Some of us have been INFECTED Again, with a Virus…

Why ?

These are the words of my blogging buddy Sheila from the Ad Master –

My blog was hacked today.  Somehow someone inserted a huge line of code into my blogs header which caused it to redirect to a bunch of stupid sites.  I wish I could redirect something right back at them that would blow up their damn computers while they’re busy hacking into someone’s private property.  These people make me insane!!!!!   I wasn’t aware of how much I didn’t know about these morons.  I didn’t know that hacker isn’t really an appropriate word for these #$$@^&*(), the appropriate term would be cracker.  Hackers break code for good and crackers break code for evil.   Here’s some info from a great site which helped me better understand the world of a hack or crack or whatever the heck they are. hackingalert.com

Read the rest of this entry

Somehow it seems Entrecard Does Not Want OUR Drops – so with that said, we’re going to begin the exit process.  we hope that you understand why we’ll be pulling TWO of Our Blogs OUT Of Entrecard Before Christmas.

The Consistent Loss of drops and credits does not add up. neither does the lost time. the problem happens over and over.  randomly during the week we get these penalties and loose the drop day as well.

is this a new power move within the Entrecard Enforcement Strategy when you decide to monitor your paid ads ?

Ahhhhh YES ! Now We Know why this happened – we went into our dashboard and managed the invisible load of ads there were blocking the EC Paid Ads from showing on our widget. Think Back EC Bloggers, Did You Get an Announcement of Any Additional Ads Being Put onto Your Widget, or that you could Preview Them ?

When We Opened the Dashboard to look at the ads, There were 8 paid ads. you are only allowed to block 4 of them.  that means if you are paying for ads with EC’s;  you will be paying for very minimal visibility. At most you’ll get 1/5 of your ec paid impressions; because they are merged with the CASH ADS, NOW.

go test it for yourself and then you can see that this is not a game, nor is this a hoax. Entrecard has put up to 8 additional cards on your widget without your knowledge or the consideration of those who pay for EC Ads with EC’s Instead of Cash.

That’s What Made the Decision for Us Today – 9 ads on our widgets when we should have only been splitting the widget with two others

at first we missed it, but when we went back and noticed that we had such a glut of paid ads, blocking the EC Drop Paid Ad; we made the change and blocked out all except the required Four Ads.

In Case You Haven’t Noticed, some of the same ads were already preventing your EC Paid ads from being shown on widgets that were queued. to test it we refreshed the page up to 6 times to finally see Our EC Paid Ad, Last.

That Sucks

FYI This is a WHOLE NEW PENALTY FLAG

Check out the chart below copied directly from Entrecard’s Book

This Flag Does Not Appear Anywhere, in this list – but it cost us Again,

This is the First of these Penalties – from Two Weeks Ago -

we have alot of credits to spend on ads; and within the next month we’re going to be spending them and advertising even more than before – if we’re not removed before we can.

It seems like such a sorry strategy to block your biggest droppers from dropping, because they are technologically faster than you.  simply put, we use a drop list and we have always used the same list.

the entrecard servers hate drop lists because they can’t track you when you skip their toolbar.  that means you are a wild card to the system until you reach your dashboard, and reach 300 drops.  the system will ignore your drops in the toolbar, and that pisses the servers and apparently the security server scripts off.

Being a Good Blogger means more than dropping, which is why you find our comments all over the place; our notes on peoples dashboards, and lots of interaction within our circle.  we dont’ feel very confident with the rules in the present entrecard rulebook;  since it seems to grow weekly, without notice or need.  sort of like the new penalty flag’s.

Maybe it’s really time to look at what your time is worth, since apparently Entrecard doesn’t think it’s worth the time you spend clicking to Advertise.

Next Week we’ll be exploring Blogging Circles and Advertising Effectiveness; across our Three Blogs.  some posts will help to clarify the situation, since it seems to become muddier all the time.  Entrecard needs to mature and accept that Rules are Rules.  Basically,  if we have to live by them, then they shouldn’t change them daily, to support their point without consideration of their community.

