I’m one of the Group Managers on “Linked.Net” and we take a very dim view on there with Spam posts.

Many are spotted and deleted within 30 minutes or so, and in a lot of cases with the more prolific ones, we simply remove and remove and block the Member, no warnings no arguments.

One growing trend I have noticed however, is people posting messages such as:

[Question here]
We are currently running a poll on this …
[Link]Please click here to register your views[/link]

Where the link is very often passed through a shortening service such as “bit.ly” so you can’t tell what it is before you click on it.

What I’ve found is a really good way to deal with these, is to actually answer the question in the discussion post itself. In quite a few cases, the original poster has either withdrawn there post(s) or left the group of their own will, never to return.

Those that do stay, usually don’t post again. Quite why this works I don’t know, but I suspect it has somthing to do with the return count of post notifications.

Beacuse each reply results in an E-Mail to the original poster, and beacuse you need to use an active email address to open the account, then I suspect that by doing this, I (and others joining the discussion) are generating return spam to the poster, that they don’t want, I could be wrong however.

This is just one of my observations, as I go about my Zero Tolerance on Spam, but it does seem to have some impact, maybe the future way to combat the menace is to fight them on their own turf using their own methods.

Another great post calling out shenanigans in the world of online communication.

I almost don’t dare to thank you on here – but I will anyway. I think thanks are due and I think a comment to continue the discussion is due, also. I hear so many people say that they just don’t use the social networking tools, like you, because of the “self-promotional noise.” Such an accurate phrase. If we weren’t involved in looking at how the Internet works – what works and what doesn’t – I would have left many of these so-called resources behind some time ago.

I still think they have value -and I still agree with my very astute and insightful speaking partner, Sheryl Kay. She says, it’s like we live next to a beautiful park, with waterfalls and places for the kids to play. Now, the park is being invaded by pimps and pushers. Is it our responsibility to help keep it clean. You bet it is. Who else will do it.

So, I’ll thank you in the stream and invite you back again.

Thanks Rebecca – few are doing the good work you are doing at SpeakerNetNews.com.

I rarely check Twitter, Facebook and other listserves to which I belong because there is so much self-promotional noise. People just don’t get how off-putting it is. It’s like the spammers — they get an occasional sale so they think it works, not realizing how many people they repel in the process of shouting from the mountaintops to “buy my stuff” or “look at how great I am.” Blech!

And I think thanking people in a discussion stream w/out furthering the conversation is just noise. Thank them privately if you have nothing more to add. I do it on my blogs and it keeps the comments worth reading and the commenters coming back.

I always love your messages almost more than any others – and not just because you’re a friend of Darla Dixon’s. I like that you randomly return to our blog. We don’t send out email newsletters or blasts because we think that readers these days can opt to receive what they want via email or Google Desktop or RSS. But, we love that you return every once in a while – and even more that you take the time to write. We also love your honesty. We all make mistakes and if someone tells you they have the official rules for social networking, just tell them they must be smoking something.

Thanks for returning and for taking the time.

However, thankfully, there are also people like yourself who will educate and inform you in a kind, and genuine way, and for one reason, to help you learn and grow.

All the best
Megan

You have a very good point that many of the folks who are such good examples of anti-social social networking just don’t know any better. And, that’s just why we think that more LinkedIn Groups need to monitor the “Discussion” areas of their groups the way Brooke and Brian are.

Since you say you are new, I’ll leave the link you inserted into your comment. People can see who you are by clicking on your name. There is no need to insert another link to your blog. Many blog spam blockers throw out such comments, so don’t do it.

Thanks for your comment – and keep learning. We’re all learning these new resources and tools, so don’t let anyone get on your case too much.

You both make so many good points about social networking we should send you out across the Internet to teach social networking. Brian could teach “supporting connections and building relationships” and Ted could teach, well, Seth Godin. There’s a reason the first three letters of Seth’s last name are….

Who is teaching the classes that tell folks to just log on and have a one-way conversation? They are the folks who are selling their own stuff in a one-way conversation! And, because it’s new, and because it’s the Internet, people are willing to shell out for their nonsense.

As we’ve pointed out before – there is NO reason to pay anyone to learn how to use these tools. That’s exactly what these social networks are for – tons of folks willing to help you get the hang of them.

Besides that, your mother already taught you everything you need to know about social networks – be respectful, lend a hand, answer when you’re spoken to, say “please,” and, for heavens sake, say “thank you.”

Thank you, guys.