SEO Troll? December 20, 2010 10:20 AM Subscribe
Does anybody else suspect that Cindyrella might be linkfarming?
Her website points here, which looks slightly less than legit.
Her website points here, which looks slightly less than legit.
I exampled your link to the website, because, well, kind of defeating the purpose there.
I would put good money on this ending in tears (or, rather, a deletion and a ban), yes, but it's not linkfarming until links are farmed. Until then it's just not-exactly-promising commenting. Our general approach to these sorts of things is basically Distrust But Verify.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2010
I would put good money on this ending in tears (or, rather, a deletion and a ban), yes, but it's not linkfarming until links are farmed. Until then it's just not-exactly-promising commenting. Our general approach to these sorts of things is basically Distrust But Verify.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2010
You are right, we've had TONNES of spammy links to example.com. According to Deleted Threads anyway.
posted by DU at 10:25 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by DU at 10:25 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
Example.com? I think maybe it's a joke. FYI, that RFC link is a legitimate, how-the-internet-works document written by the people who basically made the internet.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:25 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:25 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
And on non-preview, example.com isn't the actual site. Heh.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:26 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:26 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
...but it's not linkfarming until links are farmed.
Link plantings? Sowings?
posted by nomadicink at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Link plantings? Sowings?
posted by nomadicink at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
I would put good money on this ending in tears (or, rather, a deletion and a ban), yes, but it's not linkfarming until links are farmed. Until then it's just not-exactly-promising commenting. Our general approach to these sorts of things is basically Distrust But Verify.
Yeah, I wasn't exactly sure how this would go over, I usually don't go through metatalk but this was just too juicy for me.
Oh and for the record, when I posted this, I added the rel="nofollow" to the
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
Yeah, I wasn't exactly sure how this would go over, I usually don't go through metatalk but this was just too juicy for me.
Oh and for the record, when I posted this, I added the rel="nofollow" to the
<a> tag to avoid giving them that link. Wouldn't wanna look too n00bish.posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
Called out after two posts? Is that some sort of record?
posted by bondcliff at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by bondcliff at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
I don't think either of those comments read like non sequiturs.
But then I like turtles.
nod: cjorgensen
posted by MuffinMan at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
But then I like turtles.
nod: cjorgensen
posted by MuffinMan at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
Link plantings? Sowings?
Only banned for the link-harvests perhaps?
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
Only banned for the link-harvests perhaps?
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:31 AM on December 20, 2010
One day a vengeful linkgod will destroy all the linkfarms with a plague of linklocusts.
posted by amyms at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by amyms at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
Has something already been deleted? If not, I don't understand the concern here. All I see is that she has made a total of two comments, both on-topic, and happens to have a business URL in her profile?
That's bad?
posted by rokusan at 10:39 AM on December 20, 2010
That's bad?
posted by rokusan at 10:39 AM on December 20, 2010
And we will rebuild by turning our linkswords into linkplowshares.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:40 AM on December 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:40 AM on December 20, 2010 [7 favorites]
Which mod files the minority report?
posted by carsonb at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2010 [5 favorites]
What's all this? I'm just trying to find some hot rentals in New York!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
She gave me the heebies this morning and I nearly mailed the mods, so it's not just you, thsmchnekllsfascists. However, I trust in the mods more than I trust most people, and I'm sure they'll put the smackdown if needed from their trusty modmobile.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by bitter-girl.com at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2010
OP (sorry, after only one cup of coffee, I can't be relied upon to type your username correctly, it looks like a German noodle dish to me), this is exactly what the Contact form is great for. I spot these kinds of things and drop a modmail along with a link to whatever looks weird, and say, "Hey, no big, this just smells funny, have a great day," etc.
this was just too juicy for me.
Really? Two thin comments and no actual spam yet?
Maybe after GiveWell I'm just spoiled on what juicy looks like.
posted by pineapple at 10:51 AM on December 20, 2010
this was just too juicy for me.
Really? Two thin comments and no actual spam yet?
Maybe after GiveWell I'm just spoiled on what juicy looks like.
posted by pineapple at 10:51 AM on December 20, 2010
their trusty modmobile
Damn, I love Google.
posted by nomadicink at 10:51 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
Damn, I love Google.
posted by nomadicink at 10:51 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
She gave me the heebies this morning and I nearly mailed the mods, so it's not just you, thsmchnekllsfascists. However, I trust in the mods more than I trust most people, and I'm sure they'll put the smackdown if needed from their trusty modmobile.
