TwitterSpam and the Term Videoblogging

The reason I wrote that post yesterday was in response to the amount of spammers that are using Twitter and the term Videoblogging. There are continuous efforts to attract people to visit crappy search engine keyword heavy content to get folks to come to their web site.

Here are some examples:

This links to a really badly written SEO/SEM series of words allegedly on how to get started. Should you visit said link (and really don't do it) you get to see ads, expose yourself to potential nastiness and waste you time and life energy.

Or worse yet, some goof will try to convince you to pay cash money to be instructed in the secret ways of the Videoblogging cash producing ninja. This is the kind of stuff Google is trying to chase out of their search results.

How bad can it be? This bad:

The camera. Your best option for videoblogging is a MiniDV camcorder with a FireWire cable, because you’ll have the easiest time getting the video off of it and onto your computer. Camcorders that use FireWire have been made since around the year 2000, so your camcorder doesn’t need to be brand new to work. If your video camera is analog, you’ll need an external converter that converts analog data into digital and then feeds it into your computer; such converters cost 0 to 0 and up.

Ok, around 2005-2006 people did use MiniDV tape camcorders. In 2011 consumers don't use tape camcorders anymore, a few Luddites excepted.

Firewire? Nope, that transition for consumers happened years ago to USB.

It is true camcorders do not need to be brand new but if you are using a DV camcorder from 2000 I've got questions for you.

Do I even have point out that this was presented as a new post? Jeepers.

If you could see the actual page the script was jacked up and the places where the prices should have been displayed have been replaced with zeroes. The "article" was written by a person who didn't know what the heck they were writing about.

Another clue is that if you see multiple people using the exact same phrase and the exact same link (but different URL shortcuts) all leading to an SEO gunked up page then you are in the realm of Twitspam.

In Twitter move your mouse pointer on top of a short cut URL - you can see the destination link. It is a good way to avoid content farm articles and cheezy sites.

TwitSpam floats though languages and selling groups. Yesterday there was a lot of affiliated-content crap and today there are a bunch of Russian links to dubious posts. It will change from day to day.

There are recognizable patterns. Once you know the pattern you can dodge it. But that doesn't help folks that want to know real information or contact someone who does. That where this hurts.

I checked back today. There seems to be some cleaning out of the affiliated crap. Today I could see actual folks that participate in vlogging. Maybe Twitter knows that is a problem and is trying to deal. I hope so.

But the cretins will be back. They will find new ways to hook the unsuspected or get rich quick seeker.

More is the pity.