Friday, November 25, 2011

40,572 words and my Viagra dude


Everyone gets spam, right? Comments on your blog that are trying to link you to penis enlargements or Viagra. Usually the comments are written in busted English have absolutely nothing to do with your blog post. I don't know about you but I pretty much delete spam on contact.

Something weird is going on, though.

In the last few days I have gotten a TON of comments from an address that is pushing generic drug buying online... you know, drugs like Viagra – not the kind you buy from Cheech & Chong, I don't think.

The address was spammy but the comments were actually related to the posts.

Huh, I thought, but deleted them anyway.

On Wednesday my e-mail inbox was filled all day long with comments from the Viagra dude. Really, really good comments. This guy (or girl) was not only reading the posts but was offering intelligent, thoughtful insights as well.

He wrote this regarding a post I made about a camping trip to Killarney Provincial Park:
xlpharmacy reviews has left a new comment on your post "Killarney by Canoe": wow amazing trip you had made, i remember that i made one a few years ago to the yellowstone park, was awesome we get permission to do camping, was pretty awesome to be 3 days without a computer. 
He wrote this about a story about the authors of a new local book called The Hidden World of Huckleberry Rock. I was embarrassed, at the time, because the only commenter was one of the authors! But my Viagra buddy not only read the post but commented on it, too!
xlpharmacy has left a new comment on your post "The Hidden World of Huckleberry Rock": Thanks for your insight for this method great story; this is the kind of feature that continues me though out the day.I’ve long been seeking around for your webpage following I learned about them from a companion and was pleased when I was able to come across it just after browsing for a while. Being a devoted blogger, I’m happy to determine other people taking effort and surrounding to the neighborhood. I just wanted to review to exhibit my thanks for one’s submit as it is quite encouraging, and many writers don’t get the credit they ought to have. I’m positive I’ll be back again and can deliver a number of my mates. 
And I had to laugh at this comment he wrote on a post about why people visit my blog. The number one reason? Because they're googling potato chip bags – I had posted an image of Lay's Potato Chips.
xlpharmacy reviews has left a new comment on your post "Popular Posts": Googling photos of potato chip bags?, are you serious? is people really looking for this on the web?? 
I giggled because I think it's funny that a possible spammer is commenting on what people are "really looking for" on the web.

I told my friends at work about him and what we figured is, this Viagra dude was doing what we all do when we're bored at work – surfing the Internet (well, I never do that, ahem, of course, because I am Practically Perfect and besides, I'm never bored at work because I love my work so very, very, very much).

Is this guy's actual job spamming the internet? And if it is, does the job of spamming get boring so he surfs and blogs just for fun?

My friend at work speculates the spamming business might be operated just like a call centre. But we don't know. All we know is the Viagra dude seems really dedicated to reading my old blog posts. It seems like he is methodically going through everything I've ever written. I mean, who does that? It's a blogger's dream, I guess, to have someone read all your back stuff and enjoy it. So it's all good, right?

I hope so!

What I'm hoping is my Viagra dude reads this and leaves me more information about him or herself. I'd love to know where he's from and what his job is like. I always thought the business of spamming was done by computers, not people, and the idea of connecting with someone like this intrigues me.

So who are you, Viagra dude?

Tell me everything ....

17 comments:

  1. I am relieved to say that I AM NOT the Viagra Dude...


    Har! The word verification popping up is 'volummis' (seriously!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. As I read along I was thinking, this guy is at work doing his miserable job which he probably hates, and he is making it tolerable by reading the blogs he is spamming. Then I see you come to the same conclusion. What a hoot. Maybe he will start following you from home so you will feel more comfortable with him.
    Oh yes....and congrats on the word count. Looks like you're going to make it. (Not that I had any doubt.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am not the viagara dude, but this is a great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. See? That's what I like about you. I would have blown him off, but you? You want to know all about him, what makes him tick, sit down and have a cup of coffee, take notes.
    On a side note - I'm very relieved to know that Alan isn't your VD - did he pick those intitials on purpose??!?
    Congrats on the word count!
    My mind's in the gutter today. My word verification is nolicas. If you separate that into 3 words and say it out loud...

    ReplyDelete
  5. VD. Ha! Great initials! Thanks for pointing that out, Laura.

