I'm a Spam Blog? Enough Already!
For three days now I have struggled to publish blog posts at Xavier Thoughts, because Blogger's robots have determined that my personally published blog may be an evil spam blog. Maybe it's because I posted some disagreeable things about Obama. Maybe it's because I write about guns. 
Maybe it's because some prick decided to "flag" me because he or she did not agree with my content. Blogger claims it is because of the number of links I have, and my posting frequency.
Three days ago, I sent a request for human verification. Today, I am still straddled with Blogger's silly warped multi-font random array of letters that I must type in a blank to publish a post. It has been three days. Here is what Blogger has to say on the matter:
Three days..... I am still waiting. So, I ask my readers that I have responded to in the comments and in email to comment here. If this blog disappears into ethernet, it wasn't because I wanted it to. If there is something on my blog you value, I urge you to copy it to your hard drive.
Oh, and for the human who sooner or later will review this blog, it is not spam. It is an informative work by a real human being with a following of regular readers. You may not agree with the views expressed here, but this blog has not violated your policies. If it has, drop me a line and the violation will be removed. Know what? I'll answer you too, because I AM NOT A 'BOT!
Maybe it's because some prick decided to "flag" me because he or she did not agree with my content. Blogger claims it is because of the number of links I have, and my posting frequency. Three days ago, I sent a request for human verification. Today, I am still straddled with Blogger's silly warped multi-font random array of letters that I must type in a blank to publish a post. It has been three days. Here is what Blogger has to say on the matter:
"Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What's a spam blog?) Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.
We received your unlock request on September 20, 2008. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.
Find out more about how Blogger is fighting spam blogs."
Three days..... I am still waiting. So, I ask my readers that I have responded to in the comments and in email to comment here. If this blog disappears into ethernet, it wasn't because I wanted it to. If there is something on my blog you value, I urge you to copy it to your hard drive. Oh, and for the human who sooner or later will review this blog, it is not spam. It is an informative work by a real human being with a following of regular readers. You may not agree with the views expressed here, but this blog has not violated your policies. If it has, drop me a line and the violation will be removed. Know what? I'll answer you too, because I AM NOT A 'BOT!
Labels: Frustrating Stuff, State of the Blog
posted by Xavier at 2:13 PM
21 Comments:
Im in brah,and a real person..dammit
I wonder if someone wrote a blog about the food "Spam" if the bots would flag it as a Spam blog?
All joking aside, this has happened to another gun blogger that I read regularly, but his was resolved after a week I think.
The funny this is that there are a lot of blogs on blogspot spouting porn but it seems they are never erased....makes me wonder what those bots are actually doing.
Hope this gets straightened out, I enjoy the blog.
Anthony
If you ever get fed up with Blogger consider the jump to a self-hosted Wordpress blog where you can be your own master. There are much better ways to handle comment spam than CAPTCHA and I find it disturbing that Blogger finds it necessary to just shut down blogs without warning.
Most likely you have a lurking troll who delights in flagging blogs that he has disagreements with. If you ever find out who it is maybe fire should be fought with fire eh?
Xavier,
Yes, I know it can be irritating sometimes but please keep up the site (or, if you decide to move it, please let us know where it goes). I enjoy reading about all of the things you blog about - guns, dogs, bicycles, even Nursing (since both of my sisters are nurses) and yours is one of the sites I visit nearly every day...
Woah, woah, woah....you're NOT a robot? Man, that's the only reason I came here. You WERE the smartest robot I knew....
I went through the same thing about six months ago. It does take a week or so for a human to get around to it.
It's funny that I can agree with you on gun stuff, bike stuff, some law and order stuff, and almost no political stuff, yet every day I look forward to something that I can delight in or fume about. I guess that means keep it up!
lbrasi
You have to stick around to give me advice on my first gun purchase!!!
I read you every day, along with Lawdog my favorite blog. Anything I can do post it.
ben
It's not your number of posts; I post far more daily than you do, and have never had a problem with Blogger thinking my blog a "spam blog."
I'd guess some troll flagged you, or somewhere deep inside one of your recent posts is a keyword that the Blogger software identified as being spam-oriented.
Automated software usually sucks...
"If there is something on my blog you value, I urge you to copy it to your hard drive."
Hmmm... I hate to tell you this Xavier, but my hard drive cant handle your entire blog.
EricN
this is crazy. I'll vouch for you.
I would second the suggestion to get your own domain and host your own blog.
Depending on blogger to preserve your free speach rights seems like depending on Oba-Biden to preserve your gun rights.. tricky.
Marko moved to Wordpress as well as Cranky Prof. The thing I like about Wordpress is that you can download it and set it up on your own server. You'd need a broadband connection and a domain name, but after that, you're in complete control.
I have a Wordpress blog set up for ARES that supports my county's Emergency Management organization. You do have to spend some time setting up the look 'n feel, but after that it's easy.
We're all real people here.
Any number of libertarian/right-leaning blogs have now been flagged by Blogger as "spam-blogs". The consensus is that it really is 'bots doing the flagging...Obamabots.
To them, dissent is the highest form of patriotism...unless, of course, you're dissenting from the One Truth of collectivism. Then it's "anything goes", since their ends justify their means.
Thanks for continuing to post, despite the PITA it's become. They'll get it straightened out eventually.
I don't know ... a gun-toting robot nurse sounds kind of cool.
I'd also second the comments on getting your own self-hosted Wordpress blog. It's easy to do, cheap, and helps you avoid the Big Brother oversight.
Train hard & stay safe! ~ ToddG
Xavier
This is why I went to Wordpress. Blogger bites the wax tadpole, daily.
i read you blog everyday and i look forward to read what you up to... i ride bikes and i shoot guns. I value what i see on here
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