark Vitner from Wachovia.
I was blogg surfing and I found your blog. I think it is very interesting. Keep up the good work!!
If you ever think in having your own busness and quit your job witha minimal investment, visit this site make money, if you need make money this is great"

Diana Killian said...

My gosh, is that funny or what. WITHIN SECONDS!!!

Anonymous said...

ROFL!!!! Your spam is much more interesting, not to mention more longwinded, than mine. All I get is spam for online gambling sites. Not that they ever actually mention gambling in their comments, mind you. It's very strange. *g*

Diana Killian said...

Hmmm. Something in your net movements leads these folks to believe you are a high roller! What are you up to, Tori? We already know you have a fondness for The Saint. Veddddy interesting...

Anonymous said...

"I just came across your blog about Powersellerand wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have a web site & blog about **keyword** Powerseller so I know I'm talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great work, you are providing a great resource on the Internet here!

Anonymous said...

Wow! They're really coming out of the woodwork!

Diana Killian said...

Apparently this stuff is planted by some kind of spambot. I've had to add one of those comment verification thingies. Annoying, I know, but the only thing I can think of to slow the idiots down.

Anonymous said...

Boy, those are some weird ads. Busness? What is this busness.
I love your Poetic Death series, when's the next on coming out?

Diana Killian said...

The next PD, Sonnet of the Sphinx is due out the end of April. Thanks for making it your busness to ask!