Yeah, that's what I thought too. They've always done right by me, I just wasn't sure about the protocol for this sort of thing.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:52 AM on December 20, 2010
Yeah, that's what I thought too. They've always done right by me, I just wasn't sure about the protocol for this sort of thing.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:52 AM on December 20, 2010
I just wasn't sure about the protocol for this sort of thing.
Generally best to just hit us up on the contact form. Less public spectacle, less risk of any weird unfriendly dynamic in the case that it turns out to be someone who is legit but coming off weird.
It's one of those things that's still probably good to talk about in Metatalk now and then anyway so people know where we are on this, so no great big deal, but, yeah: hit us up directly if it's just "this feels weird" and not "there is weirdness that specifically needs some community discussion".
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:55 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Generally best to just hit us up on the contact form. Less public spectacle, less risk of any weird unfriendly dynamic in the case that it turns out to be someone who is legit but coming off weird.
It's one of those things that's still probably good to talk about in Metatalk now and then anyway so people know where we are on this, so no great big deal, but, yeah: hit us up directly if it's just "this feels weird" and not "there is weirdness that specifically needs some community discussion".
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:55 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Whenever I see somebody dropping doofy moonman comments like those in a thread, I bookmark their userpage and and make a little bet with myself as to when the inevitable self-link and banhammering will occur. It's a fun way to award little treats to myself. But I don't see much point in starting MeTa threads about it, since the only two possible outcomes are "Well, I guess nothing's happening" or "Ah-HA! I KNEW it!"
posted by Gator at 10:56 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by Gator at 10:56 AM on December 20, 2010
It's one of those things that's still probably good to talk about in Metatalk now and then anyway so people know where we are on this, so no great big deal, but, yeah: hit us up directly if it's just "this feels weird" and not "there is weirdness that specifically needs some community discussion".
Thanks. Will do.
But I don't see much point in starting MeTa threads about it, since the only two possible outcomes are "Well, I guess nothing's happening" or "Ah-HA! I KNEW it!"
Good plan. Bookmarked.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:59 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
Thanks. Will do.
But I don't see much point in starting MeTa threads about it, since the only two possible outcomes are "Well, I guess nothing's happening" or "Ah-HA! I KNEW it!"
Good plan. Bookmarked.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:59 AM on December 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
I added them as a Contact under 'Muse'.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:11 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by spinifex23 at 11:11 AM on December 20, 2010
I'm going to create a sock puppet, make six one line comments in each of the next six posts and then make the greatest post Metafilter has ever seen, just to throw Gator and the mods off.
The only thing holding me back is that "best post ever" part.
posted by charred husk at 11:12 AM on December 20, 2010 [9 favorites]
The only thing holding me back is that "best post ever" part.
posted by charred husk at 11:12 AM on December 20, 2010 [9 favorites]
"Link Husbandry" is what gets me really fucking mad.
posted by ob at 11:17 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by ob at 11:17 AM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm going to create a sock puppet, make six one line comments in each of the next six posts and then make the greatest post Metafilter has ever seen
To be fair, we do see a few people who have been members for a while who suddenly want to post something which may be good but they realize they have to make a few comments first. This doesn't look like that, but it does happen.
And yeah thsmchnekllsfascists, appreciate the nofollow but we'll have people flagging it all over the place who don't see or notice the nofollow so it's just better to not link to them at all.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:39 AM on December 20, 2010
To be fair, we do see a few people who have been members for a while who suddenly want to post something which may be good but they realize they have to make a few comments first. This doesn't look like that, but it does happen.
And yeah thsmchnekllsfascists, appreciate the nofollow but we'll have people flagging it all over the place who don't see or notice the nofollow so it's just better to not link to them at all.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:39 AM on December 20, 2010
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. -John 12:24
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:42 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:42 AM on December 20, 2010
pineapple: "OP (sorry, after only one cup of coffee, I can't be relied upon to type your username correctly, it looks like a German noodle dish to me), this is exactly what the Contact form is great for. I spot these kinds of things and drop a modmail along with a link to whatever looks weird, and say, "Hey, no big, this just smells funny, have a great day," etc.."
