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Friday, March 22, 2013

Busy Bees In Bisbee. But First, A Mini Rant On Spammers



In a perfect world, we wouldn't need inconvenient bordering-on-interferent legislations and regulations on everything from gun control, to birth control. But our "perfect world" went out the window "In the beginning," when Eve tempted Adam to take a bite out of her forbidden apple; if not then, then certainly a few years later when one of their offspring, Cain, slew his brother, Able. Look, I love free speech as much as my Macbook Pro and "Old Yeller," but I'm beginning to think that "SPAM" should fall under the same category as Telephone Solicitations, the one's that used to interrupt our evening hours. If we can have a reasonably successful "No Call List" regulation with penalties that are enforced, why can't we have a "No Spam List?" They are every bit as intrusive as phone solicitations, and beyond that, they are often foul in language and intent. 



I'm not going to waste much time beating this "horse" to death, but indulge me another minute and then I'll get back to Bisbee. In "the beginning" when my blog audience was as unpopulated as a front row church pew, SPAM was an inconvenient, but tolerable price to pay... five to ten a day would get through and in general they were not offensive. But as the BCB audience grew, so did SPAM, and the most read posts were/are the biggest targets. Again, tolerable because those were usually off the front page and way back in the archives. 

But now the spammers are finding ways around "spam catchers." Lately it has been the porn spam that get's through... where even one is too many! It disgusts and frustrates me to the point that it will eventually cause me to put my Blog Pen back in its cradle, pick up a watercolor brush and go back to painting out my angst on real paper. 

I know I could defeat mine enemies with a Password Captcha, but I hate those things because it take several attempts to get the fuzzy, encrypted words and numbers right, and therefore cut comments more than half. Comments are my "Motivational Fuel," in case you haven't read or heard that before... without Comments, I assume the audience has gone to sleep on my efforts to put something worthy in front of them; either "my bad," or perhaps because it's human nature to take things for granted, or both. 

I will see how "Moderation" of comments works for a while. I'll still be dealing with hundreds of spam comments, tho, and they tend to kill enthusiasm and the impromptu spirit and flow of energy and ideas. SPAM is one of the reasons I backed off my normal posting frequency, entertaining thoughts of getting back into painting, where I don't have to put up with "the world," with its seamy, sordid degenerate geek squads that can't find real jobs and thus resort to infecting honest websites with porn, or handbags, or whatever else they peddle for a dishonest living. We put men on the moon, rovers on Mars... why can't we put a dent in SPAM?

Now back to another photo montage of Bisbee, Arizona... Ahhhh!








Now THIS is an honest man making an honest living... how delightful is the sound of a banjo well plucked and strummed. 

Notice this canoe is made from wine corks :)




This car with its Hilary decorations got noticed by a Hilary staffer, and the lady who owned it a "campaign appearance and introduction to Ms Clinton. 



The Gang, hunting for old and unusual buttons for sewing projects


People wear Top Hats and Bow Ties in Bisbee






20 comments:

  1. First of all Bisbee looks to be the kind of town that everyone can find something to love.

    Second, while I appreciate your frustration with dealing with spammers I for one would not deal well with your absence. At that point I would expect a personal email post of your adventures!!

    I hate them too! We shall hate them together!!

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  2. Yeah, I was having the same problems with my Blogger site as well until I finally, and reluctantly, required users to be registered to post a comment (turned off Anonymous comments).

    I know some folks like to use the Anonymous feature, but I felt I no longer had a choice but require them to log in w/their Google or Wordpress account first. For 90% of the folks, this hurdle is no big deal.

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  3. Totally agree with your Spam thoughts. I've always wished there was a way to rebound an electronic charge back down the path the Span had come & fry the Spammer's computer to a cinder!! And if the Spammer got a little singed in the process, so be it. Only way I found to stop the Spam was to disallow Anonymous comments. As soon as I did that my Spam ended. I have a Shout Box on my sidebar for anyone who finds the whole Google Circus of leaving a comment too difficult.

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  4. Don't allow anonymous comments. That eliminated the spam for me. There may have been one or two with a Google ID. Much better solution than captchas which will do nothing more than frustrate you regular commenters.

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  5. Spam yes is a pain, I moderate mine and all seems to go pretty good, so thats just the way it will stay.
    Love you pics of Bisbee!

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  6. Thanks for the wonderful pictures! Have to add Bisbee to the "Places to see" list.

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  7. Sorry about the spam but sure do enjoy your pictures and posts. Thanks!

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  8. Mark... I have been following your blog for over a year now and have even gone back and read many of your older blog entries. I look forward to every post you write. You are an outstanding writer and although I rarely post on your blog, the first thing I do in the morning while sipping my coffee is check for a new blog update and I do the same at night. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us... Regards, Tom

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  9. Mark... I have been following your blog for over a year now and have even gone back and read many of your older blog entries. I look forward to every post you write. You are an outstanding writer and although I rarely post on your blog, the first thing I do in the morning while sipping my coffee is check for a new blog update and I do the same at night. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us... Regards, Tom

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  10. Walden Creek rv steveMarch 22, 2013 at 5:13 PM

    mark- do not know if you saw my legal remarks to you on facebook--(was at wits end!) happens alot lately)- Nice to see new followers of BCB-take care- great pictures by the way-thanks for tour- makes Orlando look kinda plain and touristy!

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  11. I knew you would have something to say, i.e. rant, about that when I saw it! Good job!

