Spammers are getting more and more sophisticated in their methods. Thanks to Akismet on WordPress and Blogger’s new spam filters, the days of gibberish-filled comments with 50 links to different spam sites are over. So the spammers have had to get creative and try to slip one over on us bloggers.
These days, the common technique is to leave some flattering yet generic comment like “Hey, this is a great post. I bookmarked it, and I’m going to tell all my friends. You rock!”The spammer has also included the URL to the site they’re pimping in the hopes that this seemingly innocuous comment will slip through our radar. What they really hope is that the search engines will follow the URL to their site, and they get a little “Google juice” out of it.
This is a common SEO technique, so I understand the reason for it. But it’s really kind of slimy, especially because some new bloggers don’t catch on right away, and they’ll publish these comments, and will sometimes even respond to them.
The latest technique is to actually read the blog post, leave a semi-generic message about that particular topic, again with the URL, in the hopes that this will get through.
“Hey, this is a great post about ghost blogging and I bookmarked it so I can come back again later. I’m going to tell all my friends about it. You rock!”
Here’s my ethical dilemma: Can I, as the blog owner, delete their URL, and then publish the comment? I’m “defanging the serpent,” as it were, and not allowing the spammer to get what they want, but I still get the benefit of a semi-generic praise-ish, if falsely made, comment.
The Pro of Editing Comments
I can argue that many of these spammers are only trying to deceive people into buying their stuff (usually porn, pills, or counterfeit watches), and as such, are not very moral people. I’m not doing any more harm by editing these comments than I am by deleting them. I’m removing the offending URL, and blocking their attempts to direct people to their nefarious websites.
The Con of Editing Comments
This could be a slippery slope. If I edit a spam comment today, what’s to stop me from editing a regular comment for spelling and grammatical errors tomorrow? And then deleting a negative comment the next day? From there, it’s a short step to editing a negative comment into a positive one.
The Question: Can I Edit Spam Comments?
So, my question is, assuming I don’t slide down the slippery slope, can I remove the URLs and publish the comments? If I promise not to cross that line, and never, ever edit a real comment for any reason whatsoever, can I tweak the spam comments and remove the one thing that makes them spam.
What do you think? Do you edit or just delete? Is it dangerous to edit these spammy comments, or perfectly acceptable?
Photo credit: Cookipediachef (Flickr)
About Erik Deckers
You know, it’s funny that there’s a whole topic about editing comments and many others are doing it. I didn’t think I’d find an article/post on this issue, but it seems to be quite popular. I think it’s rotten to try and get free comments, ones that don’t even relate to your niche, just to get a link. If you don’t put in your relative 2 cents, you don’t deserve it. It’s not supposed to be that easy to rank well and move up in the SEO ladder, many people put in hard work.
Ethics? Ethics have nothing to do with why you should get rid of or edit spammer comments.
Spammers links can be problematic as they may point their links to sites that contain porn, hate speech or other content that may land your site or blog in a block list (you know, those lists used to protect the kiddies from evil content). These lists can substantially lower your traffic because many home, govt and corporate customers use it.
On top of that, most spammy links go to questionable businesses. Questionable as it, will they actually deliver if you buy from them. A business that steals marketing is going to have other issues with ethics and likely the law.
My opinion: just delete the comment and ban the spammer. The comment isn’t genuine anyway (and I bet you’d never think I’d say that).
There’s a lot of ethical confusion here. The problem with editing out the URL and publishing the spam is that it deceives readers into believing that the generic compliment is real praise, rather than a device to get noticed. It is presenting spam as non-spam, in other words. That’s dishonest. It’s already well down the slippery slope.
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The “Pro” argument oesn’t make any sense, ethically or logically. Why does the presumed morality of a spammer entitle you to use his fake comment to deceive your readers that it was more than spam? As for the description of the “slippery slope”—why in the world would you see editing a comment for spelling and grammar as unethical? Whenever possible, I try to clean up spelling and punctuation when it is obviously carelessness or the commenter’s lack of writing skills obscure his message. I’ve received thanks for doing so.It is unethical, in fact, to leave a slew of typos in a negative post to make the commenter look illiterate.
