Luckily all of the blogs and comment enabled sites I publish are all moderated comments or I would have had a mess early this morning. One of the new blogs got hit with a ton of comments from different IP addresses. Each comment was gibberish including the domain names.

This isn't the first time I have seen this behavior. However I noted the IP's and how they are doing it.

From previous experience it appears they are targeting anything titled "blog" or similar. Of course not using the word Blog in or as the title will only help to an extent.

The automated comment spammers are using anonymizer services, mostly in Germany (like tor.exploits.com, tor.save-privacy.de, tor-anonymizer1.dotplex.de, tor-anonymizer.ipx-n.datenspuren.org, tor-exit.aof.su, tor-proxy.nds.wv-s.net, isc-tor-two.lostinthenoise.net and others).

Below is the list of IP's that the comment spammers used. I would suggest if you have a blog and have comments enabled that you add these IP's to your dissallow or block list.

64.182.159.1
85.25.151.22
85.25.135.137 
195.189.81.105
81.169.176.201
195.24.77.134
78.46.64.75
64.27.17.141
208.43.127.247
193.111.87.20
149.20.54.204
64.214.184.50
78.47.48.62 
64.34.166.71
212.112.226.14
216.93.183.68
204.13.236.244
71.185.171.13
81.169.168.22
72.213.3.42
87.106.27.17
62.141.48.177
134.76.63.98
84.16.233.47
67.215.231.26
195.5.116.248

I've also been seeing a lot of creidt card and debt relief comment spammers on one of my financial blogs. Most of the IP's are Pakistan and India.

203.99.191.142
220.247.245.129
212.143.230.112 
116.71.137.129
121.247.181.115
210.211.217.243
208.88.53.190

Idiot comment spammers. The best thing you can do to keep this mess out of your blog is to moderated comments. The more folks that do moderate comments they less incentive these spamming morons have to do what they do.

For years, I have often wondered why some advertising works well or why some of the content on various publications I publish is more popular than on others. For the life of me, I just could not put my finger on it.

I have tried surveys, questionnaires, you name it and I have more than likely gave it a shot. Of course, standard website analytics software only gives a website owner a small picture of who is actually visiting. Geographical location does not really do much to know exactly who it is visiting the site.

One of the most difficult tasks as a website owner or publisher it defining whom your audience is. Whether it be for targeting advertising or just better understand who is visiting so you can write more effectively and reach your audience. It is like putting on a blindfold and going duck hunting. You may get one by sheer accident, however you are going to miss more than you shoot, by a long shot.

Analytics such as Google Analytics, SiteMeter, etc. provide only the basic details of website traffic and very little about the individuals actually visiting. Targeting readers is a lot easier when you have a better sampling of hold old they are, their ethnic group (race), if they have children or not, what income bracket and level of school they have.

With advertising being somewhat in a slump grabbing the most you can from advertising is at time a tough nut to crack. Writing content for your readers is much easier when you have a better idea of what they are all about and what interests them.

I’ve been using QuantCast (it’s free for publishers by the way) for a good while now and it has helped me zero in on who exactly is visiting various sites, blogs and publications that I contribute to or publish. I was completely wrong about who my actual readers and visitors were. All it requires is a bit of code to be added to your website pages, much like Google Analytics or SiteMeter. Using QuantCast also puts your site(s) in front of prospective advertisers, which of course is always a good thing.

Website analytics does have uses, however the QuantCast visitor demographics will show you who your readers and visitors are.

I suggest that you try Quantcast, its 100% free.

Note: I have no paid affiliation with QuantCast

UPDATED: see below the pictures

I have always had problems with UPS throwing packages onto my carport or leaving delicate electronics out in the rain. And they NEVER knock to let anyone know we have packages. I know, I am nearly always here in the office during business hours (6am - 6pm). Sometimes I don't get packages from UPS till after dark (after 6pm).

My current issue with UPS and their very bad handling of packages. A friend shipped me four computers, two desktops, a HP laptop and a Toshiba tablet PC. All of the boxes with the exception of the Toshiba box were in great condition with no crumpled corners or other signs of damage. However, the Toshiba box had two crushed corners. It wasn't until I opened the box that I discovered extensive damage. (update: the HP desktop computer had a lot of loose hardware, like the CPU fan off of the CPU, but no critical damage like the Toshiba).