That’s Just Too Much like Voodoo Jello to be good for anybody,

Check out the chart below copied directly from Entrecard’s Book

This New Penalty Flag Does Not Appear Anywhere, in this list – but it cost us Again,

Message	Meaning
Get One, Please login	These messages are shown when Entrecard believes that you haven’t logged in. Please go to entrecard.com and log in.
Thanks!	This message is shown when you have successfully dropped a card.
Go! Go!, Alright!, Wicked!, Yeehah!, Awesome!, *WOW*!	These messages are equivalent to Thanks!, they are shown at various numbers of drops per day.
Invalid	This message is shown when you have failed a security check, this can happen by accident once in a while, however if this happens to you regularly you should contact support.
300 per day	This message is what you get when you hit the 300 drops per day limit
600 per IP	This message is what you get when the IP address you are accessing from has dropped 600 cards in a day
Own card!	This is what you get when you try and drop on your own card
No Widget	This message indicates the Entrecard widget scanner does not believe this site has a widget. If you get this error while browsing, please send the URL of the site to phirate via PM.
No such user / Deleted	This message indicates the Entrecard account for this widget has been deleted
Cooldown X hrs	This message indicates that you have triggered security countermeasures. You will not be allowed to drop a card again until the cooldown period has finished (the counter will continue to update). If you have not done anything that should have gained the attention of the security system, please use the feedback form on your Dashboard and we will arrange a security reset. It is likely that you also received a Scripted Drop Penalty which removed credit from your account, this can be resolved as well.

11/19 18:12

You

Scripted drop penalty

-

585

tonite when dropping, I got a penalty for who knows what reason. not a normal penalty mind you – but something totally new, a Cool Off time peroid flag.  yes that’s what it looks like above. it’s the response you see on a widget after you drop on it, and the penalty is  imposed.

I don’t want to think that they Invented This Penalty For ME, but it’s not in the Entrecard Book – Anywhere, and It’s Not Google-able

Whooo Hoooooo !!!!!!!!! UPDATE – 15:22PM

hello,

your drop credits are back in your accout now.

On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:16 PM, wrote:

Feedback received from user 22484 ( http://entrecard.com/user_details/22484 ausetkmt@gmail.com ):

hello
what does it mean when you are dropping and you get
24 hr cool off, on a button ?

then none of your drops are counted ?
are we now limited to less than 300 drops per account per day ?

I’ll be looking forward to your response email.

It’s Amazing what happens when You Guys Comment and Pay Attention to a Situation on Entrecard. We’ve found out that the biggest way to get their attention; is TO GET YOUR ATTENTION.
So Today is The Day I SAY THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PAID ATTENTION.

They have restored the account to full use and replaced my missing credits. Thanks Guys, because Your Visits and Our Blog made them realize that WE ARE FAMILY, and I got all my Bloggers With Me !

For Those of You who enjoy EntrePOD – this is the latest episode, Mystery Penalties and if you ask nicely I’ll email you a special link to the soundtrack – sans the vocals.  post your request to get a link in the comments.

Suddenly the widgets stopped changing, and Wham; it appeared when I reached approximately 140 drops. amazingly it only happened on one of three accounts.  that is also part of the mystery.  I’m waiting for them to write me back and explain this new penalty and clarify what reason they think I need a time out; not to mention a fine of 585 credits.

maybe my dropping 900 cards a day is finally getting their attention. or maybe I’ve reached that threshold that they set for members who consistently drop high numbers daily.  eitherway it came with no explanation.  no clarifying email has followed yet, and it even allowed me to drop an additional 300 cards on another account after the penalty was given.

I’ve checked the entrebook for any info on the penalty and there’s none.

I think this is a NEW Penalty, and if you’re not careful they may impose it on you.

actually I think it’s because I asked a question the other day about a missing ad credit reimbursement which was rejected.  the ad never played because the site was removed from entrecard. I wrote them asking them to reimburse me for the non display of the ad – they told me to write to the owner of the site; who by this time was no longer a member of entrecard.

—————
http://www.digitalproductsreview.net/blog/
———————————————

Internal Server Error

from	Entrecard Support <support@entrecard.com>
sender-time		sent at 6:14 PM (GMT-08:00). Current time there: 9:21 PM. ✆
to		ausetkmt@.com
date		Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 6:14 PM
subject		Re: Feedback received from ausetkmt@.com

you can contact them directly and see if they can give you a refund.

