I wish to thank the academy…. (Update on Windows Live Spam situation at end of page)

The Windows Live Association of Spam Haters would like to thank X for a Good Job Well Done.

Whereas they said you were barking up the wrong tree.

Whereas they said you were beating a dead horse.

Whereas they said just give up already, nobody is going to listen to you.

Whereas you persevered like a crazed lunatic.

Whereas you kept shaking your broom at the kids spamming on your front lawn.

Whereas you have been fighting windmills since February 2009 in a strange quixotic battle with the unbeatable foe.

Whereas you had faith in the Windows Live community – you knew it was just a matter of time until your rants feedback was put into use.

Whereas “Spam” is now listed in the pull-down menu for “Report Abuse” offenses.

Whereas our complaints about spam posted in our Spaces and Groups will be heard and dealt with.

Now therefore, we at the Windows Live Association of Spam Haters would like to present X with this token of our appreciation:

Signed:

Windows Live Association of Spam Haters

X, President

—————————

Edited to add:

Sadly, I was wrong. Having "Spam" listed in the pull-down menu in Report Abuse did not change anything. My reports are still being sent back for more information!

Dear Windows Live admin: In every Spam report, I give you the url of the profile, and say to look at it. The profile has all the information you need to know. There is nothing that I can add.

I am changing gears, but I am still going to keep fighting. Please see this new blog entry:

“Windows Live Spam Central Reporting Service” is open for business – I volunteer to report your spammers and follow up until their account is closed.

There is a list of recent spammers known to me in this blog entry.

X

Windows Live Tags: Clubhouse, spam, feedback, windows live, spaces, groups

Windows Live Town – What a great community!

An Open Letter to Windows Live: Thank you for my wonderful online home! Since I love it here so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell other people what I love about the Windows Live community:

Before I came here several years ago, I had tried other online communities and were disappointed by the atmosphere for various reasons.

But, since I first signed up here and started setting up my Space in January 2006, this has been my online home. I have felt no need to go looking elsewhere for a nicer community.

Windows Live Town, as I like to call it, attracts the most friendly and intelligent people on the internet in my humble opinion. In addition, the Mayor of Windows Live Town, the Windows Live Administration, works hard to keep Windows Live a safe and pleasant community.

I recommend Windows Live Town to anybody who wants to meet new friends, interact with intelligent people, and have their own little slice of the internet.

Here is some of what Windows Live Town has to offer:

Your own house:

Your Windows Live Space is like your house. You can decorate it any way you wish. When somebody visits your Windows Live Space and looks around, they can learn a lot about you, and get to know you quickly.

Your front porch:

Your Windows Live Home Page is like your front porch. From your Windows Live Home Page you can see what your friends in Windows Live Town are doing, and you can join right in with the click of a mouse.

Your community centers:

Your Groups are like community centers. You can join existing Groups that your friends tell you about, or you can start your own Groups based upon your own interests.

There is much more to do and see in Windows Live Town. I only told you about my three most favorite places. I hope to see you visiting Windows Live Town, soon!

X

Windows Live Tags: Clubhouse, Windows Live, Community, Spaces, Groups, Feedback

A very short question for Windows Live Administration. Edited to add: Thank you Windows Live Admin for adding “Spam” to the list of “Report Abuse” offences.

Edited to add!

Success! I just reported a Spammer and noticed that “Spam” is (finally) in the pull-down menu in the list of offenses.

I was told that I was fighting a losing battle, but I had faith in my Windows Live community. I know it was just a matter of time until my rants, I mean my suggestions, were heard.

Thank you, Windows Live!

Before:

After:

 

Now if something can be done about those illegible characters we have to decipher for each post…

As of now, nobody should merely complain about spam. When you get  spammed, go to the offenders account and click on “Report Abuse”. It is our responsibility to turn in activity against the Code of Conduct.

Now that “Spam” has it’s own listing, and it is not included in “Other” we should be able to expect the accounts of habitual spammers to be deleted in record time.

X

Original Post is Below:

—————————————-

Windows Live Administration, please pick one of the following options:

1. Selling Viagra by sending spam from a Windows Live Space is a wonderful thing.
2. Selling Viagra by sending spam from a Windows Live Space is a horrible thing.

I would just like to know if this is an acceptable activity in our Windows Live Neighborhood. If this is acceptable activity, I am very disappointed. If this is unacceptable activity, please prevent it.

Here is a Sampling of current Spaces set up ONLY to send spam to advertise their Viagra store:

• http://viagra-best.spaces.live.com/
• http://buy-viagra–online.spaces.live.com/
• http://medsranch.spaces.live.com/
• http://musicveped.spaces.live.com/

There are many more Spaces set up just like this.

