Ah, those infamous words from the mind of Justice Stewart when he was asked to define "pornography." It's a classic line and one that definitely fits into the overall idea of this blog.
No, I'm not talking about pornography; that will have to be for a future posting. No, I am talking about something equally hard to define because it is so completely subjective - I am talking about spam.
Spam, that evil lunchmeat in a can, often rears its ugly head into our email boxes, MySpace blogs, and sadly, yes, even Progressive U. As our frontline in defense against this adversary, we offer you the flag button on each page and each comment. If you believe something to be spam, flagging it will highlight a neon target sign for all of the Alumni volunteers to shoot to kill.
And we will.
But, I am seeing a lot of messages getting flagged as spam when they aren't spam. So I thought it would be pertinent to define the term; and then couldn't think of an absolute definition. I even consulted the web and while I got some ideas, I couldn't find a definition that fit with our web site.
The first, and seemingly more common, definition of spam is unsolicited email. However, even this can be left for interpretation. After all, an email from your long lost brother is unsolicited - and yet I wouldn't consider that to be spam.
An additional definition seems to revolve around the word "bulk." Such as when a business sends out a bulk-email; but once again - interpretation. RSS feeds, subscription emails, and newsletters all use bulk email as a method to stay in contact with clients, friends, and customers. No spam there.
My husband is one of those people who even considers it to be spam when he receives an email from a business that he signed up to get but no longer wants. And he's not the only person.
None of these definitions suit this web site, though. But, just as Justice Stewart said, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it." So here are some examples of what spam might look like on this site.
Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site!
Definitely spam...
For more information, Check out this site!.
Not spam.
A blog filled with links with no intention other than to get you, our members, to leave the confines of this site and expose you to unwanted - not unsolicited - crap: sites that never close, advertisements to buy things, try things, look at things, and enlarge things. That is spam.
A blog in which a person shows his or her expertise in a specific area and relates each blog entry to that area is not spam. Even though it might contain a link. Being able to relate such expertise to multiple facets of life is difficult enough without being confused with or accused of spam.
As members of Progressive U, you are free to post links to your other sites, especially in an informative capacity. "Hey, I'm a member of such and such organization and I've learned so much, did you know this? Here's a link to my web site!" is not spam. Even if that web site sells a book by the author - it is not spam. The intent of the blog was to inform you of something the author learned; and the author was nice enough to lead you to further readings. If you wish to decline his or her invitation, that's fine too. But it's not spam.
The most common form of spam on this site that you will find is in comments. Again, we have taken strides to reduce and minimalize your exposure to spam; anonymous users, or "Guests" cannot post comments anymore. This alone has drastically reduced the number of spam messages that come through. But a few people do still create an account and post as many spam-comments as they can before we catch them and block their IP address. Once again, these messages tend to resemble the Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! Check out this site! format. They usually get these types of comments posted onto about 15 blogs - all usually listed together in the recent blog posts list or on the front page - before they are flagged and deleted. Then the IP address is blocked and they disappear for a while. But, once again, a link provided by the author of a comment to his or her personal web site - or even a business web site - is not spam.
Of course, if you come across something that you do believe is spam, feel free to flag away. But if it doesn't come down (and you all know how often the Alumni members are online) chances are we've reviewed it and have decided it is not spam.
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You know, I too have a hard time picking out which one is spam and which one is not a spam. For comments, if the user leaves a WORD, does that count as spam?
Okay, I have to know who voted me with a blasted "1" but didn't have the nerve to comment and tell me where my poor spelling, awful grammar, or bad formatting skills confused my message? Or made this blog such a horrible representation of what a blog should look and read as?
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
I don't remember rating it, but it appears I did. I usually don't rate solely on disagreement, but there is one obvious spam poster present at the moment, and this appeared a few hours after I flaged one of his posts (the only flag I have ever given). I was trying to help police the site, but no action was taken, and then this post. I shan't flag again.
I felt it was directed at me. I honestly don't remember rating it. Here is why I flaged the post I did, and why I think your evaluation/definition is off.
Spam is posting for comercial purposes, with little or no aditional content. Making this type of post repeatedly or exclusively also increases the degree of spamyness. The poster in question meets all requirements of that definition. He also puts these buzz words in every post: "broad prosperity and a better future."
If you read blogs here you know who I am talking about, but since I don't want there to be any confusion:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/yourfuneralguy
His titles tell me not to bother reading any of them at this point, so I am not bothered. It just seems so pathetically obvious, but I notice the link to buy his book is now missing from the link He puts on every post, or comment so that may mitigate his guilt.
Anyway if I one stared you I apologize, for what it is worth.
That guy bothers me too. It is an obvious attempt to sell the service he is offering without any kind of Progressive purpose. It is advertising masquerading as a blog. At the very least he should be paying this site for carrying and promoting his ad campaign.
I really don't think that people should be using ProU exclusively as a forum for selling their unrelated services. I wouldn't use the word spam to describe it, but that doesn't mean it isn't objectionable and obnoxious to at least ChillBill and I. I also don't think that just because spam isn't quite the right word for it it should be kept around. It clearly isn't in keeping with the spirit of ProU.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memento mori, mahalo.
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principles."
Ah, well, you see; this here doesn't match any of the definitions I've found.
Although this blog wasn't directed toward anyone in particular; I will tell you that there are some times when actions are just slow. Either the case is sensitive, or we are split on a decision of how to take action, or we just need more information.
For example, in some of yourfuneralguy's blog entries, yes he has a very focused, one topic blog that definitely resembles advertising. But at the same time, he still manages to relate this topic to our TOS, he's never posted more than three blog entries in one day (unlike some other contestants), most of his blogs do not contain links - although even when they do, we aren't sure how to handle that yet either.
Additionally, some of the Faculty members are amused by or like yourfuneralguy.
But, regardless, if we go back to your definition, yourfuneralguy doesn't post for commercial purposes; he doesn't talk about a business or commercial entity.
And, by the way, you never have to apologize for giving me a 1, although I do thank you for apologizing. I just dislike it when I get a 1 and no comments.
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
...I'm almost too embarassed to admit it, but I kinda forgot we had a flag button. My b.
--Samus
(if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention)
There are people who go on freelance sites and hire people to come to forums like this, leave quasi-legitimate comments, with a link to some promotional page selling, say, prescription drugs or OEM software.
I consider that SPAM. It insults my intelligence. It's blatantly see-through when the user is brand-spanking-new, and they leave 10 comments in 10 minutes all containing the same link.
However, I understand that they probably don't make you as angry as they make me. I had one of my friends get hired to do this, and they didn't even pay him, not to mention it's stupid. I feel bad if you'd rather leave these. Sorry for flagging them : ( .
10 comments in less than ten minutes is fishy; so if you feel like it's spam, flag away. We'll look at every flagged message closely.
But what I was actually referring to is, for example, a message would be flagged as spam; I would go in and look, check the links, check the blog the comment was referring to, and decide it wasn't spam and unflag the message. A few minutes later, the same person flagged it again. I went through the entire process again; and a few minutes later the same person flagged it again.
I ended up with five flags from one user on one comment, LOL.
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member