Well, testing the technology was an interesting first post. The post wasn’t interesting but what followed was.
Issue 1: Technical Failure
I failed to get it right, and locked myself out of the site. Luckily I have a useful cousin and the tech support on my host company was really good. There was a frisson of “tut tut” on the online chat, but no matter… He got my site and the publishing tool working.
Issue 2: Unexpected Responses
When I finally logged on there were 52 comments pending approval. All Spam.
- Selling twitter accounts, google accounts and site visits to boost usage (presumably to generate ad revenue (6)
- Selling drugs (Amoxicillin, Viagra, anti fungals and cures for erectile dysfunction) (4)
- Selling online gambling (4)
- Invitations to join older singles sites (3) (why is older appropriate?)
- Pushing opportunities to become a day trader (2)
- Faux positive comments on my site design and thoughtful posts including the videos (what videos?) looking for reciprocal traffic.
It really amused me to read through the posts!
Perhaps it’s the subliminal impact of lockdown but it took me back to the 1990s when we discussed whether the web would develop like premium rate telephone lines. Porn, Dating, gambling, stock trading and various strategies like competitions to keep callers on the line for longer. Maybe nothing has changed in 24 years.
Well actually something has changed. The technology has become much more democratic and accessible. I really enjoyed working with computer geeks in the 90s and “naughties” as the web took off. Now I quite like being able to do it myself. Then getting their help.