Mon Post #1: Attack of the Spambots

If you make comments on this blog, you will have noticed a change this past week.  When you post, you have to 'prove' your not a robot.

I hate this feature. 

I am a big fan of making it as easy as possible to contribute comments but I had to change that.

A few months ago, the blog started to receive spam, computer generated comments with a link to porn, or someone selling something.

For the most part they are kind comical.  They are poorly written and clearly from overseas. I suspect there is a strong possibility the links lead to phishing websites.  Here is a screenshot of one of them (click on image to enlarge):

Blogger, which hosts this blog, had a spam filter that captures each and every one of these messages so that it does not make it through.  Once a week I go through the spam folder and delete all of the messages.

(From time to time a comment from faithful reader is in the spam filter - usually it is because they have attached a link - which is why it is important to check the filter)

You have to wonder why people bother.  If the spam filter captures the messages... what's the point?

But the messages come.

It started off with about 5 a week.  Last month that number started to grow.  And last week (as if the spambots were annoyed at the spam filter) a torrent of messages started to fly in.  As many as 150 per hour. And since I am notified every time a comment is made, it was becoming really annoying.

So... regrettably... I activated the spambot check to the comments section.

I apologize, but I hope you understand.

Spam, anyone?

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Email: village_whisperer@live.ca
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