Comments on: Lowdown on Spamming Social Media http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/ Grow your business with TopRank Online Marketing tips, articles, & expert information on social media, content marketing & search engine marketing. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: NEW SITE GETS BANNED FROM DIGG WITHIN 6 DAYS - Steve http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-101982 NEW SITE GETS BANNED FROM DIGG WITHIN 6 DAYS - Steve Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:15:19 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-101982 Digg.com is getting cocky and banning small web sites just because digg’s users submit them to digg and digg’s moderators don’t like it. Scifidigg.com is the latest victim of Digg’s “We are big, you are small and we can do whatever we want” attitude. First some background. After running the website Scifi2u.com for the last year we realised there was a demand for a scifi digg type website – 6 Days ago ScifiDigg.com was born and is powered by open source Pligg and the YouTube API. So what went wrong? The site went live on the 22 March 2007. People submitted stories and video links to digg and other sites del.icio.us, Yahoo, Simply and Reddit. Having a submit button makes submitting very easy and fast but that could be a problem. Let’s get to the point WITHIN 6 DAYS THE SITE HAS BEEN BANNED FROM DIGG Digg’s moderators decided that since the link pointed to my site and the posts are mainly videos from YouTube ScifiDigg should be banned from digg and no other links from scifidigg.com can be posted to digg. Digg’s response I contacted digg to find out what happened and why they blocked my site. The response I got from them was that my site violated their terms of use, by copying another site. I explained to them that although the video is streamed by YouTube we give the facility for original coments to be added. The response I got was that they do not allow sites that copy other sites to be submitted to digg. I told them that according to their rules they should also ban Yahoo news, since it does not have an original content but republish articles from PCWorld, Reuters, MACWorld and others. Also falls under this category other major sites like neowin.net, blink.nu and many more that are doing exactly the same infact they should ban YouTube because the video content is often copied from other video websites. But hey, they are big sites and digg can’t pick on them without repercussion, like they can pick on small blogs that try to establish themselves. So what have we learned? · Digg’s users don’t really determine what gets promoted, but digg’s moderators do. · Digg have a different set of rules for small site and different rules for big sites, even though both are doing the same. · Digg will ban a small site just because one of its user’s submitted an article that other digg members liked and promoted, but moderator didn’t like the link. · Digg will not listen to reason when told that the site did not violate its TOS. I am going to create a Digg.com clone http://www.BannedDigg.com Watch this space!!! Digg.com is getting cocky and banning small web sites just because digg’s users submit them to digg and digg’s moderators don’t like it. Scifidigg.com is the latest victim of Digg’s “We are big, you are small and we can do whatever we want” attitude.
First some background.
After running the website Scifi2u.com for the last year we realised there was a demand for a scifi digg type website – 6 Days ago ScifiDigg.com was born and is powered by open source Pligg and the YouTube API.
So what went wrong?
The site went live on the 22 March 2007. People submitted stories and video links to digg and other sites del.icio.us, Yahoo, Simply and Reddit. Having a submit button makes submitting very easy and fast but that could be a problem.
Let’s get to the point
WITHIN 6 DAYS THE SITE HAS BEEN BANNED FROM DIGG
Digg’s moderators decided that since the link pointed to my site and the posts are mainly videos from YouTube ScifiDigg should be banned from digg and no other links from scifidigg.com can be posted to digg.
Digg’s response
I contacted digg to find out what happened and why they blocked my site. The response I got from them was that my site violated their terms of use, by copying another site. I explained to them that although the video is streamed by YouTube we give the facility for original coments to be added.
The response I got was that they do not allow sites that copy other sites to be submitted to digg. I told them that according to their rules they should also ban Yahoo news, since it does not have an original content but republish articles from PCWorld, Reuters, MACWorld and others. Also falls under this category other major sites like neowin.net, blink.nu and many more that are doing exactly the same infact they should ban YouTube because the video content is often copied from other video websites. But hey, they are big sites and digg can’t pick on them without repercussion, like they can pick on small blogs that try to establish themselves.
So what have we learned?
· Digg’s users don’t really determine what gets promoted, but digg’s moderators do.
· Digg have a different set of rules for small site and different rules for big sites, even though both are doing the same.
· Digg will ban a small site just because one of its user’s submitted an article that other digg members liked and promoted, but moderator didn’t like the link.
· Digg will not listen to reason when told that the site did not violate its TOS.

I am going to create a Digg.com clone http://www.BannedDigg.com Watch this space!!!

