MyBlogLog: My New Rules
I am a huge fan of MyBlogLog. I have discovered so many quality blogs as well as met so many great people in the very short time since I signed up. Though there is a spam problem within the MyBlogLog community. The most common and in my opinion, the dumbest, is when people post a public message for you that says something like, “Look at me, look at me, come check out my blog!!”. Which I don’t know about the rest of you, but something like that just gives me a reason NOT to check out their blog.
It’s a shame that a growing and fabulous community like MyBlogLog has to deal with people who don’t get that if you put the time into writing quality content, you will not need to shout at the moon, people will come to you. It truly is the “If you build it, they will come” methodology. Stop spamming and sit down and choose something that you have an opinion on and are passionate about and WRITE!
Beginning today when I receive these spam messages I am going to do the following:
1. Immediately delete the message
2. Post back a message like the one I did today:
3. If I am a contact for these people or am in their community, I will delete them or leave their community.
There are too many great blogs along with great people that I want to meet and read to waste my time on people who are all talk and absolutely no substance.
(See Cord step off of his soap box now)
I’m just learning what spam is… I’m glad I have never told people to check out my blog. I’d be in trouble! LOL! I thought the “check out my blog” thing was just what everyone did… I felt to weird and new to do it! OK, so I have a lot to learn! LOL! Keep me in line Cord OK?
it would be great if the MyBlogLog dudes developed some functionality as per Jeremy Schoemaker’s post – or maybe ‘someone’ in the community could build a kind of spammer ‘wall-of-shame’
Jennifer, I am there for you with anything you need.
Andre,
Oooh great idea!! A Wall of Shame! We need to give this some serious thought.
Yup, kinda wish MyBlogLog was opensource
Please also hit the “report spam” link, so we can flush out the bad ones system-wide.
Great point Cord. I’ve also gotten my share of span comments. Maybe I’m giving the benefit of the doubt here, but I think some of them come from thinking in MySpace terms, or those newbies who just don’t know. Then there’s the “mass-adders” who think everyone is their friend.
On the flip side, I’ve found some amazing blogs and gotten some new readers. For example, I found Andre’s sites via his avatar here. Just like any tool there are going to be those who abuse it. But I like your approach.
Sorry guys, been working, have not had a chance to reply to some comments.
Andre – I wish, but I have a feeling now that Yahoo owns MyBloglog, opensource will not be coming anytime soon.
Scott – I agree with you, but I think MyBlogLog has to add a better spam mechanism than just a mailto.
Tony – There are always going to be people who try for some reason to “cheat the system”. That’s fine, I could care less except when they waste my time and that is why I wrote what I wrote today.
More importantly, right here was a perfect example of why MyBlogLog is so great. Both you and I were introduced to Andre and I have been digging his pixel site and have already joined his community. Social networking done the right way!!
Thanks again folks for your comments.
You hit it right there, Cord – “wasting your time.”
Any kind of networking, be it online or off, is about building relationships. The loud-mouth who shoves a business card in your face is going to be much less effective than the person who engages you in a conversation. New world, same courtesies apply, IMHO.
Kewl /me blushes all flattered and stuff
I’m totally with you on this one, Cord. I also can’t stand the “Hey, Nice Blog” comments. If they really did visit my site and checked out what I had to say, then its cool, but my gut tells me that they just popped in there to get their picture on my Recent Visitors widget. It’s the equivalent of saying “Thanks for the add” in Myspace. If you’re going to put something in thoses comments boxes, at least make it worthwhile.
Cord and others who participated here — I think conversations like these allow folks who built MyBlogLog to adjust and change. While the concept is great there are always ways to improve and it’s better for the originators to do that before competitors get new renditions up and running. Strange how as soon as something works well, copycat editions begin.
These conversations also allow folks to figure out new folks to check out, such as Andre. He must be doing something great over at his site.
I’m with you on this one Cord!
As for a wall of shame, it might give the spammers more of the attention they crave so badly!
Instead, lets just delete them into obscurity!
Robyn – Thanks for your comment, but I do see it a bit differently. I enjoy MyBlogLog, but they need to make sure that they continue to grow and deliver what their audience is looking for because if they don’t, there are absolutely copycats right now out there trying to build a better mousetrap. That is the nature of this business. We will see if MyBlogLog can continue to grow now that they are owned by a company which is not known for speed or nimbleness at all, Yahoo.
Paul – Thanks for the comment and I agree with you that a wall of shame might just give them the attention they desire. The sad thing is one of the guys I deleted yesterday keeps on sending me private messages. Thanks for coming by.