You have to love the enthusiasm with which geeks tackle a problem. In this case, trackback spam aimed at Threadwatch.org -- a news and message forum cum blog used by search engine marketers to share ideas, post news and rumours and slag Internet behemoths of all kinds.
The challenge: how to make life miserable for Arsewipe Trackback Spammers.
Like e-mail spam before it, trackback spam exploit the goodwill of Internet users to spread promotional or just nuisance messages, clogging up systems that are meant for communication between interested parties. Trackbacks are an excellent way to follow discussions across several blogs, as one person sends a trackback indicating they have posted a related comment.
Nick W, the no-nonsense host of Threadwatch.org, had to suspend trackbacks recently because he was being hammered by spam. But instead of just accepting the loss of a valuable tool, he asked for some advice on how to disrupt the spammers, and preferably cause them some pain by routing the disruptive messages back to their source.
Note to self: don't piss off people who actually know what they're doing on computers.
See also: Spam Haters Given Right of Reply on Slashdot and Hacker Erased Spammer's Database on Security Awareness for Ma, Pa and the Corporate Clueless. Thanks to Claus and Technorati for the links.
Previous related posts: A Blacklist for Useless Pitches
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