So, like any blogger, I get my share of comments that are sometimes impossible to distinguish between spam (and I do read and check out every comment) and sincerity. But one particular comment caught my attention as it was asking about the one thing that I still question: How do you deal with all of the spam? And honestly, there really doesn’t seem to be very many good answers (Akismet can only help so far) as I’ve seen some of the largest sites (with lots of money backing them) encountering the same thing that I am. So, perhaps we should be asking just why spamming actually happens?
Well, human nature is driven by some very basic needs that we try to assuage on a daily basis. The image above seems to be the biggest focus in society today, driving us to do things that might normally never be contemplated. Desperation can be a very troublesome bedfellow, and lead to behaviors that degenerate the human condition. We’re not only people pursuing material treasures. We’re also people driven to connect. We are social animals that thrive when we are in touch with others. There is no one out there who doesn’t need someone, even if they’re nothing like us.
So, yes, spamming has become a problem proliferating throughout the Internet, and we can trace the route cause to the way in which we value those pieces of paper with numbers written across them. We’ve been told a line that having money will bring you contentment, if not happiness. But where do we draw the line in pursuing human behaviors that negatively impact the need to connect? Comments are special when they are uniquely directed because you were moved by the content you experienced. But spammers have turned this positive experience into some sort of cottage business with no thought to the damage that they do to the personal relationship aspect of communication. Like many other bloggers state, it’s bothersome that businesses choose to pay out minuscule amounts of payment for empty words that detract from every blog they touch, turning these blogs into bogs of wordy commercialism.
We all need to make a living, but there has to be a line that we each refuse to cross in order to be able to respect ourselves. There should be some things in life that can’t have a price placed on them. Blogs such as this one exist because their creators have things that they wish to share with the world. Yes, SHARE, as in with no demand for a return – monetary or otherwise. All that I hope to share is the joy that creativity and inspiration can bring into our lives. If you like my writing, and we start an open conversation, then I’m doing things right!
So, next time you leave a comment on any online comment section or forum, think about the reaction of that person when he/she receives your words. If they’re heartfelt, then THANK YOU (or sorry if I say something wrong)! But if you’re trying to make a few bucks typing empty words, well, I hope that you’re comfortable with your actions.
Just saying…
