Charles on… anything that comes along

Sigh - just cleared another boring link spam attack. (You may have noticed it in the comments list on the right. Phooey. Something is not working in my blog filters, but anyway.)

But there’s a great weapon against this: the Google Spam Report page. You go there armed with the name of the site that’s trying to link-spam you, add in a couple of searches finding other blogs it has link-spammed, report it to Google, et voila. Spammer foiled, or at least annoyed.

It is depressing doing the searches though and finding how many gazillions of blogs have given up on preventing comment spam. Maybe it’s the online equivalent of herpes, ineradicable, but controllable.

You’re welcome to go do this yourself if you notice a comment spam attack going on here. Just get the name of the attacking site, and head over. No obligation, of course. But if you see it, then likely I haven’t.

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• How the Google hack was done (26 July 2004; score: 77%)
• Sometimes you forget that there are clueless spammers too (18 January 2005; score: 57.24%)
• The Spartacus approach to beating comment spam (9 November 2004; score: 51.26%)

Simply splendid. How It Works…The Computer - the 1971 Ladybird book. In all its glory, and fiercely-coiffed secretarially-operated glory.

“Computers themselves are continually changing. Electronic valves are no longer used and have been replaced by transistors and diodes… As many as thirty components can now be fitted into a capsule approximately one-third of a cubic centimetre in volume.” (Isn’t a sugar lump about 1cc?)

I remember reading something similar - more advanced than a Ladybird one - which explained how the police could find out if a car had been ‘ringed’ by radioing the licence plate and description to DVLC (as it then was), which would do a search. It seemed quite impressive. That was about 1973, I think.

Hope this guy has lots of bandwidth - this is going to be SO popular.

(Via The Fullrunner)

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• Apple vs Apple: now read the 1991 agreement (14 September 2004; score: 23.59%)
• It's for your own good, dear: why Windows reboots without your permission sometimes (20 October 2004; score: 19.06%)
• Bad Pitch blog explains how not to make bad pitches to journalists (21 August 2006; score: 18.39%)

Following up on Dell’s closure of its Customer Care forums on its website, I’ve got the formal response - plus my own analysis of Stuff You Could Find Out From The Forums But Not From Dell Itself. (No.1: Yes, you can go to lunch leaving your speakerphone on hold waiting for Dell Customer Service to answer. It’ll still be ringing when you get back. (See this Dell CCF thread.)

Meanwhile Lucy Sherriff, also at The Reg, is considering a “Shuttle doesn’t launch” template story. Draft version here, though perhaps y’all might like to come up with some more suggestions..

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• Dell shuts customer support forums.. because they're full of criticism (13 July 2005; score: 150.9%)
• Michael Dell re Blu-Ray, and disable those iPod nano scratches! (4 October 2005; score: 66.36%)
• At LAST! Dell gets its own rumours site (4 February 2005; score: 53.22%)