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 2:10 PM, <ausetkmt@.com> wrote:
Feedback received from user 22484 ( http://entrecard.com/user_details/22484 ausetkmt@.com ):

My Ad is not showing because this site has been down all day.  do I get a re-run on the ad tomorrow or a refund for today’s Non Run ?

	Entrecard Support <support@entrecard.com>
sender-time		Sent at 7:43 PM (GMT-08:00)

Hello,

No, we do not issue refunds when the site you advertise on is down. This is because it’s beyond our control.

Entrecard Support

Do You Really Think That’s Logical ?
you can see for yourself that the ad is not running,
so I am due a refund under the rules in the tos.

plain and simple – see the book.

Best,

~RE

——————————

How Nice and Helpful Was That ?

Carders, Do Any of You Know what this 24 hour cool off penalty is all about ?

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• Wake Up (slideshare.net)
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• Trying to Get Droppers to Convert To Readers (letblog.com)
• My Widgetbox Entrecard Droplist Is Back (bigdaddyrichard-swirlingthoughts.blogspot.com)

[podcast]http://badgals-radio.com/mystery-penalties-pod.mp3[/podcast]

The Entrecard Virus Season has started again – Oh Wait, when did it end ?

Has This Happened To You, Browsing and BAM a Pop Up ?

Queen Katherine has written on her blog about the latest round of “Virus Baiting – Thanks Pranks” as we like to call them.

there are widgets displaying Thanks as though they’ve been dropped on, even when they haven’t.  it’s caused mass confusion and havoc with lots of Entrecarders computers. many of these Entrecarders got the same virus that appears to be again making it’s rounds on Entrecard – by way of some very unscrupilous characters.

my statement to them is the same as it was the first time I made it ” If You Hate Bloggers So Much – Stop Blogging and and Get Out of Entrecard“.

now undoubtably someone with really sore little balls will see this and think I am specifically targeting them.  well Lil Balls, to quote my mentor Bob ” Jah Rastafari” Marley – “If The Cap Fits, Let them Wear It“.  so to you today We dedicate this post.

This is the Doctors Prescription for Entrecard Virus Protection :

If You’re In the Drive Through Lane – Click Here Fast

Check out Our Podcast of This Post, complete with a Bangin Reggae and Ska Soundtrack – Entrepod Has the Prescription

First Get Your Copy of these three free pieces of software -

1. Malwarebytes  Anti Malware Software
2. Ad Aware Anti Adware Software
3. Spy Sweeper Spybot  Remover Software

Next Take a Day Off of Entrecard -

Clean Up Your Computer;  Clean and Detrash Each Hard drive Separately.  then run Defrag to get your space back.

This Video will tell you HOW To Fix This Mess

Next Take a Good Look at your drop pattern – Seriously Doh,

is it consistent ? do you visit the same blogs daily ? if you have more than 150 blogs in your friends blogs list on entrecard, maybe it’s time to really look at what’s on those blogs that make them Your Favorites.

Somewhere in this list of Friends who drop consistently is a blog that somehow you enjoy, but maybe they don’t think the same of your blog.  Yes I’m speaking of “ Blog Envy”. many folks don’t admit it, but there are many blogs that we visit and wish that we were that popular; or our template was tweeked just so. yeah, I said it.  Blog Envy.

take a few minutes and look at those blogs you envy – what is it about that blog that makes you like it ? is it the design, the layout, the amount of interaction and comments ?  You’re  looking at your growth plan when you examine these elements.

Next take a look at your inbox and see who from this list of Blogs You Envy drops on you consistently.  this is what you want to assess. why do the folks who drop on you comeback ?  if you don’t know, drop them a comment or even a note and ask them – what keeps them coming back.

next look at those blogs in your drop list who consistently visit, but don’t update or comment – These Are The Problem Blogs – or as I call them the  Coverts who are covering up why they are visiting you and others regularly, without interacting.

there is one thing Entrecard needs to do – create a way to Block Drops from those who may have possibly been in some way a bad blog experience for you.  if Entrecard allowed this – do you think it would stop this Blog Envy and present the ability to really enjoy Entrecard for you ? I’d say YES.

there are clickfarmers still raping our blogs and many of them are doing it with bad intention. Entrecard still has not owned up to their part in enabling this behaviour. until they look at it as an abuse issue, instead of ignoring it – the problem  will only intensify.