I called UPS and they advised me that that they would send a driver out to pick it up and take it back for inspection. They (UPS) would not give me a reference number or claim number. I kind of worry that I will never see the Tablet PC again after UPS gets their hands back on it.

Well back to the story.

The front case of the tablet is lifted up and the display is spider-webbed and completely unusable (see the last picture below).

My friend advised me that at the time he shipped the computers all four were in good condition and stated that the Tablet PC display worked perfectly.

Like I said I have had problems with UPS deliveries many times in the past, but this one takes the cake.

---

UPDATE 1:26pm Tom from UPS called and we had a discussion about the damaged Tablet PC and also the poor services that I have received over the course of several years. The UPS business manager for our area is supposed to come by today and talk about the computer and the (poor) level of service being received in and around Statesboro. Thanks for responding in a somewhat timely manner UPS! I hope I can write a nice, everything is peachy, UPS services is okay ending to this. I guess we will see.

---

My Friend's Quote straight from an email this morning when I told him about the damage...

"That's insane. Believe me when I say these machines were all in fine working condition when I sent them and none had any physical damage at all. These things had been working perfectly, and had done so since I got them."

From Telecom Monthly

"Everyone loves a horror story, even us shriveled old raisins at Telecom Monthly.  And this story has it all, shock, anticipation, and an evil villain.  Unfortunately, this is a supposedly true story.  The tale of a small company which overpaid on their T1s for years and the big company which refused to help. "

Read the full story

Please stop submitting complaints.  This is our phone network.  We designed it, we built it, and we use it more than you do.  If there are some features you think might be missing, if the system isn't as effective as you think it could be, TOUGH! Give it back, we don't need you.  See figure 1.

                *-------------------------------*
                |               _               |
                |              { }              |
                |              | |              |
                |              | |              |
                |           .-.| |.-.           |
                |         .-|  | |  |.-.        |
                |         | |       |  ;        |
                |         \           ;         |
                |          \         ;          |
                |           |       :           |
                |           |       |           |
                |           |       |           |
                |                               |
                *-------------------------------*
                            Figure 1.

Forget about your silly problem, let's take a look at some of the features of the Sprint Instinct Phone.

* Options

We've got lots of them.  So many in fact, that you would need two strong people to carry around the documentation if we had bothered to write it.  So many that even we don't know what most of them do.  Don't ask us for any of these options, because we probably can't find the PEC for it anyway.  Even if we find the PEC, we probably can't order it either (just TRY asking for nroff on a 3B2).  If you don't like it, call Technologies.  They'll tell you to see Figure 1.

* Hot Lines

If you need technical help, call our hotline.  You say that the guy at the other end doesn't know any more than you do?  Too bad. If we could afford to pay qualified people to answer the phones, we'd be paying them to make our phones work in the first place.  Besides, you don't ever need to do anything sophisticated anyway.  If you do, see Figure 1.

* Integrated Voice

What the hell is integrated voice?  All it means is that you can talk on the phone. So what if the OS and the phone aren't integrated; that's not what we advertise.  Besides, you probably can't even walk and chew gum at the same time, much less talk and type.  If you can, see Figure 1.

* Phone Operating System

We invented it; it's perfect, and we're the only ones who do it right.  We're so happy with it, we put it on every kind of phone we make.  We even try to keep it the same from release to release, but usually we blow it.  If you want a phone with stable OS, get a iPhone.  Another thing: those nerds from Apple are just troublemaking hackers who have a productivity complex.  They took our phone and made it useful, so we told them to see Figure 1.

* Applications Software

We give you a freaking browser; what else do you want?  So what if it is a clumsy port from another phone, it works doesn't it? Well, OK, it sort of works.  If you want applications software, get an iPhone.  You can get lots of it and they even support it
sometimes.  If you already bought one of our phones, you are stuck with it.  We spoke with our applications software people about this, and they think a lot like we do; they said "see Figure 1."

Support

We have thousands of service people out there, but most of them are busy.  If your computer breaks, you will just have to wait. Our techs are rehashed phone installers, so don't expect them to be very helpful unless it involves tip and ring.  Oh, if something
breaks between 5:00 PM and 9:00 the next morning, don't waste your time calling us, we're out.  We also take lots of lunch breaks.  If you need real support, see Figure 1.

