My spammers are really stepping up ;-)

I love my real-life readers and their comments are much appreciated. Even with the captcha (which I hate) a few spammers manage to make their way through to moderation though...

Here's one of today's offerings (link removed of course!)

"A sound lineman is a marvellous make a face. If you impoverishment to blab with sept you have it away the well-nigh mortal during your flub a fun and painless rhythmicity purchasing something online.
A lot of wealth, which you do not end up disbursal a lot of minute. interpret (link removed) the acknowledge.
This applies to your piece of furniture. in that location are some game for online stores know been tiring them, you can store online and seek to urinate the well-nigh clicks. Do not judge a real advisable superior. acquire from what you've lettered from this piece, you hold not been conducting."

I can only agree...

Twitter spring cleaning

I blogged recently that I was going to spring clean my virtual life...I've started with twitter!

If you're active on Etsy or Folksy forums you'll have seen many a thread along the lines of "you follow me and I'll follow you" and I used to do that when I started. As a consequence, I was "following" way too many people for comfort. Everyoen uses social media in different ways and we all need to do what works for us - and for me, I like to chat. I don't want to see streams of links, quotes, horoscopes and non-stop-advertising. So I've started using TwitCleaner and have to say I LOVE IT!

The initial page looks scary, you have to agree that they can post and delete stuff and other scary ideas, but that is just standard twitter stuff. It doesn't really happen. What *does* happen is that your following list gets categorised: people who don't ever tweet, people who only use auto applications, people who don't follow you back. Now some of those might not bother you, I don't care whether people follow me back IF I'm genuinely interested in their tweets (Hugh Jackman, you're forgiven)

You can check each one individually, you are not obliged to unfollow their suggestions. I discovered (eventually! must learn to read instructions) that I can also click-and-hold and remove whole swathes at a time if I wish.

Already I am finding that tweets from interactive people are more visible - result! However, if I've deleted you in error (and I am bound to have missed some pals), PLEASE tell me and I'll refollow. 

The app is very clever and deletes from your required list very slowly so twitter doesn't get upset with you. This means there is a daily limit, so don't worry if it all comes to a grinding halt! 

Twitcleaner, virtual friend!

Best Spam ever?

I removed the "word captcha" robot checker this week so that people could enter my giveaway (enter here) more easily and straight away I'm back to lots of daily spam.

Some of it is great fun though, so I'm publishing this one WITHOUT the spammy links. No googling - what do you think they were trying to get me to link to? I'm pasting exactly as it came in...

"To make work out go down eyes arise above separately, bear your fondness makeup so it is heaver on the outer edges of your eyes. Employ not burdensome eyeshadow on the inner half of your eyes and darker shadow on the outer half, blending the two together seamlessly in the middle. Then, to texture off the look, apply your eyeliner and mascara so that it is heavier at the outer corner. This on excess the misapprehension that your eyes are submit support apart.

If you are constantly fighting problematic pimples, talk to your doctor alongside getting a medication as a replacement for Retinoid. Retinoid prevents blemishes on keeping pores small. It also fights the looks of aging past smoothing unacceptable wrinkles and fighting sunbathe damage. You may want to couple it with a extraordinary SPF sunscreen.

To cheer up your skin, test making homemade deal masks. Face masks can typically be made from things you drink round your ancestry and will pass on your crust a ravishing, unartificial glow. Look towards shroud recipes with ingredients like tomato force, sandlewood powder, or oatmeal. All of these things are great representing your gall!

If you are anguished that your favorite perfume may drag away during the daytime, reckon of adding some to your hair. You don't call for to cover it as soon as on your ringlets, but, instead, bouquet a headlight over to the bristles of a engagement and get a wiggle on it at the end of one's tether with your hair. You and your tresses will mephitis major in requital for the rest of the day.

To allow your hair more book, study bothersome a new haircut with layers. Layers are one of the most crap ways to reckon sum total to fine stagger hair. Balanced if you like to deterioration your hair extensive, you can at rest bear your stylist cut hunger layers into the top after a major supply boost.

Attraction isn't decent about genetics. It's also about effort. If you save a hardly extra mores into looking your best, you'll be unwavering to see results. Do your best to employ the warning in this article to your life. It won't be sustained in front you're suspicion more confident and more attractive."

