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How Twitter Can Stop The Spam Problem In 2 Easy Steps
1. Twitter, please add @Spam to the Suggested User List.
2. Although @Spam will follow you back, it does take a while. I’d love to see that process made faster. Auto-following is not the thing to do on Twitter, but I think @Spam should use Jesse Stay’s SocialToo to auto-follow those who follow the account if it was on the Suggested User List.
By taking these steps, you solve half of the Twitter spam problem by empowering new users to immediately identify, report, and block spammers.
(Note: Yes, Twitter can be doing other things, but my attitude is that Twitter taking sole responsibility for fighting spam is only half the battle. The users of the service have to be informed and empowered themselves to identify, report, and block, Twitter spammers. If we’re both taking action, we can make a difference. )
Stopping Twitter Spam In 3 Easy Steps
1. Identify. Use TwitBlock. You know you have identified a spammer when they pass any of the following tests:
You Know You’re A Twitter Spammer When:
-Your profile has the same picture as a dozen of other profiles.
-You only have one Tweet and it’s to another site, preceded by, “Hey! Check these hot pictures out!”
-You claim to be a social media expert or Internet marketer but have no clips to back up your claim. Besides, the real experts call it social publishing.
-You don’t have any Tweets at all
-”Get 100 more followers by doing this!”
-Two words: “From API” (But as Otto pointed out in the comment section below, many of the updates will say “From API” if not all of them. Sometimes a service may update that says “From API” that is not spam, so be careful.)
-You’re following a few hundred people more than those who are following them. One hundred to two hundred more is ok, three hundred or more is questionable.
-You’re having a conversation with yourself.
-You have no profile picture (or a clever bio and website to go with the lack of a profile picture.)
-Your bio mentions an affiliate program.
2. Report. Follow @Spam and wait for them to follow you back. Do not @ reply to @Spam. Although unlikely, this increases your chances of being identified as a Spammer yourself. Wait for them to follow you back, and then DM (direct message) them with the names of the spammer.
Things To Do While Waiting For @Spam to follow you
1. Follow @BJMendelson
2. Visit our “How To Use Twitter” section for more helpful tips.
3. Look into what e-junk (laptops, .mp3 players, game consoles) you have that we could donate to homeless shelters, schools, and children’s cancer centers.
3. Block. Have you identified your Spammer? Have you reported them to @Spam? Good. Now all that’s left to do is block them. Block them all.
Blocking Twitter spammers apparently flags the accounts in Twitter’s system, so by reporting them and then blocking them, you’re notifying Twitter twice about the spammer. This isn’t redundant, it’s necessary. The extra step helps establish that, yes, this account is spam.
So if you’re tired of the Twitter spam problem, you now know how to fix it in three easy steps. Don’t hesitate to pass this on to your friends (you can click on the Tweetmeme button on the top left to tweet about it) or vote for this article on Digg.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Nice Tips!
I have also written a few tips on how to stop twitter spam which can read. Those can be read here: http://gibbyinfotech.com/stop-twitter-spam/