In conclusion, stuff your complaint.  Love your Sprint phone or leave it, but don't bitch to us.  We don't give a shit.  We don't have to.  We're the phone company.  If it isn't
as effective as you think it could be, TOUGH!    Give it back, we don't need you.  See figure 1. 

Lucky for me Windows OneCare stopped any infection or issues.

Early yesterday morning I was browsing shoutwire.com and OneCare notified me of two Trojan JavaScript's that tried to run. I closed the browser, let OneCare clean them and didn't think a lot about it. (See OneCare is good for something after all).

Well this morning I went back to see if it was just a fluke but it wasn't, and got hit again with the two Trojans. Cleaned them off once again.

I imagine it is probably from banner ads being served on shoutwire and not the site itself, seeing as there have been a lot of news lately about nefarious ad scripts.

If you have been to shoutwire.com in at least the last 48 hours then you might want to give your PC a scan to make sure these two Trojans didn't infect your system.

Trojan: JS/Redirector.N and Trojan: JS/Aseljo.K are the culprits.

I guess I won't be going back to ShoutWire for a while...

UPDATE 7/19/2008 - It appears that the folks at Shoutwire.com have fixed or removed whatever was serving up the nasty Trojan JavaScripts.

UPDATE 7/23/2008 - The Trojan is back on Shoutwire

------------------------------

Windows OneCare Live Real-Time Protection agent has detected changes. Microsoft recommends you analyze the software that made these changes for potential risks. You can use information about how these programs operate to choose whether to allow them to run or remove them from your computer.  Allow changes only if you trust the program or the software publisher. Windows OneCare Live can't undo changes that you allow.
 For more information please see the following:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=37020&name=Trojan:JS/Redirector.N&threatid=2147607558

 Scan ID: {549555C1-09A0-46C7-BFB2-2D1B2755D922}
  Agent: On Access
  User: ALLENP650\Allen
  Name: Trojan:JS/Redirector.N
  ID: 2147607558
  Severity: Severe
  Category: Trojan
  Path Found: file:C:\Documents and Settings\Allen\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\COJ5231H\ngg[1].js
  Alert Type:
  Process Name: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
  Detection Type: Concrete
  Status: Suspend

--- 

Windows OneCare Live Real-Time Protection agent has taken action to protect this machine from spyware or other potentially unwanted software.
 For more information please see the following:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=37020&name=Trojan:JS/Aseljo.K&threatid=2147609005
  Scan ID: {9C763DA3-AF5A-4A02-B81B-B4974E9234E7}
  User: ALLENP650\Allen
  Name: Trojan:JS/Aseljo.K
  ID: 2147609005
  Severity: Severe
  Category: Trojan
  Alert Type:
  Action: Remove

 -------------------------------

Trojan:JS/Redirector.N

Summary

Trojan:JS/Redirector.N is detection for specific JavaScript contained within Web pages. This JavaScript trojan may be injected into an HTML page via an SQL injection attack, or may be present on a malicious Web site, and may redirect users to Web sites other than expected. It is also possible for an attacker to craft HTML-based e-mail messages containing the script.

Symptoms
There are no common symptoms associated with this threat - links are activated within IFrames while viewing Web content on maliciously modified pages. Alert notifications from installed Antivirus software may be the only symptom(s).

----

Trojan:JS/Aseljo.K
This software threat is detected by the Microsoft antivirus engine. Technical details are not currently available for this threat.

From Ars Technica

"Embarq, which offers Internet and phone service, has tested NebuAd's technology (something we already knew) but has so far avoided Congressional scrutiny. In a letter issued today by John Dingell (D-MI), Joe Barton (R-TX), and Ed Markey (D-MA), the Congressmen want to know more about that test. A lot more. "

"We are concerned," says the letter, "that Embarq may not have directly notified the subscribers involved in the test that their Web use was being analyzed and profiled. We therefore request that you answer the following questions in order for us to better understand the nature of the test conducted, its impact on consumers, and the broader public policy implications of this technology."

