More on Spam Comments

Support for Spam Commenting

Some people actually defend spam commenting!

 Why would anyone support spam commenting. There are only two reasons I can think of.

1. The supporter is so desperate for attention they get a sense of satisfaction from receiving any comment, even if it is just pure spam. Possible I suppose.
2. More likely the supporter of spam comments is a spammer. Obviously someone who spends their time generating spam, possibly even creating spambots and botnets, is not going to oppose spam comments. They want bloggers and web site owners to allow spam comments. That’s where they derive their income from.

Stop Spam Commenting

This is my opinion. Stop spam by any technical means possible. If that means preventing public (unregistered) commenting, critical moderation of comments, using CAPTCHA tools, feel free to do it (unless of course one wants to publish irrelevant spam comments on their articles).

Personally, I have no objection to signing in to one of my accounts, either WordPress.com, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID, creating a new account with the site, or filling in a CAPTCHA challenge – if I have something I think may be worth saying in a comment.

In a similar vein, I have no objection allowing Twitter or Facebook to connect my accounts with WordPress.com – if I did not trust WordPress.com I would not blog on this platform. I have come across the objection from someone who doesn’t see why they should use their Twitter or Facebook account to login in order to comment and thereby ‘letting me post articles to their account’ This is pure nonsense. Connecting with WordPress.com does not connect my blog with their profile. A statement saying ‘I do not want Joe Soap to post in my name’ simply indicates the remark comes from someone with little real world understanding of web things, suffers paranoid delusions, or who has possible ulterior motives – Freedom to Spam perhaps?

I have allowed the connection with WordPress.com to my Twitter accounts and Facebook – and I am yet to see any post to my wall, or a tweet from someone other than myself appearing as ‘coming from me’ or indeed in the timeline from anyone I do not follow on Twitter or a friend on Facebook. Maybe I will one day…

The idea that commenting using WordPress.com, Facebook or Twitter automatically allows someone to post or tweet using their identity is utter nonsense – unless it’s a malware app, in which case there are ways to deal with it. Internet security is always a concern. Exactly why spam should be blocked.

Use of CAPTCHA challenges

Who Views Facebook Profile Scam is Back

Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile Scam back?

This scamming app appears to be making another return to Facebook! Noticing a surge in searches for information on this scam app, I spent some time the past few days doing some research into ‘Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile’. My first discovery of this app is the subject of a post on this blog.

Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile has made regular appearances on Facebook over the past few years in several guises. The one common factor is it claims to inform Facebook members about who is viewing your Facebook profile, then after being allowed to connect to your Facebook account, it directs you to a website where you are required to subscribe to a cellphone subscription service, or provide details about yourself; cellphone and e-mail among these.

A more detailed report on my findings can be read on
www.graphicline.co.za/viewing_facebook_profile

Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile is a SCAM

The scam has at times offered a ‘link’ to a website (Copy and past this link in your browser…)
WARNING: The supposed link is a Javascript and using it to navigate to the website can result in your PC being infected with Phishing Malware

Anyone coming across the Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile scam app should

• Block it immediately on their Facebook page(s).
• Not click on the link whatever you do!
• Report the app to Facebook

I would also appreciate instances of this app being reported using one of the methods on the mentioned Graphicline webpage.  WordPress, Facebook and Twitter account owners can also use the comment form below. The linking URL will not be made public! I do not want to propagate this scam further.

My intention is to spread the warning about  this scam.

Similar Apps to Who is Viewing Your Facebook Profile

Any app or website claiming to be able to provide information about viewers of your profile should also be reported. This kind of information is NOT available from Facebook. Any claims that any app or website can provide this information is false; It is a scam, a phishing attempt, and criminal. Any website, app or service that has managed to access this information has done so ILLEGALLY.

Stay vigilant to protect your information and yourself, and prevent the spread of these types of malware.

Uncheck this LinkedIn box

LinkedIn Advertising

LinkedIn recently added a default advertising feature to user accounts.

If you, like me, would rather not have your account information used in advertising, or used to send you profiled ads, then this post by Steve Woodruff makes it an easy process to disable these ads.
http://brandimpact.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/a-box-you-want-to-uncheck-on-linkedin/

WARNING | ‘Who is viewing’ your Facebook profile

ALL FACEBOOK USERS BEWARE:

The recent app, ‘Who is Viewing Your Profile’ is a SCAM, NOT the official Facebook ‘Insights’ This app is a 3rd party app, which may at the very least violate Facebook’s Terms and Conditions for applications. Official Facebook statistics are FREE from Facebook Insights.

This app keeps on making  a return: Despite Facebook upgrading the app screening process, it looks like ‘who is viewing your Facebook profile has returned again. A sudden upswing in searches on Google for information about this malignant app strongly indicates who is viewing is active. Do not permit this app to access your Feacebook account. It is a SCAM.

The app directs you to a Facebook page

which instructs you to click a link to continue. It requires permission to connect with your facebook Account using a non-secure connection (http) If you click the ‘continue’ button, you will be directed to a website set up by a gambling operation, and asked to enter your cellphone number. One of the options is to subscribe to a cellphone app… the other is to ‘see if you are lucky’

Facebook clearly states in the terms of use for apps, that REQUIRING a member to spend money or simarly do something to receive the benefit of the app is not permitted. Such a requirement may only be OPTIONAL.