Useful, isn't it? I now know how my " tresses will mephitis major in requital" which is something I've always longed for.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here and PLEASE leave me a comment today telling me what YOU think this spam was intended to link to...I'll give a prize to the one that makes me laugh loudest!

Facebook groups - how to stop getting all those emails!

The main mystery to me about facebook is why on earth they change stuff just when I think I've got the hang of it!

A while back I think there was an option to "invite" people to join a facebook group. The powers that be have changed that. There are now two ways to join a group - you can ask to join, or a member can add you to the group without asking you first.

Rather than add people, I'd like to invite you all to join the zibbet group. It's not just for Zibbet shopkeepers, it's for anyone with an interest in online selling/buying, and we like to chat!

That brings up my next and very important point! Facebook has set the default account setting to notify you every time someone breathes or moves a muscle - and if you're like me, you don't need that number of emails! So here is a step by step "change my email notification" guide:

From your home page, click on "Account" in top right



next click on "Account settings"



Then click on "Notifications" (ignore the red splodge, that's me hiding my email address. After all, the point of all this is not to get MORE spam LOL)



Select "groups"



Scroll down to the groups section (you might want to uncheck some of the other sections for facebook notifications while you're at it)



Click on "change email settings for individual groups"



Uncheck that box - and you will no longer get emailed every time a group member posts. You will still be able to find new posts easily though, there will be a number at the top left of your page showing new posts:



So - back to my starting point - please join us in the zibbet group

Spam, anybody?

Here's just some of last night's serving of spam, links removed:

"I have read a only one of the articles on your website trendy, and I extremely like your line of blogging. I added it to my favorites net period file and will be checking stand behind soon. Please report register out my put as approvingly and let me know what you think. Thanks."

"Forgive and forget"

"I have interpret a insufficient of the articles on your website in the present circumstances, and I definitely like your tastefulness of blogging. I added it to my favorites trap age file and resolve be checking stand behind soon. Divert contain in view my site as well and vindicate me be familiar with what you think. Thanks"

And my top favourite:



According to google translate this means:

"Simple and sweet. I want to start another blog or five long, I will certainly consider this topic. Accompany them coming!"

SPAM

My spam box overfloweth.

I get spam comments on my blog daily: some want me to buy special medications, others are worried that I might be lonely, and offer me an escort service. Somebody else finds my blog posts very useful for their dissertation, and another regular enjoys my "themes". The most amusing was just after I'd changed my blog banner and colour scheme: they suggested I should consider changing my design occasionally.

It's annoying, because it means I have to moderate all comments, and sometimes my lovely real readers think their comment is being ignored. Not so, I assure you.

Spam on twitter goes without saying!

More recently I've been getting spam from online sellers. Mostly, I think, because they're unaware that just because I post on a forum, or maybe add their shop to my favourites, that does not mean I wish them to start sending me unsolicited offers. That is what newsletters are for - I blogged on Folksy about how to set them up here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Now *someone* has kindly signed up in my name to receive offers from certain websites. No, don't ask. But if you happen to know how to unsubscribe from services without having knowledge of the password, please get in touch.

And to end on a positive note - let's hear from Monty Python:

Spam - and comment moderation

I've reluctantly added comment moderation after spotting this comment left recently....

"I’m currently being held prisoner by the Russian mafia *link removed* and being forced to post spam comments on blogs and forum! If you don’t approve this they will kill me. *link removed* They’re coming back now. *link removed* Please send help! *link removed*"

Being of the female persuasion, Niftyknits has no need for enlargement in that area.

I wish my anonymous commenter every success in his escape plans.

Spam, anybody?

The text below was the comment above mine on a blog I visited recently. I've changed the link, but isn't it fabulous?

"Hello Friend ( the ), how are you? I am by developing an activity over the Internet very interesting , where the chances of earnings são realities. That's a system practical , simple & dynamic No cost she swims you she'll know - he , will be barely 5 minutinhos. Lighted meu link : http://www.blahblahblah
That your desires of conquest they may be realized as soon as possible."

Let that be our motto for today: May our desires of conquest be realized as soon as possible...in my case, it's the meerkat's dream of world domination ;-)