My final bit of advice is to avoid blogs that offer you NO Interaction – No Comments, and nothing but using Your Blog as a source of credits.

Entrecard needs to mature in the sense that bloggers should be Respected. Blogs should also be given a fairer assessment in terms of credit value.

how can a blog which updated 3 months ago still be valued at 512 credits per day – when they have nothing to offer different than the last 89 days you saw it ? STUPID and one of the causes of Extreme Blog Envy.

Instead of asking for more realestate on blogs – Entrecard needs to learn to manage what space they have already on your blog more effectively. Do Not Allow a Blog which is more than 25% Ads INTO Entrecard – Simple.

if you are not a Blogger – Become an Advertiser. Stop Ruining the Blogging experience for so many others who consistently find time to write, interact and comment. those who’ve found friendship and like mindedness in bloggers who they visit daily, because they Enjoy The Writing and Experience, Not because they want to raise your bouncerate and devalue your blog by infecting it with a virus, on your return visit to them.

Courtesy is important, but Safety is Much More Relevant in this case

If You’ve dropped on me and I haven’t returned the drop – stop dropping on me. it’s because you aren’t writing about anything I find interesting. probably I’ve read your blog the first time you milked me, and felt the drop fever, not the love.  that means I won’t be back.

why not take the hint and be a good egg and find somewhere else to deposit your clicktrash like on a fellow clickfarmer.

Ever Think Maybe.  Entrecard needs to invent a category just for Clickfarmers

We think if they did, no one would willingly join it – but maybe if you were caught clickfarming or virusbaiting – you could be put there by fellow entrecarders; who would then know Who You Are and What You’ve Done.

Check out Our Podcast of This Post, complete with a Bangin Reggae and Ska Soundtrack – Entrepod  Has the Prescription

As SmartCarders, Isn’t it time We Started Dropping Smarter instead of  being Baited Harder ?

Today we touch on SPLOGS..Un Huh WE Go There

this post is all about defining the term Blog v. Splog

Many of us don’t use the words Splog, or Splogger when we should and today we are aiming to define and clarify that fine line between a Blog and a Splog

first lets give the definition of a SPLOG :

What is Splog

“Splog” is short for Spam Blog. Spam blogs are blogs that don’t provide any real content for users. They exist solely to game the search engines. These splogs may exist just to have links to other websites or, they may have ads on the blog itself. The content on splogs are auto-generated, either from some other source or a list of useless keywords.

The simplest definition for splog is as follows:

SPAM + BLOG = SPLOG

Splog is a terrorist to our blogosphere and needs to be stopped. This site was created for “good willed” bloggers to report splog in an effort to help to clean up the blogosphere of splog. It was spurred by the called to arms of Mark Cuban here and then followed up by a post on Somewhat Frank.

Check out these recent article mentions:

Red Herring – 12/27/05
Spam Plagues Blogs

WebProNews.com – 11/07/05
Blog Wars: Attack Of The Splogs

The Toronto Star – 11/06/05
Advanced ads, or attack of the splog people

Wired News – 10/27/05
How to Fight Those Surging Splogs

Wall Street Journal – 10/19/05
‘Splogs’ Roil Web, and Some Blame Google

eWeek – 8/17/05
Blog Search Engine Threatens Ban of Blogger Blogs

(- end of clipping -)

Okay now we know that Entrecard is a Chief Splog Unit.

Why ?

that’s what we are trying to get to the bottom of this week. Why do these UnBlogs seem to clutter the Blogosphere ?

In the case of Entrecard – it’s for the Points and Cashout system.

this is the worst way to destroy a blog – add cheap cash or loads of unrelated ads. there are so many ads on some of these Splogs that their pages take forever to load, and when they do, it’s hard to even locate the Entrecard Widget on the page; tossed in with all the various and assorted cash generators.

Home | Take Action | News | More Information

What is Splog

“Splog” is short for Spam Blog. Spam blogs are blogs that don’t provide any real content for users. They exist solely to game the search engines. These splogs may exist just to have links to other websites or, they may have ads on the blog itself. The content on splogs are auto-generated, either from some other source or a list of useless keywords.