Exactly right. I've done that once or twice. The mods respond immediately and sending a note doesn't call too much attention to anyone.
posted by zarq at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2010
Exactly right. I've done that once or twice. The mods respond immediately and sending a note doesn't call too much attention to anyone.
posted by zarq at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2010
Children of the corn links?
Is that the one where all the children with a handicap of more than 17 are forced to enter the sandtrap at the end?
posted by Sparx at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is that the one where all the children with a handicap of more than 17 are forced to enter the sandtrap at the end?
posted by Sparx at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
My favorite so far was someone who put "SEO specialist" in their profile. You just know that any front page post they eventually make is going to be scrutinized nine ways to Sunday.
posted by zarq at 11:59 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by zarq at 11:59 AM on December 20, 2010
The corn cat sits atop the stalks and waits.
waits.
posted by The Whelk at 12:36 PM on December 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
waits.
posted by The Whelk at 12:36 PM on December 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
COME ON. I've been cleaning the house for HOURS now and no one has Photoshopped Jessamyn & Cortex into that photo of the Modmobile yet? So disappointing.
On the other hand, my new MeFi t-shirt just arrived in the mail, so yay!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 1:08 PM on December 20, 2010
On the other hand, my new MeFi t-shirt just arrived in the mail, so yay!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 1:08 PM on December 20, 2010
COME ON. I've been cleaning the house for HOURS now and no one has Photoshopped Jessamyn & Cortex into that photo of the Modmobile yet? So disappointing.
Gimme a sec.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:39 PM on December 20, 2010
Gimme a sec.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:39 PM on December 20, 2010
Consider this my extremely humble apology for calling someone out in public. My bad guys. Enjoy the Mod-mobile.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:57 PM on December 20, 2010 [54 favorites]
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:57 PM on December 20, 2010 [54 favorites]
It's the yeee-haw that really does it for me. Thanks, thsmchnekllsfascists!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:10 PM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:10 PM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Love it, thsmchne.
Here's mine, running with the image nomadicink linked.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:17 PM on December 20, 2010 [10 favorites]
Here's mine, running with the image nomadicink linked.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:17 PM on December 20, 2010 [10 favorites]
Really? I just got notified it was sent. I'm DESPERATELY hoping to get it soon.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:18 PM on December 20, 2010
posted by miss-lapin at 2:18 PM on December 20, 2010
jessamyn's totally getting her luckdragon face on there.
posted by Gator at 2:19 PM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Gator at 2:19 PM on December 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Cindyrelly, Cindyrelly
Night and day it's Cindyrelly
Write a post and wait a minute
She'll write some nonsense in it
Join a thread and watch her pop in
She always keep us hoppin'
She turns us 'round in circles
Till we're very, very dizzy
Then we holler
Stop your spamming Cindyrelly!
We can do it, we can do it
We can ban our Cindyrelly
We can block her IP freely
There's nothing to it, really
We'll disemvowel her comments
Make her pay a penance
If she finds a way to log in
She will find her MeMail cloggin'
With some nasty notes we'll write to Cindyrelly
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
Gonna fix that Cindyrelly
Got no time to dilly-dally
We gotta get a-goin'
I will google bomb her!
And I can do some shaming!
We can kick start this vendetta
If we make a post to MeTa
And we'll make a right fine mess of Cindyrelly
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:11 PM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
Night and day it's Cindyrelly
Write a post and wait a minute
She'll write some nonsense in it
Join a thread and watch her pop in
She always keep us hoppin'
She turns us 'round in circles
Till we're very, very dizzy
Then we holler
Stop your spamming Cindyrelly!
We can do it, we can do it
We can ban our Cindyrelly
We can block her IP freely
There's nothing to it, really
We'll disemvowel her comments
Make her pay a penance
If she finds a way to log in
She will find her MeMail cloggin'
With some nasty notes we'll write to Cindyrelly
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
Gonna fix that Cindyrelly
Got no time to dilly-dally
We gotta get a-goin'
I will google bomb her!
And I can do some shaming!
