Refer This
posted on may 25, 2003, tag: web
I've been running Dean Allen's Refer on this site for several months now. In that time, I have compiled a list of roughly 100 referral hits that I've had to block because they were spam. I am not the only person facing this—in fact, it seems as though with the wide-spread use of Refer, Dean Allen has not only created a useful and usable tool, but also created a whole new form of Internet spam.
To Dean's credit, this was obviously not his plan. In fact, as most things go, the idea was noble. He provided yet another easy way for the weblogging community to reach out and, well, touch itself, in some sort of, as it's been described lately by my live-in girlfriend, "incestuous, sick circle-jerk."
The problem, however, isn't the use of Refer. It's the misuse. And recently, the rapid misuse is making it nearly unusable. I've spent more time in the past month adding URLs to a block-list than I have writing entries. And still, every day, a URL involving "free cams" or, most recently, "massive cocks" has found its way onto my list.
So what's the solution? Well, there really isn't one. I can continue doing what I have been—adding a few URLs each day until the block list creates a 20MB text file a year down the road—or I can scrap the whole thing. I find myself using Refer on the site very frequently to see who/what is linking to ManiacalRage, but I wonder if anyone else ever even looks at it?
If not, then this has all been for nothing. After all, I have my own statistics script that I run behind the scenes. So then, do you ever check my Refer log? Cause if you don't, I'm tossing it. I'm tired of being so tempted to look at massive cocks.
Comments
There are 6 comments, comments are closed
Steve on 05/26/2003:
The only reason I use it is to see how people are getting to my site. But I am also starting to see massive cocks as well.
If I had your script you are talking about I wouldn't use refer, plain and simple. I don't even link to it on my site.
Shawn on 05/26/2003:
Wait, so are you saying that domains are faking a link to your site so you'll check out their site? Is that what you mean? Cause otherwise I'm unclear by what you mean regarding 'a new type of spam.' (And I do check your refer page but not frequently.)
Mike on 05/26/2003:
I hardly ever look at the referrer pages of any of the blogs that I read... I use Dean Allen's Refer script on my own site just because I like to see where people are coming from, and what they came for... But that type of information isn't something that I usually care to know for other people's sites.
ryan on 05/26/2003:
the refer thing is kind of fun... lets us find new blogs to read... would it be possible to automate the spam blocking?
a fairly easy, although perhaps ineffective, way would be to simply add any referer to the spam list with cock, or pron, etc in the domain or URL...
I guess it would depend on how many of the sites you've had to block are obviously porn sites (by looking at their domain name only).
just a thought
Garrett on 05/26/2003:
Shawn: Yes, I should have clarified—fake referrals to get their links on my site.
Brad Lauster on 10/06/2003:
Hi Garrett. I just implemented Refer on my site and I'm dealing with this problem now...would you be willing to share your block list with me?