Spammers and the Residents of Anonoville

Don't worry, this isn't a howling at the moon episode in blogging response post, oh no.

Its in response to something I've been thinking about as a blogger for quite some time now, for different reasons.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments to most bloggers are our life blood. I love them, I'm not going to lie, it is nice n my view to write something, have someone read it, and then take the time to write a little (or huge) comment. I know of bloggers, whose blogs I adore, who don't have comments on their blogs by choice. That's cool, but I think with the direction my blog seems to have gone in I'd feel strange not inviting people to comment their point of view.

The issue is with who comments. The anonymous ones.



These have two strands. The spam comment leavers who write something completely unconnected to the post just to leave a link, and the anon comment leavers who deliberately hide who they are (in name at least, we all remember the tracking down of one persistent offender).

First up the spammers. 

I used to get perhaps 2 or 3 max of these per month, now it's more like 2 or 3 per day. Its bloody annoying, as I moderate my comments and always have done- not to be mean but just due to the odd spam comment. This Sunday, I joined in with Silent Sunday, and logged in to see I had 15 messages. Which is pretty normal for Silent Sundays. Anyhow, I get into my inbox and its 15 Anonymous spam comments, all in foreign (I'm not even going to tell you what they translated as). 

Its nothing world shattering but it's still bloody annoying- after all, I have never posted a spam comment in all the years I've been blogging. You'd think they'd have given up by now.

The next strand are often annoying for a different reason.

Most times, when someone remains anonymous, its to be a troll, or rude, or to just tell you they don't agree. Now, I don't have a problem with anyone not sharing my opinion, I'm a social commentator, I'm not God (or Buddha or any other variations. I wouldn't want that job in a million years). Therefore, if you don't agree, and are just popping in to say so, put your name on it.

What do you think a blogger will do if you don't agree with them? I'm not going to be putting turds through your letterbox. Alot of the time when someone leaves me a "I don't agree" response, especially those who do leave a name, its been well thought out, and they've made a great point.

However, the ones who leave a right hissy fit fuelled, acres long response, including telling me I am (as one from this morning did) a "vacuous, avaricious, sausage headed bully", well those a) make me chuckle, b) make me realise that disgusted of Anonoville didn't read the post before getting on their high horse and c) make me go look up the word avaricious. By the way, the word avaricious just baffled me by its use as, once I did look it up it meant I was jealous of greediness. Which, on the post it responded to just made me laugh more.

I also get some pretty nasty messages (no I don't consider the above nasty, just stupid). Such as having another resident of Anonoville take me to pieces over my post to promote the disappearance of Tia Sharp. It came after her body was found, and yes, she was in her Gran's house, and yes, I'm sure there were certain authorities who now look a bit crap. 

I however, wrote the post purely because someone from the campaign asked for Mum Bloggers to write and bring more attention to the case at a time when resources were not being diverted from the Olympics. None of us knew what had, ultimately happened to the poor child. 

Idiot of Anonoville (who couldn't spell, and made barely any sense, such was their shaking of fist while they obviously typed one handed and spat in derision over the keyboard) decided I was a disgrace for writing the post, that the poor girl was found dead (fail to see how that was down to my post), they really let me have it. For what? For using my little webslice to try and help find a girl whom, at the time, we were all led to believe may have been snatched? I did think about removing the post but why should I? 

In my view, if you are going to leave any form of comment, especially those that question me as a human being (yes, really), you should have the guts to stand by them by leaving your name? I have disagreed with other bloggers (yeah, we know that, right?) BUT I can safely say that I put my name to it so they can always pull me up on it. I'm accountable for my thoughts. 
To leave a comment, obnoxious or not, you should do the same.

The thing is, I'm starting to see why my fellow chums of blogging have ditched the comment feed altogether. Not every anonoville comment upsets me, most make me laugh and then laugh again as I tell Elder and he laughs too. 

So, here's a vote for you all. 

Should I just ban anon comments unless and only unless the comment is one which would possibly leave the writer open to being found online writing about their own experience in private?

OR

Should I just keep the really funny ones and do a "Best of Anonoville" link up post every few months?

I leave it up to you guys!