]]> By: Lee Odden - SEM Blogs » Blizzard Internet Marketing Newsletter http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-58931 Lee Odden - SEM Blogs » Blizzard Internet Marketing Newsletter Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:44:10 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-58931 [...] Lee Odden is one of Search Engine Marketing [...] Lee Odden is one of Search Engine Marketing

]]> By: Friday Favorites 1/05/07 - Stuntdubl - SEO Consultant http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-56526 Friday Favorites 1/05/07 - Stuntdubl - SEO Consultant Fri, 05 Jan 2007 22:32:44 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-56526 [...] Lowdown on spamming social media - aka why you shouldn’t do it [...] [...] Lowdown on spamming social media – aka why you shouldn’t do it [...]

]]> By: Balazs Balint http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-55258 Balazs Balint Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:58:21 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-55258 I can't help thinking about the value chain of social media projects. They are quite similar to the value production of community project developments like Apache or OpenCms. Just have a look at it! For instance I need a content management system. I find an open source, GPL software. I learn how to use it, and if I need some developement I tell my developers to it. Then I share the added value with others. But I'm not an altruist. I biult specific proffesion by using and developing the software that can be converted into profit by ny company. The same is with social media. The site based on user-producted content are also projects developing not software but content. Let's suppose I'm interested in marketing. I want to get familiar with different points of view about marketing related issues. I start searching and I find this site. I start reading posts and comments about different topics. with one word: I learn. But of course I have thoughts about theese topics and I start to share theese thoughts- developing the project. For me community projects seem to be like a joint-stock company. The only difference is that your share depends on the work you invest. In this context spamming means gaining more value than your divident. There is no community that supports this. Just a question for spammers: Do you want to be a cheat? Or you want to be an aapreciated member of a community? This is really simple, isn't it? I can’t help thinking about the value chain of social media projects. They are quite similar to the value production of community project developments like Apache or OpenCms. Just have a look at it! For instance I need a content management system. I find an open source, GPL software. I learn how to use it, and if I need some developement I tell my developers to it. Then I share the added value with others. But I’m not an altruist. I biult specific proffesion by using and developing the software that can be converted into profit by ny company. The same is with social media. The site based on user-producted content are also projects developing not software but content. Let’s suppose I’m interested in marketing. I want to get familiar with different points of view about marketing related issues. I start searching and I find this site. I start reading posts and comments about different topics. with one word: I learn. But of course I have thoughts about theese topics and I start to share theese thoughts- developing the project.
For me community projects seem to be like a joint-stock company. The only difference is that your share depends on the work you invest. In this context spamming means gaining more value than your divident. There is no community that supports this.
Just a question for spammers: Do you want to be a cheat? Or you want to be an aapreciated member of a community? This is really simple, isn’t it?

]]> By: WayMoreNews http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54940 WayMoreNews Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:13:32 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54940 [...] Lowdown on spamming social media. [...] [...] Lowdown on spamming social media. [...]

]]> By: No NonSense Internet Marketing » Death of Social Networking Sites http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54431 No NonSense Internet Marketing » Death of Social Networking Sites Sun, 31 Dec 2006 15:20:22 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54431 [...] December 31, 2006Death of Social Networking Sites Lee Odden has an interesting post on his online marketing blog titled Lowdown on Spamming Social Media sites. [...] December 31, 2006Death of Social Networking Sites Lee Odden has an interesting post on his online marketing blog titled Lowdown on Spamming Social Media sites.

]]> By: Digg’ing Its Own Hole | Strategic Blogging http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54337 Digg’ing Its Own Hole | Strategic Blogging Sun, 31 Dec 2006 10:54:26 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54337 [...] Domain Banning My good friend and fellow Allbusiness.com blogger, Lee Odden, has had his Top Rank Marketing blog banned from Digg. [T]he effort was made within the digg community to disallow any stories from Online Marketing Blog from being submitted to digg with no chance of a human evaluation of the situation or process of reinclusion. [...] [...] Domain Banning My good friend and fellow Allbusiness.com blogger, Lee Odden, has had his Top Rank Marketing blog banned from Digg. [T]he effort was made within the digg community to disallow any stories from Online Marketing Blog from being submitted to digg with no chance of a human evaluation of the situation or process of reinclusion. [...]

]]> By: Ron http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54246 Ron Sun, 31 Dec 2006 04:45:20 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-54246 Hi Lee, I have experienced this first hand when you talk about having sites banned from social bookmarking networks. I have had two sites banned so far with out warning and without me ever posting on them. I am not sure why it happened but when you look at the tools supplied and the tos of some of these sites you can see that if someone mass submits your site meaning every page then you "meaning the site" is going to be banned. All your competitor has to do is import a xml file with your complete site on it and that site is banned not the user he is free to register again using a different account and hence no penalty to him but a site banned that he does not even control or own. I am not going to list the network site here but I will release to you through email. Great site by the way... Hi Lee,

I have experienced this first hand when you talk about having sites banned from social bookmarking networks. I have had two sites banned so far with out warning and without me ever posting on them.

I am not sure why it happened but when you look at the tools supplied and the tos of some of these sites you can see that if someone mass submits your site meaning every page then you “meaning the site” is going to be banned.