    Bisbee reminds me a bit of Ouray only on a grander scale. You? And with cacti and desert whatnot of course!

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  12. LOVE your photos of Bisbee! I had been following a blog, but suddenly yesterday, it appeared with photos of actresses from India scantily clad! EGADS! I had to go into google reader, sign in, and manually delete my following that blog! I've also had problems with SPAM on another one of my blogs, so I put in word verification, but my followers complained, so now I just don't allow anon. comments...hope this helps your situation!
    Cheryl Ann

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  13. Love you photos !!! Hate the spam. I am glad I read this. I am going to not allow anonymous posters anymore on my blog as well.

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  14. Bisbee looks like a cool place to visit or live. Lots of artsy stuff. I was wondering why you were not posting, glad to see you are back. You can blog AND paint, post some pic's of your artwork.

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  15. It sounds like the blog Cheryl Ann unfollowed had been hacked into. Hopefully, the blogger regained control, and Cheryl Ann can go back to following!

    I keep basking in the glow of anonymity and low spam counts, but I can't hide forever. The truth is I get LOTS of spam, but Google's spam trap catches 99.8% of it without my input.

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  16. The problem with turning off "anonymous" comments is you also turn off those of us who are willing submit our credentials in order to put our two cents in the tip jar. (name, email, and URL.)

    I am a self-hosting user of Wordpress software, and therefore I do not have a Wordpress ID. And if you want to hear a RANT, the mention of a Google ID gets my hackles up. Have you ever read their TOS? They flat out tell you "we now own all your content. Everywhere." I wish there was a compromise...turn off all anonymous who are truly anonymous, but still allow those of us without a Google ID to be pre-approved through a valid email address. But then if Blogger were to do such a thing, then I wouldn't need a google account, now would I? (Google RANT! ggggrr!!!)

    LOVE the looks of Bisbee! Thanks for the colorful tour...can't wait to buzz around there one day!

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  17. I loved Bisbee when we visited, and love it even more when I see your photos. You and Al Bossence are the ones who know how to capture that "something" that is Bisbee. However, there is a dark side as well. Have you read the incredibly eloquent blogger, Deborah, from Bisbee? I didn't put her blog addy here out of respect for your beautiful photos and stories...but that other side keeps me from wanting to be there.

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  18. Unfortunately using blogspot you don't get a whole lot of no spam options besides the irritable recaptcha. You could switch to Wordpress with your own domain and reduce the problem to almost nothing with a plugin.

    Bisbee is a fun town to explore.

    There's a whole lot of wine drinking put into that canoe.

    Trying to catch up a little now that I'm back in AZ. Keep on enjoying.

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  19. Bisbee is such a great place to explore; in fact, that whole loop from Benson to Bisbee, to Coronado Natl Monument, Fort Huachuca, Kartchner Caverns...well I'm sure you're getting there!

    Haven't had a spam problem with my blogger site, but feel your frustration.

    Great photos and narrative as always!

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  20. KLB Explorer
    Of course, KLB... I will keep you up to date, and serve as a resource for your upcoming adventures, whether I'm blogging or not :)) Thanks!

    Lynne,
    I hope I can get by with moderation... but it adds more time sorting through and separating the spam from the real comments. ugh.

    Bayfield Al,
    Yes, I wish we could spam the spammers... just make them wade through hours of crap every day!
    I will probably end up going the route you did... again, ugh. Thanks for commenting.

    Wandrin,
    I know... I can't get the captcha to work half the time. thanks W. L.

    Geo and Suz,
    Thanks... It's hard to take a bad photo in Bisbee :))

    Lost Anne,
    You will love Bisbee... don't forget the Old Bisbee Brewing Company :)) thanks!

    Steve and Joan,
    I appreciate your appreciation... it sure helps to hear that once in a while... like when I'm deleting spam :((

    Tom,
    Thanks for coming out of Lurkdom. And thanks for your kind comment... how wonder to know you start and end your day with my little musings. Very nice... thanks for taking the time to say it!

    Walden Steve,
    Yes, I saw them... Sorry to make you wait longer for the BCB posts. Sometimes the fire burns out. Thanks for your support... much appreciated pal.

    meow momma,
    A good rant cleaneth the soul! Thanks for tagging along with my B, S, :))

    Trav 4,
    That is what i'm afraid will happen to the BCB one day... and how do you get it straightened out? That will be the day that I die... figuratively I mean.

    Sierra Sue,
    Good luck... it's an up hill battle!

    Teri,
    I suppose you are right... but I tend to use one as an excuse to not do the other :(( I am working on a watercolor now, tho... I'll post it soon.
    thanks

    Lucky Ducks,
    Yes, google spam catcher was working pretty good for me too. but then someone figured out how to get around it, and it was a porn dog! Hopefully google will put more time and technology into preventing spammers.

    Suzzane,
    I know google is snooping around with our personal information... and it probably gets shared to god only knows who! YOu have every right to be ranting... in fact, I think I'll join you!!!
    Google is becoming Big Brother.

    Sue,
    I thank you... and I'm sure Al thanks you too! Sounds like I need to look into Deorah... I like the seedy underbelly stories. thanks

    Gaelyn,
    Gee, I'm just getting used to Blogger! Wordpress is good, I hear... but it takes forever to open on my macbook for some reason... thanks, and welcome home from South Africa... at least it sounds like you are home on Facebook.

    Still Howlyn,
    Thanks. I love this part of Arizona, for sure. Summer in Lovely Ouray... winter in AZ. What a life!
    thanks

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