We can kick start this vendetta
If we make a post to MeTa
And we'll make a right fine mess of Cindyrelly
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:11 PM on December 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
I read that as "fuckdragon."
I don't get it either way.
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on December 20, 2010
I don't get it either way.
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on December 20, 2010
I always pictured mathowie following behind the mod-mobile on a recumbent bike.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:07 PM on December 20, 2010
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:07 PM on December 20, 2010
And, hilariously, the extra effort Cindyrella apparently decided to go to this time around in filling out profile stuff led me to a sketchy facebook page that had a url that seemed familiar featured prominently. Took me a couple of minutes to figure out that that was because we banned the same dude-with-a-Russian-name-that-isn't-Cindy a few days ago for self-linking.
This becomes not a wait-and-see thing so much as a ban-and-refund-and-don't-come-back thing in this case. Frickin' spammers.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:55 PM on December 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
This becomes not a wait-and-see thing so much as a ban-and-refund-and-don't-come-back thing in this case. Frickin' spammers.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:55 PM on December 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
marxchivist: "I read that as "fuckdragon."
I don't get it either way."
You don't know what a Luckdragon is?!! *gets out copy of The Neverending Story* It's movie night on MetaTalk!! WOOT!
posted by IndigoRain at 8:01 PM on December 20, 2010
I don't get it either way."
You don't know what a Luckdragon is?!! *gets out copy of The Neverending Story* It's movie night on MetaTalk!! WOOT!
posted by IndigoRain at 8:01 PM on December 20, 2010
This becomes not a wait-and-see thing so much as a ban-and-refund-and-don't-come-back thing in this case. Frickin' spammers.
Whoo. I feel a little bit better about my faux pas now.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 8:33 PM on December 20, 2010
Whoo. I feel a little bit better about my faux pas now.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 8:33 PM on December 20, 2010
YES! my spidey sense was RIGHT!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:54 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:54 AM on December 21, 2010
I feel a little bit better about my faux pas now.
Eh, not a faux pas. I think the "is this a MeTa or a ModMail?" line is in different places for everyone. And clearly Cindy was cruisin' for a bannin'.
And besides, it all led to the excellent Mod-Mobile artwork which makes it all worthwhile.
Merry Christmas to all!! God bless us, every one!!!!!!!!
posted by pineapple at 8:05 AM on December 21, 2010
Eh, not a faux pas. I think the "is this a MeTa or a ModMail?" line is in different places for everyone. And clearly Cindy was cruisin' for a bannin'.
And besides, it all led to the excellent Mod-Mobile artwork which makes it all worthwhile.
Merry Christmas to all!! God bless us, every one!!!!!!!!
posted by pineapple at 8:05 AM on December 21, 2010
cruisin' for a bannin'.
This doesn't scan.
Hm.
mannin' for a bannin'?
boastin' for a bannin'?
posted by The Whelk at 8:07 AM on December 21, 2010
This doesn't scan.
Hm.
mannin' for a bannin'?
boastin' for a bannin'?
posted by The Whelk at 8:07 AM on December 21, 2010
Fannin' for a bannin'. As in, fanning the flames, don'tcha know.
posted by Gator at 8:20 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by Gator at 8:20 AM on December 21, 2010
Sooooo, you have really never heard the term cruisin' for a bruisin', meaning to be out looking for the kind of trouble that results in a beat-down?
posted by pineapple at 8:20 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by pineapple at 8:20 AM on December 21, 2010
I know it very well, but it hinges on the rhyme of uisin'. Say it out loud, crUsin for a bAnin'. Doesn't sustain the rhyme. Thus, we need a new term to reflect the spirit of the original.
posted by The Whelk at 8:22 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by The Whelk at 8:22 AM on December 21, 2010
Yes, but that wasn't the phrase you used. You used a phrase that didn't rhyme or even have consonance. We are just trying to help.
posted by Gator at 8:23 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by Gator at 8:23 AM on December 21, 2010
Refund? Really?
posted by Zozo at 8:33 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Zozo at 8:33 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
How about yammerin' for a banhammerin'?
posted by amyms at 8:34 AM on December 21, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by amyms at 8:34 AM on December 21, 2010 [4 favorites]
Refund? Really?
