In case you have been living under a rock you might have noticed certain comments just seem well unrelated in any way or are flat out begging for upvotes, follows, and other things.

Pexels edit with Lunapic

This is my take on:

• My View on Spam
• Trying to deal with spam
• The trouble it can cause people fighting the good fight
• Resources I use to fight back when I can’t get the job done by myself
• Why I think some are spamming for more than just upvotes

My Personal Views on Spam

Pexels edit with Lunapic

It’s like that person panhandling on the side of the road in 104 degrees of heat. You offer them a job or some help other than in form of cash and they just look at you funny. They laugh “why would I take a pay cut.” Certain spammers seem to be the same way you offer them “advice” on how to play nice and be productive members of the Steemit community. They just tell you “I’m not spam, I only left one message on this blog. Then you notice someone for whatever reason gave them some upvotes.

• Something-- We are still not sure what but we know it’s not good

• Pathetic—They could be blogging about that one time they noticed Elvis in the cloud; instead, they choose to beg for follows

• Annoying-- You would think after all the flags they get the hint we don’t like that

• Monstrous – It’s everywhere you look and out of hand

If someone leaves you a very short comment that shows zero signs that they actually read your blog don’t upvote it. While most just want to say it must be bots (there sure seem to be a few out there), there are in fact humans doing the copy/paste as well. If you stop rewarding the ones wasting their time they will simply be forced to go elsewhere over time.

First Attack Plan

Pexels edit with Lunapic

A few weeks back several members of the community started to call out an action. Everyone started to notice an influx of spam traffic and many outstanding members of the community sought this as an opportunity to try and help out new members who have just joined and might not know better.

I for one supported this action. Even tried when I had spare time to support from my own actions the more peaceful and caring method of just trying talk with the spammers or at very least calling it out.

In fact, I have been trying to deal with spam for a while now. Most of the time I just never had the time to deal with it. Sometimes I did. This rejuvenated my efforts to try once again.

If Your First Fail, Try, Try, Try Some Spam…

Pexels edit with Lunapic

I tried many things at first to be “friendly.”

At First I tried leaving a thoughtful and engaging comment that shows how it’s done here on steemit.

Needless to say, people, even humans try and argue what they doing is just fine and it's not spamming what they are doing. Such conversions with these types of people often leave you frustrated. On top of that who has time to spend trying to deal with each person in such a long and drawn out matter. It's clear some will be bots and others just don’t care. They are just happy with their Throne of Spam they want to be the king of.

Well even when others see what you are trying to do and join in to help out people just don’t want to change. They are happy with being spam.

I even ask them questions. Certainly, if there was a human posting this spam they would at least want to reply back since someone is asking for help or wanting to create conversion.

I’ve tried even mocking and informing people that there spam actions have consequences if they choose to continue down the Path of Spam (sound like a really cheap horror movie to me!).

I even left supporting comments on those trying out the same thing as me. Talking with the enemy! It was just nice seeing this trend grow.

For a while, I was having more fun talking with people who were like me trying to peacefully deal with spam.

Then as always I just had my own thing to do. It was not possible to keep up with everything.

Attacked on a Follower!

Pexels edit with Lunapic

I had taken a break for the most part of fighting and interacting with spam. I would flag the random one here or there or call it out. I am someone who spends a fair amount of time chatting with the people I follow and seeing what they are up to.

One day I noticed one of the people I follow called out for help. That person flagged a spam comment that someone left on their blog and that spammer retaliated with a network of downvotes. Up to this point while I was annoyed by the growing amount of spam. I didn't think I needed to look into better options for dealing with it. While this was expected to happen at some point I had not seen anyone gets flagged down by a bunch of accounts like that in their efforts to clean up spam.

So, I did the only thing I could do. Took what information I had known about dealing further with spam and reach out for help, upvote those in trouble, and research into more solutions. Heck even meep was kind enough to leave a reply (I thought it was funny so I left it in, always fun to talk with meep. We love you meep!)

One of the things I love about steemit is a number of people who are willing to help out someone. Quite a few people noticed the blog asking for help and showed up like me to show support and try to help out. The spammer in question who attack back went down to 14 reputation and has not commented or blogged in a week.

So What Can You Do About Comment Spam?

Pexels edit with Lunapic

• Flag it. Be warned this could trigger a flagging war so be smart about it. If your minnow like myself sometimes you can only call it out

• If you don’t or can't flag it call it out. Let other people see and question the comment. Sometimes those who see your comment and investigate themselves if it’s spam can be dealt with.

• Help out and report to communities trying deal with the issue. You have things like @spaminator , @sadkitten , and @steemcleaners.

• You can even join steemcleaners steem.chat channel for link drops to report spam comments directly

• By using tags like #waronspam

Why do they spam?

Created by @enjar using MS Paint
I know at first it’s easy to think oh they are just doing it for the upvotes.While I am sure some are creating some automation so they have to do zero further work. I have found from my own dealing that some in places i hang out on Steemit are from human spamming. So whats the point if they are not after upvotes?

I noticed after a while they start blogging with a link, leaving a link on their page, or spamming a link in their comment. Taking a closer look at these links they appear to be referral links to “free offers” where they want to collect your e-mail. But how odd right? They give you something free for nothing?

Things I have seen on Steemit from Referral Spammers:

• Spam restreems
• Spam comments with follow begging
• Spam comments and blogs with referral links
• Offer free things for signing up using referral link

What do these things have in common with trying a get rick fast referral marketing techniques that are endless out there? Well, from my own past history in internet marketing they want your email. Then they set up that email for receiving daily offers and information to buy a product where you guess it—they get money. This is just what I have discovered with my own experiences when trying to understand certain things. I guess people see catchy titles like “Make $50k or more per hour” by selling you pills, work out videos or what ever they are selling these days.

While I’m certain the spammer won’t earn 5k per hour spamming Steemit. I am sure someone sooner or later will flag the spam.

Be gone with you evil spam trying to sell things on our platform!!!!

Citation and Information:

• Unless otherwise cited all screenshots of conversions were taken by @enjar on Steemit.

• This blog reflects my own experiences, and common knowledge in the subject matter discussed.

• Viewpoints expressed are my own.

Question to You:

Pexels edit with Lunapic

How do you deal with spam? Do you eat it? Toss it off a roof? BURN IT WITH FIRE? Let me know in the comment section below.

Pexels edit with Lunapic