As to the main question, the comments above have it right. If it’s spam, it’s spam: remove it. Of course it is unethical to edit it for publication.
False flattery by any other name is STILL false flattery. Wouldn’t you rather have legitimate praise on your blog? To me it’s an integrity issue, not an ethical one. I want people to be able to believe that others truly are praising my blog and not wonder if I’m publishing artificial praise.
I think the issue comes down to one of intent, both yours and the commentor’s. If you intend for your blog to be a discussion, then disingenuous spam comments have no place. If instead you intend your blog to be for promotion then spam comments are as welcomed as any others. Likewise, if the commenter intends to truly compliment you then they can leave a comment without a link. Otherwise if they leave a comment regardless of how well crafted it is whose purpose is promote themselves rather than advance the discussion it should be removed.
Disabling comments obviates the purpose of a blog and should only be done when you have no desire to converse.
IMO
The comment does you know good if your readers can tell it is spam. And most can figure it out. If I noticed a bunch of comments on a post that looked like “generic” spam it would actually make me question why the author was allowing those through. Maybe I’m wrong, but I just can’t see any benefit.
I just mark and delete. Spam will not be not tolerated on my domain. Dirty tricks mean nothing to me.
Just did this today, hoping I get on a list that says “dude, don’t bother, this guy will remove your link… no google juice served here”. On my personal blog I just delete the entire thing, but use the “remove link” method for the blogs I admin at work (they need all the comments they can get… yes I kid, no, not really).
If you know the compliment is disingenuous because it’s there to drop spam, why keep it? Don’t edit … delete. The world will keep spinning. 2 cents.
Not sure if my first comment didn’t work or if it is sitting in a spam filter somewhere, but Daniel raised an interesting point about no one leaving the links out of their comments on this post. I also find Robby’s comments rather ironic. I wonder why he didn’t just post about this on his blog as the link he gives us recommends that as a more appropriate way to further the discussion.
I think that the link with comments is a way of bloggers helping each other out. We all need backlinks and traffic. So not all the blog links will be relevant to the post (or even the blog itself) but the poster has taken the time to read your post and submit a valuable insight or counterpoint. Unless that link is completely inappropriate it is a fair exchange to leave it there. I don’t consider this spam at all. If they put the link in the text of the comment and it isn’t related to the post then that is stepping over the line and I think you have a legitimate reason to remove that link from the comment.
But true spam comments should just be deleted.
I say clearly on my blog that if you spam, you are subjecting yourself to whatever tortures I care to devise at that moment.
I also say that any insubstantial comment will get deleted, so most of the time I delete them as a matter of course. If the spam is particularly onerous, I’ll look up the keywords they’re working, find the top rated site (or the closest Wikipedia / non-profit / government site), and edit the link to that site. I put in a footnote to say that I edited the link.
I view it this way: First, they’re bots, not people with opinions; this is a business for them. Second, if it didn’t work, spammers wouldn’t be doing it. By promoting alternate Google results, I directly punish them for their efforts. If we all did that, they would be out of business. So I urge you all to do the same! ;)
Couldn’t resist…. :) Your posts just begs for creative responses.
Hey, this is a great post. I bookmarked it, and I’m going to tell all my friends. You rock! http://tiny.cc/
Spam comments delete them all, don’t edit them as like others have said that is manipulation. But so is deleting them I guess!
Depends on what your blog is about, like a lot of others I am after good discussions,
whether I agree with their opinion or not it will get posted
Agree with Just Heather. Wouldn’t it be easier to just delete anything that is seen as spam? Does it matter if they say that your article was great? People reading the comments have already read the article (more than likely) and have their own opinion. To paraphrase an infomercial: “Just delete it and forget it!” Another thought: Keeping the comments clean of hot air (spam), while difficult, makes reading the comments more enjoyable for your readers. It’s like keeping your lawn trimmed to help your house look inviting and help make the neighborhood feel safer.
Also agree with Just Heather about the slippery slope argument. If you think about it, each type of edit you propose is a question independent of the others. The decision to edit spam comments has no bearing on editing for grammar, deleting negative comments, or editing negative comments to be positive.
My two cents.
Cheers,
Nicholas
It’s interesting that not a single person here, most notably the ones who say they will strip any and all links left in their blog’s comments, has opted out of including *their* link in *these* comments.
