Just Terminated 7,200 users on my blog!
About two years ago I noticed folks registering as users (subscribers) on my blog. Not the RSS feed. Almost none left comments. This number grew over the years to over 7,400. I became very suspicious as some left email addresses in Russia. But the majority didn't. But there was never a real correlation between their user name and email handle.
I had set my blog to email a confirmation that they subscribed and i have to wonder if my site was being used to harrass innocent people?
Was the email address actually the person who registered? I know that spammers will leave comments just so they can place their URL of their website in their user profile. But to my surprise maybe only 15 out of 7,400 did place a website on their user profile. So if they are spamming it is not via that method.
I did google a handful of the emails that were left and it showed many were listed as spammers.
My Questions are:
1. Did I do the right thing killing my 7,400 users? What gain can they get if they never leave their website since they cannot get linkage without it?
2. If my site was used to send false confirmation messages then out of over 7,400 NO ONE ever sent me an email complaining!
3. I do not have a mailing list (yeah I know) could those folks wrongly believe they were getting on my non-existent email list?
4. Anyone have any ideas on how to monetize a email list for a liberal Democratic site. Don't forget the readers of my site most likely don't like being forcefully sold to! WOW what a great Demographic I choose as my niche. :)
5. I do have Amazon ads and did have Adsense. In my 5 years I have made a whooping (DRUM ROLL) of $17.35 yes you read that correctly.
So why do I still do this? Because I love it. I am a 65 year old hippie and this is my passion. I will be adding other sites and do it on WA. The above site is not on WA.
Recent Comments
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I'm sure you will gain another 7,200 users to your blog. Since it's a passion I can see you rolling it back up in no time. Way to go Brian. All the way to the top with WA!
as long as you love it you will find here that you will get all the training and support to do whatever you wish all the best Max
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They were doing that to my site and leaving really awful string messages. I just did not accept their comments. Perhaps it has to do with the pingback that is sent when a comment is left, but I really don't understand the mechanics of it. Carson might though.
I will point out that since Kyle switched us to SpamShield instead of Askimet, even those spammers have been eliminated before they get to my comments. He explains it here about those spammers. Akismet Plugin - The Dark Side of Greed.
I noticed I get a pingback if I make a link to another post in my site. Pingbacks came from perhaps a by gone era when say as owner of blog x I would leave a comment on blog Y then if a third person added a comment in either blog x or y that comment would show up in both blogs.
I only hope that the new spam fighter plugin does not get greedy also. :)