What is Wrong with Splog?

Splog clutters the internet with useless content. Web search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, and blog search engines such as Technorati, IceRocket and Bloglines serve to manage the huge amount of information available on the Web. Splog makes it much more difficult to find the useful information.

Take Action Now!

(end of clipping)

When reading Blogs are you bothered by all the miscellaneous clutter ?

Oh I am – and I am going to give a few examples of blogs that have this very issue – so that we can see from live examples what Is a Splog -

these are randomly chosen pages from my Entrecard Inbox from today, that are SPLOGS;

I suggest You take a look at them and decide for yourself, as I am not going to link to them and give them any additional fuel to burn out a real blog. the problem is these folks are doing this because they don’t care about the value of real blogs. they are just using any vehicle to get a few pennies out of real bloggers by dropping cards enmasse on Blogs to fill their accounts with cash out credit. the articles, if you call them that are all about One Link to a Paid Article Generator – Am I Wrong ?

We can’t say that entrecard is wrong for trying to monitize. it just seems that the monitization rules, have increased the spam load on entrecard at least 5 fold; in the most recent months. before the cashout policy was announced – there were splogs, but not the amount we see now.

When these sploggers gather enmasse to attack a blog – they normally use one viewpoint and post remarkably similar comments; indicating that there is a Hive Mentality in Play.

wouldn’t it be better to go to other splogs instead of blogs, for these folks ? I surely think so, since most of them in the case of entrecard;  spend less than three 3 seconds on your page – Wham Bam and no thank you mamm..

in the comment they say candidly, that they have to hurry to get in 300 drops on 4, 5 or even 6 entrecard blog accounts - Everyday.

300 drops X 7 days = 1800 ec’s

lets do a little multiplication so you understand it a little more clearly

• 1800 x 3blogs= 5400ec’s weekly
  

• 1800×4 blogs = 7200 ec’s weekly
  

• 1800 x 5 blogs = 9000 ec’s  weekly
  

• 1800 x 6 blogs = 10800 ec’s  weekly

normally 300 drops a day = 9000 ec’s a month; and you get one back for each one returned.

• so if you drop 5400 x 4 weeks = 21600 ec’s per month without return drops
  

• 21600 x 4 blogs = 86,400 ec’s per month without return drops
  

• 21600 x 5 blogs = 108,000 ec’s per month without return drops
  

• 21600 x 6 blogs = 129,600 ec’s per month without return drops.  NOTE – with return drops this parachutes to over 270,000 ec’s per month - so why would you need a job when entrecard will pay you to pretend to be a blogger while you pretend for alot of other ad and paid post networks.

Does that make it look more like a job to you now ?

there is no way you can read that many blogs in a day, let alone leave any comments unless you don’t do anything else at all.  This much dropping is indeed a JOB.. we won’t estimate how long it takes them to hit that many blogs.  but if you hit 300 blogs daily for a month, you will probably end up with RSI Easily. trust me, Been There; Did That – got the brace to prove it.

From WIKIPEDIA

Spam blogs, sometimes referred to by the neologism splogs^[1], are artificially created weblog sites which the author uses to promote affiliated websites or to increase the search engine rankings of associated sites. The purpose of a splog can be to increase the PageRank or backlink portfolio of affiliate websites, to artificially inflate paid ad impressions from visitors, and/or use the blog as a link outlet to get new sites indexed. Spam blogs are usually a type of scraper site, where content is often either inauthentic text or merely stolen (see blog scraping) from other websites. These blogs usually contain a high number of links to sites associated with the splog creator which are often disreputable or otherwise useless websites.

There is frequent confusion between the terms “splog” and “spam in blogs“. Splogs are blogs where the articles are fake, and are only created for search engine spamming. To spam in blogs, conversely, is to include random comments on the blogs of innocent bystanders, in which spammers take advantage of a site’s ability to allow visitors to post comments that may include links. In fact, one of the earliest uses of the term “splog” referred to the latter. ^[2]

This is used often in conjunction with other spamming techniques, including spings.