Read the full story at Ars Technica

They ought to call Ebarq "anything for a buck, Embarq". I wouldn't be surprised if Sprint Nextel is doing the same thing with NebuAd.

Related

Sprint and Embarq Class Action Lawsuit for Terminating Retirees Insurance

Sender: Michael P Kowal

Email: {REDACTED}

IP Address: {REDACTED}

=====================================

I just read in the news that Sprint did an audit and discovered that they overpaid millions of dollars in taxes to Overland park and the city is going to refund what they overpaid.

"Simply put, Sprint overcollected taxes it charged to Kansans buying equipment from out of state between 2004-2007. The company conducted audits and found that it deserved to get refunds from the state of Kansas as well as cities that charge sales taxes. The state agreed. "

Maybe this is old news, but I don't think it is. Anyway, it is a new to me.

StumbleUpon is a great traffic source and a interesting place to hang out. I have found so many outstanding resources on about nearly any subject you can image at StumbleUpon.

I was browsing the SU help forum and "stumbled" across a mention of their targeted advertising.

From time to time several of the websites I am involved in will receive a massive influx of visitors from StumbleUpon. Sometimes it can last days (a websites owners literal wet dream). The traffic is at times better than getting on the front page of Digg. On Digg you may get a huge influx for four to six hours and then it dries up. Not so with StumbleUpon traffic. It has a wonderful residual effect that can last for a long while.

Back to the story at hand. I am not sure how long StumbleUpon targeted advertising has been around, but I can bet you a dollar to a donut the results should be better than Google AdWords or even Yahoo's advertising system.

On StumbleUpon everything is broken down to tags (categories) and thus are presented by category. In my opinion this is much better than running textual ads on search results.

One of the other upsides to advertising on StumbleUpon is *NO CLICK FRAUD*, the way StumbleUpon works and the way their advertising system is set up it is quite impossible for your advertising budget to be eaten up from fraudulent clicks. Talk about a plus for budget conscious advertisers. Google, Yahoo and the others can't claim that.

Below are some Questions and Answers from the StumbleUpon advertising pages.

"What am I paying for? What do I get?
Premium inclusion in StumbleUpon starts at 5 cents per targeted visitor. We show your site directly to StumbleUpon members (a demo is available here). Targeting by personal interest, history of rating similar sites, location, and demographics (age, gender) determines who will see your site. There is no ad impression or click-through. Rather than using intrusive forms of advertising (like popup ads), we display your entire page. Your page will be the only content displayed in the user's web-browser. Your site isn't wrapped inside a frame or presented as an ad within another page. You have the visitor's full attention.

How is this different from PPC, pops, banners...?
Paid keyword search is an excellent way to get targeted traffic. StumbleUpon opens up a new opportunity to reach targeted audiences. We recommend using StumbleUpon to complement keyword search campaigns. One advantage of StumbleUpon is the sense of discovery our members feel when they use the service. It's a different mindset than search. Rather than looking for something very specific, our members are in an open state of mind, eager to learn and experience.

Unlike pop-ups/unders and banners, StumbleUpon takes people directly your content (webpage, video, photo, blog...). What people see is not an ad - it is your full site, unobstructed by any other content. No new creative is required (you don't need to create a text ad), no clickthrough necessary, and you get immediately feedback (thumbs up or down) on your content from your visitors. This makes a StumbleUpon campaign one of the easiest ways to improve your traffic and get website feedback.

Why doesn't StumbleUpon do pops, banners...?
We feel that a lot of online advertising is obtrusive and takes away from the user experience. We wanted to create something that benefits both the advertiser and the visitor. Yes, you can acquire sales by displaying thousands of popups and annoying countless people in the process. The StumbleUpon experience is all about discovering new and interesting content, whether paid or organic. Either way, it has true value to the person visiting that content.

How does StumbleUpon prevent click-fraud?
StumbleUpon doesn't syndicate paid listings to third parties - the primary source of click-fraud in pay-per-click networks. We also don't have any mechanism by which someone can force your site to come up as a paid result, so a competitor can't drain your account.

Is StumbleUpon right for my business?
StumbleUpon is an effective way to reach a large, enthusiastic audience. People who use StumbleUpon are excited about the websites, photos, videos, and blogs that they discover here. They're eager to try new products and explore new services.

