Trackback Spam »
So I'm just not quite sure what to do about trackback spam. I get far more spam than I get legitmate trackbacks. Even though I installed a filter (of sorts), and even though the filter is working, I still get trackback spam.
In the last two weeks or so, I've received 3 valid trackbacks, maybe 5 spam trackbacks and at least 7 trackbacks that were blocked due to being sent from open proxies. I'm not quite to the point of turning it off completely, but the thought is being considered.
How about you? Is there anyone out there that even uses trackbacks (for a valid purpose I mean)? They come turned on in a default installation of Movable Type, so I suspect that a lot of people do so, and the idea behind the technology is nice, but it seems that this is one idea that may be buried by spammers.
The only other use I've seen recently is for people that run trackback parties and they just do it to pump up their own link ratings, a use that I'm not sure is really much more valid - it only generates a massive list of links to useless sites. I'm really close to just turning them off entirely. You?
Comments (3)
I am with you on this one - I put in a support ticket with Six Apart a while back about being able to moderate Trackbacks at the very least - they said the situation was currently being looked at.
MT Blacklist moderates stuff that you have already blocked from comments but does not stop new nasties from cropping up.
I have turned off trackback on my main blog - the secondary blogs still get hot from time to time. I would live to use trackback more but until this situation is resolved, I can't.
Posted by Simon Cox on February 17, 2005 5:57 AM
Though MT-BL has helped with the matter a great deal, the lack of Trackback moderation in MT (among other things) is still letting spammers who slip past cause problems.
I still find enough value in the few TBs I get to make it worth keep weeding around them, and I'm pretty sure that MT will be doing something about TB moderation next release, but I certainly feel your pain.
Posted by *** Dave on February 17, 2005 10:46 AM
It's only been nine months since I filed a bug against an early 3.0 beta, begging for TrackBack moderation, so I'm sure they, they'll...
I filed it a short time after they announced the licensing changes, and got that enormous steaming pile of pings, during a time when they were refocusing MT on the needs of businesses, and yet it remains untouched. If you want it, hack it in yourself, or switch.
Posted by Phil Ringnalda on February 17, 2005 11:02 PM