Read the following if you would like to know how difficult it is to report a Space that is sending spam:

I get five or six emails a day (in my non-hotmail account) with an ad for Viagra or Canadian drugs with a url of a Windows Live Space to buy them. I block the email address, so they get a new one. The space has to be deleted so the spam has no reason to be sent.

People outside of the Windows Live community are going to think Windows Live is a Viagra Super Center.

I have been reluctant to quote the actual email I’ve gotten because some of them are just gross. Here’s one of the not so gross ones:

Your beast will get deeper in
hockett_mutia@yahoo.com
Enjoy drilling her more
http://spaces.live.com/9p0d3q7kyerf6rcnum9

Is that the image we want for Windows Live? That is why I want a way to report the spaces that send this this spam. Why make everybody individual block the spam if we can stop the people sending the spam.

Since there is no offense called “Spamming”, “Other” must be chosen in a complaint against a Space that sends spam. No matter how much detail I give in the provided text box, nobody ever reads it.

Reports to “Other” generate an automatic response. I’ve gotten this letter many times, from different people.

The policy has to change. There has to be a special offense for “Spamming” to stop this vicious circle of reporting spam and having the reports automatically rejected.

More information is always asked for, very specific information. But, all cases are different, and different ways of reporting them must me allowed.

Here is the form letter that is automatically sent out to all abuse reports to “Other”.

Hello

Thank you for writing to Windows Live Spaces Customer Support.

We appreciate your interest in reporting possibly unacceptable activity in Windows Live Spaces.  For us to be able to investigate this matter, please reply to this e-mail with the following information:

– a clear description of the violation
– Space Name
– the link or URL of the web page where you found the offensive material
– Blog Title, Date blog was posted, time blog was posted, permalink (if applicable)
– List title, date posted, sample contents/entries
–  a copy of the offensive e-mail with complete full headers

Once we are in receipt of this information, we assure you that we will investigate the Space and take appropriate action based on our findings.

Windows Live Spaces has comprehensive online help available to you. For more information, click the "Help" button at the top of any Spaces page.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Florence
Support Specialist
Windows Live Support Team

Please change the system so that spam reports are actually read and responded to. After I send the original complaint back, with all the detailed information that is asked for, all I get is this form letter back. Nothing ever gets resolved.

I love my Windows Live community. I care about the reputation of Windows Live, and how our community looks to those outside our community. Please prevent spam coming from Windows Live Spaces. Please do not let spammers tarnish our image.

Thank you,

X

(This Blog entry was originally entitled: “To Rob Dolin and other Windows Live heads concerned about spam in our community”)

This was additional information that Rob Dolin asked for regarding my complaints about the difficulty of reporting Windows Live Spaces that spam. Also see my blog entry linked below for more details of the situation:

I wish to report an inconsistency within the Windows Live Code of Conduct.

X

Edited to add: I got Spammed on my Profile today. The post is in a language I do not speak. But, it includes a link to an offsite website. When I go to their profile, it is obvious that this person does nothing with his account except post the same message over and over and over. I just reported it to “Report Abuse’. I haven’t reported lately since nothing ever gets resolved. But, this time, Rob Dolin and Dare are both aware of the situation. I will report the results as soon as I get them….

X

Edited to add:

September 22, 2009

Check our Medicationss line up a=nd choose whats best

From:fun_sexxy_girljat@yahoo.com
Subject: Canadian Medicatio#ns_s are cheaper
Body: Check our Medicationss line up a=nd choose whats best

www.spaces.msn.com/nn4znbv217uv

Click Here For Free Viagra

Save Over 80% On All Medications

What was your first impression on seeing that blog title? I got that in my other email address this morning (not my hotmail)

Email like this is being sent to email addresses OUTSIDE of our Windows Live community. I do not want this to be somebody’s first impression of Windows Live. One quick glance at the profile  will show that the only activity since April (as far back as it goes) is to post spam comments in Spaces. obviously, as in my case, they are probably sending email spam just as often.

Windows Live admin, please give us an efficient way of reporting such spaces. All that has to happen is to add one line to the "Report Abuse" page pull down menu for "Type of Abuse": "Spamming"
https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=wlgroupsabuse&ct=eformts
As of now, spam can only reported as "Other" and other reports are ignored.

Spamming is against the Windows Live Code of Conduct, already, we just need a better way to report it.

X

Windows Live Tags: Clubhouse, Spaces, Story, Feedback, Spam, Abuse, Code of Conduct

Lost in Translation: What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth among five different languages?

I want to recommend a website that I think is fun. It is called “Lost in Translation” The website’s introduction includes these two lines:

What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth among five different languages? …

… Remember the old game of "Telephone"? Something is lost, and sometimes something is gained.