In the blogging world, Reading Is a Must and Commenter’s are Winners

these sploggers don’t bother to read, anything that requires any length of attention or thought to process. this is evidenced by their quick hit and run attitude coupled with their excuse for attitude response of:

” me for example : I have four(4) blogs so I need to hurry up to four drops in one of your blog, so.. the ending should be comment time but sometimes your topic is not my interests , sorry.. but that is what i feel , so.. in consideration that you drop EC I’ll dropped you back and thats all..but…..if you left me comments I’ll comments you back..my english is not good but I understand very well and I’m trying to be good.”

yes this is an actual comment left on one of our blogs. Can you Imagine ?

such curt rudeness, and lack of simple consideration for the blog and the time the blogger spent to compose their thoughts.

then there is this similar comment – also actually left on one of our blogs:

I question to you? do you always Leave a comment on all the Blogs you visit? Lets say 100-300 blogs. I find something time is limited and it is hard to do this. However I have visitors who have never left any msg, but I know they read or leave my EC to buy ads. I know it is hard to feel rejected but some of us are not rejecting just reading and moving on.:-)

Co’mon, You Come Here for One EC and don’t have time to read ? what kind of nonsense is this ? you come to a blog but not to read or comment ? ooiiiiii,,,, damn. (sorry I had to get it out)

one of our Real Readers left this very smart comment in the same post, so we realize that the content was very commentable:

Tis I once again….after reading everyone’s comment…I think it is safe to say that we all have our priority list and we all have that right…no matter which order they are placed.

We have all sorts of Bloggers with different reasons for blogging.

Some of us feel that leaving a comment is in fact very important and a show of respect.
Some feel that just dropping in is also important and a show of respect.
Some blog strictly for the $$$$bling.
Some blog for return hits.
Some blog to learn.
Some blog to share.
Some blog to copy and paste (naughty)
Some blog to meet new people from all over the world.
Some blog out of boredom.
Some blog to feel good that they have done their 300 ec drops.
Some blog to see how many followers they can get.
Some blog for the fun of the contests.
Some even blog just to get someone to say hello in their shoutbox.

I have seen also groups that basically just visit one another and keep a circle of friends going on.
All of these reasons are acceptable as they should be because everyone has a right to blog.

We also have a right to voice our opinions on who comes into our blogs..similar to who walks into our homes.

This commenter put it on the plate, and made it as clear as water.
I think we have seen the parallels clearly enough to know the difference between a Blog and a Splog.

This is a BLOG, Not a Splog. there are no teats here to milk; and this blog will not instantly begin to follow anyone who leads it toward ad and virus laden pages, filled with graphic overload akin to a bad disco nightmare masquerading as a blog, but no real content.

Content is KING and We are the readers who decide if that’s a fact or just a hack. for us, it’s a fact. we don’t dilly dally with these splogs anymore and when they litter our cbox on our other site, we erase their comments and make sure to ban them. it rarely helps as they find it to be a game to come back and again spam in a foreign language. WHY ?

that is the biggest question of all, Why do they do it ?

My Theory is simplistic – they are unable to comprehend their level of disrespect and or curtail their actions due to their addiction to of all things the US Penny. yeah, penny because each drop is equal to less than a penny; because of their proliferation of splogs.

Have they even considered their part in the desecration of the blogosphere or the ec economy ?

Sadly I lament, the answer is apparently NO.

they are Hit and Run Accidents happening simultaneously all over the blogosphere. truly it’s sad.

what can you do to prevent them from treating you like a Goat ?

well there are those who think that leaving Entrecard is the answer. maybe it is in some extreme cases; but we think the real answer is to Read Good Blogs, Comment and Fill your Friends Queue with Real Blogs and Forget That Inbox – because that’s the green pasture of these sploggers.

So Today we call on all good entrecarders to Skip That Inbox; and Forget about the Sploggers.

Form Real Reading and Commenting Relationships with BLOGGERS. let the sploggers choke themselves on pennies; and eventually they will have a cheap gas attack. then hopefully those pennies will shower back into the global economy, instead of more cheap splogs.

*note to sploggers – forget commenting and making stupid remarks as I am going to monitor this post for such, and will just delete them since they will undoubtable be worthless space wasters. if you have a constructive discussion item then add it – otherwise, copy the post and share it in your circle so you know who’s aware of your hive, and isn’t phased by you at all.

- Death to Splogs -

LONG LIVE BLOGS