Another Name For Loser

I'm in a grumpy mood today and it's all due to a spammer.

This blog was put on modified comment moderation several weeks ago when some bozo decided to sell his wares on MY blog.

To prevent further abuse, comments on posts older than a day have to get my approval. Sometimes that misfires because I don't always realize there's a comment waiting and it ends up sitting in limbo.

Yesterday, another spammer decided to promote her book on my blog.

Let me make this clear. Occasionally, I invite authors to do a little promo. Those who comment regularly and make an effort to maintain a relationship with me earn big brownie points. I never turn down a friend if s/he needs me to get the word out on their behalf. I consider it an honor. I hang with a pretty smart crowd. Their appearance on my blog makes ME look better by virtue of association.

But if you think you can slap your blurb on my blog without so much as a polite email, buddy, you're delusional and ignorant.

Before I deleted the comment, I Googled this person. She has a book with a publisher I've never heard of, and the only other entries I found were other comments she made on other blogs.

Tell me, please. On what planet do you think that works?

I've read spam comments on other blogs and the only thing that comes to mind is that this person is a total LOSER if he thinks that kind of promotion is going to get him a following.

Well…maybe a following of angry bloggers with pitchforks.

Every Friday for over a year, I've analyzed one specific promotional venue and I've shared my findings with those of you who care to follow. In all my research, no where have I come across information that suggests bulk spamming your blurb equates to sales.

If anything, it blacklists you.

Cyber space has a long memory. A reputation for spamming will follow you forever.

Copyright © 2009 Maria Zannini -- http://mariazannini.blogspot.com/.

Comments

Mike Keyton said…
She might make nice compost, though I imagine we all will in the end
Marianne Arkins said…
Amen, sister! I'm still steamed about the Chinese spammer I had a couple days back who was posting faster than I could delete them.

I'm pretty sure I hate spammers more than I hate telemarketers, and that's saying something.

The thing is, if people weren't getting SOMETHING back from their spam (even if it's a .001 response) they wouldn't do it.

IMHO, the best way to stop spam is to STOP RESPONDING TO IT. The people who buy male enhancements or prescription drugs or doctor lists are the ones who encourage this behavior to continue.

And, oy... will step down off my soapbox now.
J.L. Johnson said…
I hear ya. I used to be a moderator for a sic-fi forum, and we had one guy sign on and immediatly start a thread about his novel without asking permission. He had a link to his personal web site and his book's Amazon site. I posted in his thread (politely, of course) that this wasn't allowed and deleted the links to his sites. I locked the thread, hoping he'd see it (and as a warning to others), but nope, a few months later he did the extact same thing. So I emailed him and explained how things were, deleted his thread and banned his IP address. He never participated in the forum or anything. Sorry, that's just rude, and yes, I told him that.

Aparently not all writers have common sense.
Maria Zannini said…
Mike: Compost! LOL! I'd rather her bones keep company with that of other spammers. Forgotten.
Maria Zannini said…
Marianne: That's been my assessment too.

People have to stop buying into dreck and pipe dreams of bigger penises.

We have a hard enough time legitimizing our profession to the outside world--and sometimes even to our own kind given the RWA-fail.
Maria Zannini said…
Jannette: Sounds like you were being more than fair.

I wonder if his day job was in sales. Salesman are hardwired not to take no for an answer.

I don't think you were being rude. You were being fair to all the other members.
Unknown said…
Man that is just so shady. I wouldn't never conceive of drive-by promoting in someone else's comment section. If other people's comments are especially clever/thoughtful/enlightening/etc., I make a point of clicking their link(s), but crap like that just marks them as PEOPLE TO AVOID.
Maria Zannini said…
Catie: It happens far too often. I cannot conceive that anyone would click on a link that is obviously spam. Even if the book was good, the author's integrity is shot. I wouldn't buy that book out of principle.
Commenting on blogs can be very legitimate at the same time that it might promote that commenter's website, book, name, etc. As long as it's a real comment and not spam. On my main blog, I moderate comments. It hurts my blog in that I don't get near as many comments because I moderate. But I do hate spammers.
Maria Zannini said…
Agreed, John. Commenting is one of the best forms of marketing I know, but there are protocols--good manners if you will. The same manners our mamas should have taught us when we were toddlers.

Pimping a book to a dozen or more blogs does not promote you. It blacklists you.

I don't like to moderate either. I expect people to be responsible.

Thanks for stopping by.