Oh, but *your* service, site or blog is okay, right? You just don’t want people promoting themselves on *your* site because that crosses a line.
So, is it ethical to edit spam comments? It’s your site, do whatever you want. If your readers are cool with it, you win. If not, you may want to rethink your policy. Your readers dictate what is acceptable on your site.
Personally, on sites that I get a good number of comments on, I’m too lazy to edit them, so if something looks spammy I’ll just delete it. Why create more work for myself?
If the comment is pseudo-spam, delete it altogether.
But with the question of “can” you, of course. It’s your blog.
the comment about “just turn comments off” my be the silliest thing I’ve read on the Internet tubes in a long time
What about deleting spam comments, but never editing everything??
I have a problem with just removing the link and keeping the comment. If it is slimy to post generic comments to get backlinks (usually done by a bot) is it any less slimy to have these comments in your blog to pump up your comment count? I haven’t seen any spam comments that are really worth having other than just to make me feel good. I like it when people tell me I rock. Who doesn’t? But it isn’t a real comment. It was made by a program or a person who has never read anything on your blog, let alone the article.
If you get someone posting a helpful comment and including a link back to their own site then I think it would be wise to keep the entire comment unless the link is completely inappropriate or if there are too many of them. If someone has taken the time to read your post and provide valuable input to the conversation then give them some gravy.
And Robby is just plain wrong. Comments are a way to build community and links between blogs. It’s ironic that you’re using comments to promote the idea of not using comments. After reading through your post, I have to say that I understand where you’re coming from but I completely disagree. I can use one of my blogs to respond to you, but would you ever see it? And if someone wanted to follow the conversation they’d be bouncing around from blog to blog to blog … that is quite silly too.
If you want a space just to have your voice heard then turning off comments is reasonable. But most of us want the interaction that comments allow on our blogs. We’re willing to deal with the spam and other stuff to get that.
There are times to use a blog and there are times to use a comment. There are times to post on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Each has its place and its challenges.
I want real discussion on my posts, not false praise. So whenever I see these URGR8 spam comments, I delete them without reservation. I don’t believe you are violating anyone’s First Amendment rights because as Robby said, they can start their own blog.
The slippery slope is when there is a valid and interesting comment that also includes a link somewhere spammy. I think I would leave the comment as is in that case.
I think you have to pass judgment on each individual comment. I always delete any spam and pretty much everything else gets approved – even negative comments (unless they are really flaming someone). If they are flaming someone I’ll give the commenter the opportunity to rewrite their post and if they refuse, I’ll tell them why I would not publish their post. So I would never re-word someone’s comment myself – I’ll give them the opportunity to do it themselves.
I am a fairly new blogger and do not presume to know the etiquette of blogging, but I have been in business for 25 years and certain principles apply to anything you do. If the premise of the comment is just to insert a link to sell or get credit, then what ever comment is written has nothing to do with your post and although could appear to be flattering, it is just a smokescreen for the commenter to promote his or her agenda. So if it has nothing to do with you or your post – just delete it.
If you edit the comment, you are just manipulating your readers into thinking the comment is actually real and that this persons positive response means something. The comment means nothing if it’s objective is to put in a link, solely for their benefit. The comment isn’t real and it cheapens your work and who you are. Always be real – never stoop to their level.
First off, you CAN do it.. and you have the right to edit/delete/share/notshare anything that is on your server.
To me the question is not ethics, it’s a much more practical concern. The time and attention spent on this is not spent on real people with real comments or a real relationship.
I’ll admit to the playing the game of writing a witty (at least I feel witty at the time) retort to a spammer or self promoting jerk who stops by my site. Not wanting to help their SEO scam or be seen as someone who allows that link, I edit that out.
Fun, but I feel like a bit of a jerk myself when I’ve done it, so I don’t do it often. And then there’s the thought that I’d be better off using that same effort to come here and leave a real comment on a real post :)
I forgot to mention that since I we do exercise editorial discretion over the content on our site, the same goes for comments. We *do* have a policy that refrains people from using profanity, etc. on the site in their comments and we post in our TOS that such comments will be flagged. Our recourse is to either redact parts of the comment or to delete it altogether. Usually we don’t redact, unless there are valid parts to the person’s argument.
