Spam me, baby!

I'm here for the spam.

It’s been a long time since spam was something you opened with a can opener (or opened at all, for that matter). The much maligned mystery meat now assumes more threatening potential, even if it has kept its pedestrian packaging. “Hello friend!” Mr. Zombo Gonzoogo greets you as you open your inbox. “Claim your reward,” the National Lottery whispers as you press ‘delete all’ with an icy stare. Not to mention the kind offers to enhance, reduce, raise, lower and so forth. Going to the dark-alley pharmacy has never been easier.

But, lo and behold, spam is increasingly impinging on my blogging life. At first I was a bit mystified by ‘Akismet’ and its big brother eyes watching over me, protecting me from harm. Hey, it’s a blog, not an email account, I thought innocently. And it did its thing – quietly ridding my neat little world of that unsightly trash, sending it to its special place, garbage dump of cyberspace.

But recently, Akismet started sending some of the comments made on my blog to the spam folder. Curious, I checked to see what it was and found that Akismet was protecting me from the likes of – “Loved your blog, I sent it to all my friends.” Or, “Thanks for this informative information, your style is very informative.” I was confused. Is this spam? Or adulation? Isn’t it just a case of – “you love me, you really love me?” So I posted the things. Approved them right and center.

The other day I followed a link from one of these congratulatory notes. Gulp! I didn’t know the human body could be so… so… shiny!

So there it is. Now you know. I sift through comments much more carefully these days. I am particularly suspicious of people with nice things to say. You love me? Go to hell!

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