OK, so I’ve entered the Blog-o-spere and started publishing the info I thought might be useful and have I EVER learned a lot.
First thought- in principle, I like the idea. As an avid user of the web to search for information, I feel the need to be a contribute back. I am blogging the things that I tell my customers (I am a web host & designer) and the things that I tell my friends who need sites. My thoughts and recommendations are based on how I view sites that I go to. Is it useful? I don’t know. My hope is that there is someone doing some research before they build a site, that they find this and have an ‘aha’ moment.
Second thought: When I wrote my first article, I was surprised to see an email the next day, stating that someone had commented on my blog. My elation was short-lived, however. I received another, and another, and another… Right now, I’m receiving about 4 per day. Let’s be real, it’s not that I’m that good and the info is not that revolutionary. My fans are ‘bots’. Just like 10 years ago when 90% of your email was spam, now the spammers are targeting blogs. Really? Why? And let me just say – for all of us on the web – WE HATE YOU !
Why Bother? So now that I’m seeing lots of ‘bot’ comments, I want to know why. After looking around, it’s pretty simple really. Websites get better rankings on Google and other search engines when they are linked by other sites. more connections makes you more valuable (It’s high-school popularity all over again). They spam a bunch of unprotected blogs and then the data miners find them and raise their scores. I’ll admit some try to look real. They are vague and mildly supportive, but at least they’re trying. Others don’t even put forth the effort. I don’t care (or believe) that acia berries are good for you.
So Now What? Remember those annoying things on web pages that make you read the goofy looking characters and type them in? That’s a reverse TURING test called a CAPTCHA (“Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.”). Personally, I hate them. At first, I resolved to leave the readers alone and just let the ‘bots’ through. I would sort the wheat from the chaff. But here’s the reality – hundreds and hundreds of comments later, there is not one real one! I’m wasting my time looking through the junk and I don’t think I’ve found one person yet. (If you have commented and I deleted you, please try again. I’m sorry, but a diamond in a pile of broken glass is tough to find.)
So I put on a CAPTCHA. If you read the blog and the information helps you then I am satisfied. I don’t need comments. If you want to be one of the ‘few’, then do the stupid CAPCHA and leave me a note. And if you’re thinking about creating a blog of your own, you MUST put a CAPTCHA in. Trust me, it’s not worth the time to leave it out.
Final Thought: I think it’s humorous that, as soon as we started making computers, we wanted them to be more like people. The ultimate test of intelligence was the ‘Turing Test’. This test was designed to see if a machine was intelligent enough to pass as a human. Passing the test was difficult. Now, we are in a race to figure out more and more difficult Turing tests because it is too easy for pretend to be a person.
Good luck – I like the concept of blogging informatin taht people might find helpful. If you ahve somethign to say, go ahead, but just make sure that you’re protected so that the slimey spammers don’t use you.