If you haven't experienced StumbleUpon for yourself, try or see a demo, or sign up.

StumbleUpon works best for businesses with something valuable to offer, presented in an informative or entertaining way. You can target a narrow group of people or seek exposure to a broad audience. As a new and unique marketing channel, StumbleUpon is becoming a valuable part of many business's promotional strategies. Get started today.

How can I target a specific audience?
In addition to StumbleUpon's built-in behavioural targeting, you can target campaigns by:

• Category - more than 500 to choose from.
• Location - country, state, city (US & Canada)
• Demographics - age, gender

What kind of traffic volume can I expect?
StumbleUpon delivers millions of "stumbles" per day. These are spread across a broad range of web-pages, videos, photos, podcasts, blogs.... The volume of visitors we can send to your site depends on two main factors: how many member we have who are interested in sites like yours, and how tightly you choose to target the campaign. For example, if you limit a campaign to a specific age group, you can expect less traffic than if you leave age unset.
In the future, we will offer the ability to predict traffic for each desired set of targeting criteria.

How can I increase how much traffic I get?
If you have targeted campaigns that you would like to receive more traffic, try these approaches:
1. Edit the campaign to loosen or remove age targeting
2. Loosen or remove location targeting
3. Remove gender targeting
4. Make a new campaign targeted to another relevant topic
For targeting by age, we only know the ages of a portion of our users. If age targeting is not vital, or if you want to target a broad age group, you may be able to reach substantially more users by removing that targeting. We have proportionally few members under 18 years and we don't allow people under 13 to sign up.

Can I set spending/traffic limits?
Yes. You can limit each campaign to a maximum number of visitors per day. You can also set a global maximum dollar spend per day. When a limit is met, no more traffic will be delivered until the following day (Pacific Standard Time). There is no minimum spend - you can spend as much of as little as you want.

What frequency caps does StumbleUpon use?
Each unique URL is displayed at most once to each member of StumbleUpon. The same member will never see the same URL twice. If you want to increase exposure, create a new campaign with a different URL. Providing a few different pages on the same theme is a great way to drive your message home. Try to make each page interesting of its own right, with some unique content, even if overall the pages are fairly similar. For example, if you have a DVD or book store, you could make different campaigns for each genre.

Can I promote multiple URLs?
Yes, you may promote as many different URLs as you wish. They many be on the same or different domains. To promote a new URL, you can create a new campaign.

Can I create multiple campaigns?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of campaigns you may have. You can use the same URL in multiple campaigns (but with different targeting parameters). Or you can use the same targeting criteria but with different URLs. Or any other combination.

How long does it for a new campaign to start?
New campaigns usually start receiving visitors within 24 hours.

How can I target multiple topics/demographics?
Choose the topic (category) that you feel is most suitable for the content you wish to promote. For each additional category or demographic group that you would like to target, create a new campaign. In the future we plan to allow multiple topics/demographics within a campaign.
The benefit of creating one campaign for each category is that you can compare the performance of each. Some categories will naturally produce better results than others. Focus more effort on those and perhaps discontinue those that aren't as successful to increase the effectiveness of your targeting.

How long does the review process take?
The review process usually takes one (1) business day. We do not review ads on the weekend or during observed U.S. holidays.

Are there any content restrictions for the URL's submitted?
Visit our Content Guidelines (http://www.stumbleupon.com/content_guidelines.html) to learn more about what content works well in the StumbleUpon community.

What forms of payment does StumbleUpon accept?
StumbleUpon uses PayPal for all payments. PayPal allows you to pay with a credit card, bank account or existing PayPal balance.
Follow the orange "AddFunds" link from your account once your campaign has been approved. This will prompt you to add funds with PayPal.

How long before my funds are active and traffic is delivered?
Please note that despite PayPal notification of a "complete" transaction, it may take up to five (5) business days for funds to become available in your StumbleUpon Advertising account. Once the funds are active you should expect traffic immediately. "

 

Click here to read more about StumbleUpon advertising

You can bet I am going to give it a try. Google AdWords and Yahoo's advertising have both left a bad taste in my mouth. StumbleUpon's features and fairness towards the advertisers gives me great hope that they will outshine other forms of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising on the Internet.