I agree with Heather that is does post a slippery slope, however, when you exercise editorial discretion over your content, such as we do, you bear a certain responsibility towards your readers. Comments fall under the category of content we are responsible for regardless of whether or not we actually posted them.
Does anyone remember the Digg.com controversy over the AACS encryption key that got posted? Ultimately, Digg decided to forgo comment moderation on that thread and stuck to their guns and nothing happened. I don’t know if small editorial publications like mine can afford to that that risk.
My normal routine is to just delete comments like that, the ones that are “I’m going to bookmark this and tell all my friends”. They are obviously just spam, and they don’t add to the conversation.
And as a general rule, even if a commenter leaves a good and thoughtful comment, but decides to inject a link to their site at the end of their comment, I’ll edit that link out if it doesn’t add anything to their comment or conversation. I don’t really want to let other people use my blog as their marketing tool.
Erik, I think deleting them is the best option. Editing them just so you can keep a “semi-generic praise-ish” comment doesn’t seem right. Is it that important to receive praise, especially if it is not “legitimate” anyway. I think the ethical debate rests more in the decision to keep known spam comments – minus the links – just to make it look like people like your blog. I also have to respectfully disagree with Robby assuming that the goal of your blog/post is to engage readers and start discussion. Disabling comments makes your blog a one-way communication platform just like the “old days” of advertising. I thought we were in the midst of the “social revolution” online where conversations are the order of the day.
Quality over quantity…if it’s a ‘fake’ comment, not only will your readers notice, but you start to clutter up your own blog with generic commentary that doesn’t end up going anywhere. Not exactly beneficial to building a real community, if that’s a goal of yours.
My pair ‘o pennies.
I have a comment policy where I say I will either mark as spam or remove offensive/attack/spam material. IMO it comes down to “my house, my rules, play nice”
The problem with removing the URL and leaving the generic praise is that a good many of your readers will recognize the the spammy language and know what you’re up to. In other words, they will know that you’re not really all that popular, and that you’re pretending to be! How embarrassing!
I fell for those for those comments when I first started my blog; they’re not as obvious as you think, because the links don’t always go to traditionally slimy websites. But I recognize them instantly now, and I’ll bet most regular blog readers do, too.
I ultimately choose to wholly delete the comment instead of editing the spam URL out.
In the end, comments are about not just allowing discussion but inviting feedback and conversation about given topics. If a human spammer or commenter is leaving a generic “OMG u r gr8″ comment just to get some SEO / link trackback to their blog, delete it completely.
If you edit out the URL and leave the silly comment, it looks like you’re just writing to fish for anonymous compliments.
When in doubt, delete it out!
Keep it all or kill it all – I don’t see a middle ground in there.
Is it unethical to edit a comment to correct spelling? Is it somehow preserving the “integrity” of the comment to leave someone’s inadvertent mistake in it?
Honestly, with IndyGeek, I can’t just block comments altogether. Our Disqus plugin does an EXCELLENT job of marking spam from the queue. Askimet also picks up some spam from time to time and is spot on.
When I find one of these comments I simply delete them. Most people who are knowledgeable about blogs would see this as puffery and over the long term, it would damage our reputation as an honest and trustworthy source of credible news. Would you frequent and trust a site that allowed these comments over and over again? I sure wouldn’t.
The only “editing” I have done to comments was to remove a spammy URL. If someone wrote an otherwise helpful comment, but also spammed their product or service in the comment itself, I don’t think there is anything wrong with removing that. When I do that, I add a little snippet like “[ self promotion removed ]” in it’s place so it’s clear it was edited.
I do not feel it’s right to CHANGE or ADD content to someone’s comment. If it’s all spam, just remove it and mark it as spam in your blog software.
I think the best option is just to turn off comments.
Seriously, I dislike blog comments.
Comments are a messy, inelegant solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. If you want to provide commentary on the web, start your own blog. Don’t ask others to maintain a space on their site where you can write whatever you want. That’s just silly.
Never a fan of the slippery slope argument. What’s wrong with just marking them as spam? Is there some value the comment would add to your site or provide for your readers? If not, it just gets deleted.