Comments on: How Spam Might Kill Twitter http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/ Wii, iPod, DVD, TV, and So Much More Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Augie De Blieck Jr. http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-161106 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:28:37 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-161106 Adam - I hope you're right. I really do. But the problem is, "Only see replies from people you follow" is a bad move. I'd miss half the replies to my Twitter posts. I realize that not everyone is a "public figure" the way I guess I am, but I'd hate to miss any replies to my posts. I would rather not wall off my garden. Then, Twitter becomes a much more closed arena. Adam - I hope you’re right. I really do. But the problem is, “Only see replies from people you follow” is a bad move. I’d miss half the replies to my Twitter posts. I realize that not everyone is a “public figure” the way I guess I am, but I’d hate to miss any replies to my posts. I would rather not wall off my garden. Then, Twitter becomes a much more closed arena.

]]> by: Adam P. Knave http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-161045 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:29:28 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-161045 I still don't understand how this will cause spam to be sent to users. Will it create a bunch of cruft accounts? sure. Is that going to be a huge problem? no. But spammers still can't force you to follow them or to read their messages. So the worst is notifications that X is following you. Myspace sends out messages when people friend you. Spammers do that CONSTANTLY, and it doesn't seem to have affected them (not that myspace was ever usable but the comparison holds) at all. The reply spam you mention is probable, but I don't think it is going to turn into such a huge problem. And it would be easy to code around. "Only see replies from people you follow" as an option and bang you're done. I still don’t understand how this will cause spam to be sent to users. Will it create a bunch of cruft accounts? sure. Is that going to be a huge problem? no. But spammers still can’t force you to follow them or to read their messages. So the worst is notifications that X is following you. Myspace sends out messages when people friend you. Spammers do that CONSTANTLY, and it doesn’t seem to have affected them (not that myspace was ever usable but the comparison holds) at all.

The reply spam you mention is probable, but I don’t think it is going to turn into such a huge problem. And it would be easy to code around. “Only see replies from people you follow” as an option and bang you’re done.

]]> by: Stop Twitter Spam http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-160995 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:07:46 +0000 http://www.variousandsundry.com/2008/04/10/how-spam-might-kill-twitter/#comment-160995 Great post. We're at a tipping point with Twitter and it can either slide over to the dark side or we can try to fix this. I have a few points I'd like to add: 1) Are you blocking the suspected spammers? Twitter staff actively monitors blocking activity and will take action if enough people block a user. 2) In the past day, Twitter added a 'spam report' page on this page: http://twitter.com/help/ 3) If you have ideas for how to fight spam on Twitter, submit your idea on Get Satisfaction: http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/topics/new?query=&style=idea Twitter has been very responsive to issues / ideas submitted here. Great post. We’re at a tipping point with Twitter and it can either slide over to the dark side or we can try to fix this. I have a few points I’d like to add:

1) Are you blocking the suspected spammers? Twitter staff actively monitors blocking activity and will take action if enough people block a user.

2) In the past day, Twitter added a ’spam report’ page on this page: http://twitter.com/help/

3) If you have ideas for how to fight spam on Twitter, submit your idea on Get Satisfaction: http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/topics/new?query=&style=idea Twitter has been very responsive to issues / ideas submitted here.

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