I have a current post in Coffee Talk about this. If you want to play with the website, post anything interesting that you get in there.

Ooh, this one turned out fun!

Original English Text:
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

Translated to French:
Le bêlement, bêlement, mouton noir, vous ont n'importe quelles laines ?
Oui monsieur, oui monsieur,
Trois sacs pleins ;
Un pour le maître,
Et un pour dame, et un pour le petit garçon qui vit en bas de la ruelle.

Translated back to English:
Do the bleat, bleat, black sheep, have you any wools? Yes Sir, yes Sir, Three full bags; For the Master, And for lady, and for the little boy who lives in bottom of the lane.

Translated to German:
Haben das Meckern, schwarzes Schaf des Meckerns, Sie irgendwelche Wollen? Ja geehrter Herr, ja geehrter Herr, drei volle Taschen; Für den Meister und für Dame und für den kleinen Jungen, der in der Unterseite des Wegs lebt.

Translated back to English:
Have does the Meckern, black sheep of the Meckerns, you any wools? Yes honoured gentleman, yes honoured Mr., three full bags; For the master and for lady and for the small boy, who lives in the lower surface of the way.

Translated to Italian:
Abbia fa il Meckern, la pecora nera del Meckerns, voi tutte le lane? Signore sì onorato, sig. sì onorato, tre borse piene; Per il supervisore e per signora e per il piccolo ragazzo, che vive nell'intradosso del modo.

Translated back to English:
Ago have do the Meckern, the black sheep of the Meckerns, you all the wools? Honored gentleman yes, Mr. yes honored, three full stock exchanges; For the supervisor and mrs. and the small boy, than alive in the lower surface of the way.

Translated to Portuguese:
Há tenha fazem o Meckern, a ovelha negra do Meckerns, você todas as lãs? Cavalheiro honrado sim, Sr. honrado sim, as três bolsas de valores cheias; Para o supervisor e a Sra. e o menino pequeno, do que vivo no intradorso da maneira.

Translated back to English:
It has make the Meckern, the black sheep of the Meckerns, you all the wools? Honoured gentleman yes, honoured Mr. yes, the three full stock exchange; For the supervisor and Mrs. and the small boy, of what alive in the intrados in the way.

Translated to Spanish:
¿Tiene hacer el Meckern, la oveja negra del Meckerns, usted todas las lanas? Caballero honrado sí, Sr. honrado sí, la bolsa de acción completa tres; Para el supervisor y la señora y el pequeño muchacho, de qué vivo en el intrados de la manera.

Translated back to English:
It has to make the Meckern, the black sheep of the Meckerns, you all the wools? Honest horseman yes, honest Mr. yes, stock-market of action complete three; For the supervisor and the lady and the small boy, of what alive in the soffit of the way.

Honest Horseman? We were talking about sheep…

…

Here’s another one using a line by Groucho Marx:

Original English Text:
A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.

Translated to French:
Un enfant de cinq comprendrait ceci. Envoyez quelqu'un pour chercher un enfant de cinq.

Translated back to English:
A child of five would understand this. Send somebody to seek a child of five.

Translated to German:
Ein Kind von fünf würde dieses verstehen. Senden Sie jemand, um ein Kind von fünf zu suchen.

Translated back to English:
A child of five would understand this. Transmit someone, in order to look a child up from five to.

Translated to Italian:
Un bambino di cinque capirebbe questo. Trasmetta qualcuno, per guardare un bambino su da cinque a.

Translated back to English:
A five child would understand this. He transmits someone, in order to look a child on from five to

Translated to Portuguese:
Uma criança cinco compreenderia esta. Transmite alguém, a fim olhar uma criança sobre de cinco a

Translated back to English:
A child five would understand this. She transmits somebody, the end to look at a child on of five

Translated to Spanish:
Un niño cinco entendería esto. Ella transmite alguien, el extremo para mirar a un niño encendido de cinco

Translated back to English:
A boy five would understand this. She transmits somebody, the end to watch an ignited boy of five

This was sounding pretty good until the boy of five caught FIRE.

Try it yourself, oh, come on, you know you want to…

X

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Happy Birthday Barcode, says Google

I just thought my computer monitor was going wacky. I went to do a Google search, and I saw this image instead of the Google name logo.

Hovering over the image told me that today, Google is commemorating the “Invention of the Barcode”. They regularly do special doodads to commemorate special events, but usually you can see the word “Google” done in some stylized manner. This time, the word Google is in Barcode language, which I do not speak…

If you have a few minutes, you might enjoy surfing the past commemorative Google logos.

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