The Playful Antiquarian

No comments (but much commentary)

October 15th, 2004

As I reported/complained on j’s scratchpad, my attempts to quiet the obnoxious comment spammer(s) seem to be futile. Although there are no comment links and (supposedly) no access to commenting by non-editors in the discussion group, my discussion group and linked e-mail account are still being inundated.

Hoping to learn more about Manila and comment spam, I conducted a little casual research, and I stumbled across a post by Betsy Devine about the same problem. In fact, it seems to be the same annoying spammer.

Evil, awful spammers … While I can tolerate spam e-mail, telemarketers, and junk mail to a certain extent, such incursions in this space make me feel almost vengeful. I know it is not personal, and I know that it is automated and indiscriminate. Yet, I am troubled by it. It awakens in me all of the emotions that I used to feel when I worked at a library circulation desk and would find a book that someone thoughtlessly or maliciously defaced or destroyed. Grrr …

If only there were a digital equivalent to a medieval book curse.

Entry Filed under: Administrative Matters