Blog SPAM. I hate it - you hate it - everybody hates it. Since blogs first came into existence the nefarious net dwellers targeted the comments section of blogs as a way of trying to ply their wares. I have personally visited blogs that have been virtually ruined by comments that have huge amounts of links to porn/viagra/cialis sites.
Almost none of these comments are actually posted by real people. The vast majority are created by automated bots or desktop software programs that can post thousands of these ads (which is what they amount to) per hour across the internet blog sites. If your blog gets hit, it can take quite a while to tidy up.
Interestingly I have never had this problem. When I first dipped my big toe into the WordPress world I immediately set up and began using Akismet which is Wordpress’ adopted SPAM plugin. It does require the application of an API key, but this is easily (and very quickly) obtained, and then is current for any other blog that you want to use it in.
Once activated it is a simple journey to plugins > akismet configuration where you are presented with one of the most straightforward screens you could have. Simply pop your API into the correct box, and Akismet is up and running and protecting your comments.
You do have the option to dump suspected SPAM immediately, but to be honest I like to see who I have caught and still get a pleasure from seeing just how much SPAM has not got through.
Akismet even give you an option to share this with others. If you add <?php akismet_counter(); ?> to your code it will show the world just how much SPAM you have protected your blog from!
Once Akismet is up and running and you log into your (WP 2.5) blog, you will be presented with a link on your dashboard with an up-to-date count of SPAM comments caught and (if you have not turned on auto discard) a link to the held comments:
Clicking through the link to the SPAM comments then allows you to review the comments, and ping backs that have been identified by Akismet as SPAM, and allows you to review whether or not you think that they are. So far I have a 100% relationship with Akismet. No SPAM has made its way onto my blog and nothing has been held incorrectly.
Another (and somewhat unexpected) benefit, is that I get to find out easily the SPLOGGERS who are stealing
my content. Sploggers just use script to scrape other bloggers content onto their website and post it alongside Adsense in order to try and earn revenue from other peoples’ hard work.
Thankfully this not only contravenes my copyright, but also Google’s rules for Adsense publishers. As such a quick fax to the DMCA dept at Google, and a report using WebMaster tools about SPAM in their index and within about a week Google turn off the Adsense to that site and send them a DMCA infringement notice. So far I have had a 100% success rate in getting these people out of Google’s index and not earning any Adsense revenue from my efforts.
This plugin is perfect. I cannot find a single fault, and nor can I find anything that I want adding in order to improve/change it.
I have run out of coffee - fancy buying me one? Tags: adsense, Akismet, API, application, Auto, benefit, blog, box, code, configuration, count, counter, dashboard, DMCA, everybody, existence, google, hour, index, internet, journey, key, majority, nothing, option, order, php, pleasure, pop, porn, problem, relationship, Revenue, section, software, Sploggers, toe, Viagra, way, Wordpress, world
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