    Cathy, I bet he/she is being paid to leave comments on blogs advertising Viagra or whatever. And I bet actual comments related to blogs are more likely to be allowed and read than straight-up links.

    That said, I also bet this person has the option of leaving the comments anywhere they choose, so he/she comes back to your blog because it's a fun place to be, and that makes this job easier.

    So? Viagra Dude/Dudette? Am I right? I'm really intrigued now, too. (And you should point out to your employer that your comments caused Cathy to put up a photo of Viagra. And be sure to note the number of times the brand name has been used here... Maybe you'll get a bonus? Product recognition is king, after all....)

    ReplyDelete
  6. OMG, these are the FUNNIEST comments ever! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. No word from VD yet, but it's still a holiday in the States and I'm thinking he's from the U.S. somewhere... don't expect to see him back at work and surfing the weeb until Monday.
    Can hardly wait!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's hilarious! I'm glad Viagra Dude is enjoying your blog. A guys got to have hobbies, other than, you know, pushing Viagra.

    My verification is "popsi". I guess that's what happens after you buy the little blue pills.

    ReplyDelete
  9. See! Your words pierce through to everyone, get past their apathy and/or stuck-ness, you have such a great gift , and what Laura said, you didn't blow him off, he's a human too! Proud of you!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think these are a result of Spam robots that crawl the web and post comments based on an algorithm that matches your content. The only intent they have is to get their link shown on as many sites as possible for improved search engine optimization (SEO). Some of the content is close enough that it passes through spam filters. If you removed your comment moderation you would soon see tons of these

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh Ed, please don't disillusion poor naive little me! (sob!)
    You're probably right, though. I'm hoping that Viagra Dude will be back at work on Monday and we'll see if he shows up!
    (Thanks Laurita and Kelly!!!! :))

    ReplyDelete
  12. You crack me up, Cathy! Only you would not only tolerate the VD dude or dudette, you create a new post specifically to draw him back.

    I can't agree with Ed. Even the smartest software can't fake context and language well enough to make you think it's a human. It's the elusive Turing Test principle. I think your hypothesis is correct: bored worker who's job is to post comments on blogs, and here he goes and finds yours and hey, he can't help but giggle and get real for a minute. But I'm not convinced he's in the US. Syntax suggests English is second (or third) language, which could put him anywhere in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Mike -The content whether written by machine or a human was designed to trick the basic blog filter into thinking it is real content and posting it. It uses enough keyword and meta analysis or just enough generic content wording to trick the system. Their bots continually crawl the web looking for holes to post this crap.

    Some blog admins do not moderate their comments and this spam will get posted automatically. Here is an example of almost the exact same content posted on another blog.
    http://bit.ly/oQpb8I

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh dear, Ed. I just went to your link. It is exactly the same as what my Viagra Dude posted.
    Sigh.
    So there is no VD. Just a computer spam-bot.
    Sigh.
    Well, thanks for the heads up, anyway.
    (Ed? Is there a Santa Claus? You can tell me... I'll believe everything you say now...)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes! - there is a Santa Claus and he works at Fed-ex

    ReplyDelete
  16. MuzzleMuzzleMuzzleRnd 1: With MC, ch 2, 4 sc in
    next 4 sc, decrease 1 sc over next 2 sc repeat around. Marry in the
    month of May 2011, e-reader ownership grew to 12 percent, up
    from about 3 percent for all of the features that you'd expect. At that time, and indeed we bisected some puddles without getting electrocuted or a skunk sexcam stripe up our backs, but it has its downsides too.

    Feel free to surf to my homepage: sex cams

    ReplyDelete
  17. Up top you've got the price up top everything appears to be free so far, with lots of nausea and vomiting. 24 scRnds 4 - 6: Sc in next 2 sc, sc in next sc, leaving a length of yarn, sew opening closed. We'll be liveblogging
    a few, too, just in case you decide sexcam to resell the handset down the line
    -- yes, there are other dark forces at play.
    Rows 8 & 9: Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc repeat around, join, ch 1,
    DO NOT TURN.

    Also visit my homepage; sex cam

    ReplyDelete

How's it going, eh? It's SO good to hear from you. Tell me every darn thing...