There's sort of a long semi-complicated when-we-refund-and-when-we-don't calculation. In this case we shouldn't really have let this person sign up at all and we banned them before they even did anything wrong. So in that sort of situation we just give them their money back and show them the door.
People who show up and mess with the site generally get banned and do not get their five dollars back except in extreme cases where they start having a completely over the top freakout about their $5 in which case we see it as hush money. The $5 isn't our main source of income, thankfully, so giving it back to solve a problem is sometimes the tactical choice.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:37 AM on December 21, 2010
There's sort of a long semi-complicated when-we-refund-and-when-we-don't calculation. In this case we shouldn't really have let this person sign up at all and we banned them before they even did anything wrong. So in that sort of situation we just give them their money back and show them the door.
People who show up and mess with the site generally get banned and do not get their five dollars back except in extreme cases where they start having a completely over the top freakout about their $5 in which case we see it as hush money. The $5 isn't our main source of income, thankfully, so giving it back to solve a problem is sometimes the tactical choice.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:37 AM on December 21, 2010
But "cruisin' for a bannin'" works because it's a riff on an existing, well-known phrase that means "looking for trouble."
Trying to strong-arm it into either perfect rhyme or perfect consonance is mean hatin' for a beanplatin'.
posted by pineapple at 8:38 AM on December 21, 2010
Trying to strong-arm it into either perfect rhyme or perfect consonance is mean hatin' for a beanplatin'.
posted by pineapple at 8:38 AM on December 21, 2010
cruisin' for a bannin'.
Yammerin' for a hammerin'.
Refund? Really?
When we ban you before you actually do anything wrong, we give you your money back too, because we're declining your patronage. If Cindyrella had managed to get some spam in in the interim, that'd be another situation, but as it is this was thankfully more of a pre-emptive "we banned you and we meant it, you are not to sign up again, here is your money back and please fuck off" sort of thing.
The $5 isn't our main source of income, thankfully, so giving it back to solve a problem is sometimes the tactical choice.
Yep. And more to the point, giving back maybe $30 a year doesn't even really dent the revenue from signups, either.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:43 AM on December 21, 2010
Yammerin' for a hammerin'.
Refund? Really?
When we ban you before you actually do anything wrong, we give you your money back too, because we're declining your patronage. If Cindyrella had managed to get some spam in in the interim, that'd be another situation, but as it is this was thankfully more of a pre-emptive "we banned you and we meant it, you are not to sign up again, here is your money back and please fuck off" sort of thing.
The $5 isn't our main source of income, thankfully, so giving it back to solve a problem is sometimes the tactical choice.
Yep. And more to the point, giving back maybe $30 a year doesn't even really dent the revenue from signups, either.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:43 AM on December 21, 2010
But "cruisin' for a bannin'" works because it's a riff on an existing, well-known phrase that means "looking for trouble."
But changing that well-known phrase makes the reader perform a fast, detached scan that is inimical to mood. It is on the plank of mood that we proceed.
posted by Gator at 8:45 AM on December 21, 2010
But changing that well-known phrase makes the reader perform a fast, detached scan that is inimical to mood. It is on the plank of mood that we proceed.
posted by Gator at 8:45 AM on December 21, 2010
I approve. Now lets all eat skittles.
posted by The Whelk at 8:51 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 8:51 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
But changing that well-known phrase makes the reader perform a fast, detached scan that is inimical to mood.
Haters gonna plate.
posted by pineapple at 8:52 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Haters gonna plate.
posted by pineapple at 8:52 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
This becomes not a wait-and-see thing so much as a ban-and-refund-and-don't-come-back thing in this case. Frickin' spammers.
Wow, I totally did not see/read the clues. Just looked like a couple of (useless but harmless) comments to me.
My New Year's resolution is to trust thsmchnekllsfascists's psychic powers completely in future.
posted by rokusan at 8:57 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow, I totally did not see/read the clues. Just looked like a couple of (useless but harmless) comments to me.
My New Year's resolution is to trust thsmchnekllsfascists's psychic powers completely in future.
posted by rokusan at 8:57 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow, I totally did not see/read the clues.
There's a significant "know it when you see it" component to this whole thing. I would very much like to at some point figure out a way to formalize the question of why proto-spam is recognizable, and do some quantitative work on it.