All your competitor has to do is import a xml file with your complete site on it and that site is banned not the user he is free to register again using a different account and hence no penalty to him but a site banned that he does not even control or own.

I am not going to list the network site here but I will release to you through email.

Great site by the way…

]]> By: Wayne Hurlbert http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53998 Wayne Hurlbert Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:17:53 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53998 This is a very important post on a topic that is not receiving enough attention. As long as there are search engines, directories, or internet communities, there will be someone trying to "game" them. This post provides some ideas on how to combat the spammers and gamers who prefer to cheat their way to the top. This is timely and valuable advice for everyone using the various social media. This is a very important post on a topic that is not receiving enough attention. As long as there are search engines, directories, or internet communities, there will be someone trying to “game” them. This post provides some ideas on how to combat the spammers and gamers who prefer to cheat their way to the top. This is timely and valuable advice for everyone using the various social media.

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53738 Lee Odden Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:42:56 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53738 thatSEOguy, I don't think there's anyting new or particularly effective in the list of "how to's". The point is to shed some light on these tactics so companies know what to watch out for. thatSEOguy, I don’t think there’s anyting new or particularly effective in the list of “how to’s”. The point is to shed some light on these tactics so companies know what to watch out for.

]]> By: thatSEOguy http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53733 thatSEOguy Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:36:56 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53733 Excellent post. Ironically, though, I think some people who are looking for ways to spam the social media sites have also found your article useful. Excellent post. Ironically, though, I think some people who are looking for ways to spam the social media sites have also found your article useful.

]]> By: Starked SF, Unforgiving News from the Bay » Blog Archive » New year’s Weekend Nuggets http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53718 Starked SF, Unforgiving News from the Bay » Blog Archive » New year’s Weekend Nuggets Fri, 29 Dec 2006 20:39:22 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53718 [...] Lowdown on spamming social media. [...] [...] Lowdown on spamming social media. [...]

]]> By: Kim M. Bayne http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53705 Kim M. Bayne Fri, 29 Dec 2006 19:20:33 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53705 Unfortunately, where there's a place (or space), marketers will find a way. As someone who enjoys exploring social media, as both an individual and an employee, I constantly reassess what I'm doing. Sometimes I feel that the definitions of spam are often redefined, causing me to be more and more cautious. I know I've missed a few legitimate opportunities to promote my employer's Web site, but I also know that a bad reputation haunts you online forever. I want to attract potential new users, but the only decent way to do it is to contribute useful content, then weave in a short mention of the business, if appropriate. Walking the fine line can be difficult at times. Still, I can't understand folks who don't even try. On behalf of those of us who are making an honest effort to respect the online community, we don't want to be lumped in with serial spammers. Notice, I didn't mention my employer in this post because it's not contextually relevant. But I could have...and that's the fine line I'm talking about. ~ Kim Unfortunately, where there’s a place (or space), marketers will find a way. As someone who enjoys exploring social media, as both an individual and an employee, I constantly reassess what I’m doing. Sometimes I feel that the definitions of spam are often redefined, causing me to be more and more cautious.

I know I’ve missed a few legitimate opportunities to promote my employer’s Web site, but I also know that a bad reputation haunts you online forever. I want to attract potential new users, but the only decent way to do it is to contribute useful content, then weave in a short mention of the business, if appropriate.

Walking the fine line can be difficult at times. Still, I can’t understand folks who don’t even try. On behalf of those of us who are making an honest effort to respect the online community, we don’t want to be lumped in with serial spammers.

Notice, I didn’t mention my employer in this post because it’s not contextually relevant. But I could have…and that’s the fine line I’m talking about.

~ Kim

]]> By: Balazs Balint http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53674 Balazs Balint Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:20:31 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53674 Hi Lee, This is a very important, hot topic I think. I couldn't read through the whole post, so just a short incidence: I think I was informally banned out from DMOZ caused by a personal affair(not any illegal or unetchical online activity). Not a nice story. Hi Lee,
This is a very important, hot topic I think. I couldn’t read through the whole post, so just a short incidence: I think I was informally banned out from DMOZ caused by a personal affair(not any illegal or unetchical online activity). Not a nice story.

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53669 Lee Odden Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:11:02 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53669 Hey Chris, I was actually in a rush and that's not the right title. :( Hey Chris, I was actually in a rush and that’s not the right title. :(

]]> By: Chris Winfield http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53668 Chris Winfield Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:57:57 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/12/dos-and-donts-of-spamming-social-media/#comment-53668 Lee - excellent post. One thing I realized though - your title says "Do's and Don'ts of Spamming Social Media". What are the "Do's" of spamming social media? ;) Lee – excellent post. One thing I realized though – your title says “Do’s and Don’ts of Spamming Social Media”. What are the “Do’s” of spamming social media? ;)

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