I WAS JUST FURIOUS!

I haven't done much work on my website, and just went to it to get a recipe for one of our daughters. I decided while in there, to view my guestbook since I hadn't since last December.

To my dismay I found that someone was using my guestbook to list hundreds of porn sites, sites for Viagra, you name it - I'd rather not get graphic. There were several posts with hundreds of links on each one.

I went in and completely deleted my guestbook out of it to stop it. I have family and friends that view my website because that is what it is for. It's a wholesome site with garden tours, recipes, family tree & history, vacations, lake time, etc..... and NOT a site for someone to encourage disgusting things I am not involved in.

It's sad I had to get rid of the guestbook - but the Front Page version I have doesn't allow me to edit the guestbook. I will see if there is another way around it so that I can control what is said in it. Until then I won't be able to view who has been to my site.

I also encourage any others that have websites with a guestbook to view yours frequently, just to be sure noone is spamming in yours as well. I was really upset when I first saw it.

I'm glad that I visited it today, because I also still had "Happy Holidays" with a pic of a poinsetta on my front page. That has been changed to a flower now.

I don't know what type of system or platform you have, but I use "Spyware" to block spam and other unauthorized folks from crawling around in my system. Works good for me. Sorry to hear that happened to you.

This message was edited Mar 16, 2005 7:48 PM

This message was edited Mar 16, 2005 7:49 PM

Karrie, I am so sorry and hope that you can start another. I visited the site that I had listed for one of my authors-just trash. I did get another site for her. Wish these folks would put their time to better use....

Sybiltwo - spyware blocks, etc... do not get rid of this type of problem. Guestbooks are open to all who visit your site and some choose to sign your guestbook. This person decided to rather than sign my guestbook, to type in trash. Russ thinks there is a way to monitor this and is looking into it for me. I'll start another one when I know I can go in and delete what I find distasteful. I never thought someone would go in and do this on someone's personal site - but they do. That person does need to get a life.

Karrie the same thing happened to me in geocties, I have since gone to a new guest book that does not post the entry until I approve it, sure saves a lot of embarresment.

Doris

Doris,

Do you use front page as your web builder? If so, how did you get this guestbook that needs your approval?

Karrie

Karrie,
Judy had the same problem two years ago (worse since it allowed uploading of pictures and a couple were baaaad). Since then, I switched her hosting to IPowerWeb.com that allows PHP and MySQL database work. Check out Judy's PuppyGal.com and the BullyBraggin' pages. (And if you have a bulldog, upload its picture) The way it works is that whenever a new picture and description comes in, I have it send an email with the description immediately to Judy. If she doesn't like the entry, she can delete it or change the wording. It also prevents 'bad words' from getting thru...

The original code was for a Guest Book but I changed it to bulldogs (I guess they are the same ;-)

If your host supports PHP and MySql I'd be happy to send you the code and help you set it up.

ohhhh! I'm not quite understanding that - is it too techy for lil' me? I'll have Russ read this in the morning - he's good at this stuff. Thanks!

I have a website for my pet portraits and I decided against a guestbook for exactly what happened to yours, PLUS I heard hackers could pluck off everyone's email. I have had the sorry task of telling other folks that they probably wanted to take a look at their guestbook...:(

Weird huh? I waste so much time here on the internet, I can't IMAGINE having the time to write dirties in someone's guestbook!!

no kidding! those kind of people must not have much of a life at all. pity the poor fools.

I will hafta check but pretty sure it is a Geocities guest book, and I set mine up that way

Comment spam SUCKS! I was victim to it a few months ago and for a while just completely disabled my comments. Fortunately, the lady who redesigned our Movable Type blogs for us installed the MT Blacklist plug-in, which has eliminated it. I know what a creeped out feeling it is to see that **** on your comments. For me, it was gambling and poker sites; fortunately the porn links were the minority.

Can you believe those people! Takes alot of nerve to go corrupt someone's "wholesome" site. The first post in there from the person said "remove this and you will never see me again" - well - I didn't have the option of removing comments. Voila - the person had a hay day.

If it's any consolation, they do the spam with robots. The majority of comment spam is generated automatically and no one even reads your site's content. When a bot starts spamming you, the hits are relentless...Hundreds in a short amount of time.

well - they are hitting a blank now, lol! :-)