As it is, I can sort of give a hand-wavey explanation of the stuff I look at, both in terms of what's publicly viewable (such that any mefite could in theory make the same ID) and what we have on the back end that helps be more certain about questionable cases. And that works well enough, it's not like it needs formalizing, but it'd be interesting to put it down on paper. The extremely short version is "that just doesn't look right", along about a dozen different axes. It varies from case to case, and there are both false positives (ESL/culture-shocked new user with no ill intent) and false negatives (spammer has, uh, social media street smarts?), but this stuff really does just have an immediate smell much of the time.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:03 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's a significant "know it when you see it" component to this whole thing. I would very much like to at some point figure out a way to formalize the question of why proto-spam is recognizable, and do some quantitative work on it.
As it is, I can sort of give a hand-wavey explanation of the stuff I look at, both in terms of what's publicly viewable (such that any mefite could in theory make the same ID) and what we have on the back end that helps be more certain about questionable cases. And that works well enough, it's not like it needs formalizing, but it'd be interesting to put it down on paper. The extremely short version is "that just doesn't look right", along about a dozen different axes. It varies from case to case, and there are both false positives (ESL/culture-shocked new user with no ill intent) and false negatives (spammer has, uh, social media street smarts?), but this stuff really does just have an immediate smell much of the time.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:03 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
It is on the plank of mood that we proceed.
Wankin' for a plankin'?
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:12 AM on December 21, 2010
Wankin' for a plankin'?
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:12 AM on December 21, 2010
There's a significant "know it when you see it" component to this whole thing. I would very much like to at some point figure out a way to formalize the question of why proto-spam is recognizable, and do some quantitative work on it.
I think it'd be fun to work it out so that sort of thing could be automated. And then plugged into a LED bat-signal. Maybe a siren too.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 9:13 AM on December 21, 2010
I think it'd be fun to work it out so that sort of thing could be automated. And then plugged into a LED bat-signal. Maybe a siren too.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 9:13 AM on December 21, 2010
Sometimes it's basically screaming HELLO I WOULD LIKE TO BE BANNED NOW.
I think it'd be fun to work it out so that sort of thing could be automated.
Yep. Probably not as an actual production tool, certainly not as something that can take action automatically—there's too much fuzziness and too much human handling involved in edge cases and enforcing a false positive robotically would be totally unacceptable—but as a warning signal heuristic it could be a really interesting tuning project. I may have to put together a training set of spammer data some time.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:23 AM on December 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think it'd be fun to work it out so that sort of thing could be automated.
Yep. Probably not as an actual production tool, certainly not as something that can take action automatically—there's too much fuzziness and too much human handling involved in edge cases and enforcing a false positive robotically would be totally unacceptable—but as a warning signal heuristic it could be a really interesting tuning project. I may have to put together a training set of spammer data some time.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:23 AM on December 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
HELLO I WOULD LIKE TO BE BANNED NOW.
Oh god that's precious. As far as the bat-signal goes, I was just thinking it'd be a fun toy to have in the mod-cave. Having a completely automated banning process would be kind of squicky.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 9:30 AM on December 21, 2010
Oh god that's precious. As far as the bat-signal goes, I was just thinking it'd be a fun toy to have in the mod-cave. Having a completely automated banning process would be kind of squicky.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 9:30 AM on December 21, 2010
HELLO I WOULD LIKE TO BE BANNED NOW.
I would love to favorite that deletion reason.
posted by grouse at 9:41 AM on December 21, 2010
I would love to favorite that deletion reason.
posted by grouse at 9:41 AM on December 21, 2010
"Because I'm involved in MLM it was real inspiration for me."
Wow. Just... wow.
posted by zarq at 9:42 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow. Just... wow.
posted by zarq at 9:42 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Or, hate the bean not the plater.
posted by amyms at 10:31 AM on December 21, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by amyms at 10:31 AM on December 21, 2010 [4 favorites]
I may have to put together a training set of spammer data some time.
Ok, so you're up to how many projects now?
posted by Melismata at 11:13 AM on December 21, 2010
Ok, so you're up to how many projects now?
posted by Melismata at 11:13 AM on December 21, 2010
Life got a lot simpler once I admitted that I had completely lost count.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:20 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:20 AM on December 21, 2010
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posted by Ardiril at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2010