This article directs it's attention to email spam which is indeed an issue.
"What happens next?
Once human attention becomes a gated resource, the prize is no longer reaching the human directly but tricking the gatekeeper into passing the message through."
That is where blog comment spam sits, and there a lot of blogs.
I wrote this in Nov 2007 and it persists today, across blogs and pretty much anywhere else that allows comments.
Blog comment spam was already 'optimizing for the gatekeeper', not the reader. For email what's new is that the primary gatekeeper is becoming the an agent itself, not a filter sitting at the edge.
“Yes, yes,” said Bethan, sitting down glumly. “I know you don’t. Rincewind, all the shops have been smashed open, there was a whole bunch of people across the street helping themselves to musical instruments, can you believe that?”
“Yeah,” said Rincewind, picking up a knife and testing its blade thoughtfully. “Luters, I expect.”
"This is a place for those who have a moderately large collection of removed games (games no longer available for purchase on steam) to gather. For most, this group will just be about the name, showing off that you own what others no longer can. For others, it can be a resource to find what you once believed could no longer be found."
You don't need to concentrate your attention anywhere in particular or to explore anything in depth. I stay away from news / politics / gaming subs even though they are my main interest until I have enough of a history / karma.
Some subs do have subreddit specific karma limits but they are many and varied.
It can be a long game, but gaming reddit with comments is easy enough so you'll pass their 'checks'.
I was maybe 15/16, family holiday on the island of Menorca. There was a long cove where I would snorkel. Saw hundreds of sea urchins, some fish, an octopus here and there. Water was warm and clear
I surfaced and kept heading out. All of a sudden the water went from warm to cold. Goggles still on I looked down into the water. Darkness. Nothing.
I don't think I have ever swam faster back into the cove and got out.
"What happens next? Once human attention becomes a gated resource, the prize is no longer reaching the human directly but tricking the gatekeeper into passing the message through."
That is where blog comment spam sits, and there a lot of blogs.
I wrote this in Nov 2007 and it persists today, across blogs and pretty much anywhere else that allows comments.
https://akismet.com/blog/it-really-is-spam/
Part of the continuing problem is that, for blogs, Akismet is effectively paywalled (One ad? You pay). Alternatives exist - use them.
What we have now though is spammers creating blogs then setting AI to comment on those blogs promoting spam and comments which then promote that spam.
It's a cesspit.
Don't read the comments.
reply