How Our Spam Filter Works

I know it’s irritating to write a comment and see it held, even temporarily, for moderation — so here are a few notes about how our blog controls spam. In nearly every case comments by registered users are posted without delay.

A few of the reasons that automatically cause our filter to hold comments until moderation include more than four links in a single comment, extremely long urls pasted in without using the Link button, and multiple postings by the same user within a short time.

Also, at busy times occasionally you might get a note that your comment is being held. Just wait a few minutes. Our spam filter “launders” every comment through its database before posting, and when we have lots of posts coming in — or when the filter’s server is extra busy — it jams up for brief time.

I never personally delete or hold a comment without prior notice. See TOP TEN WAYS TO BE A BETTER COMMENTER for guidelines about the rare times I do moderate comments.

Unless you’ve heard from me any comment held for moderation is merely a result of our automated filter’s abundance of caution.

Trouble on Trail Mix?
Write to help@craigcrawford.com

We have a very robust spam filter — Akismet.com — that works as follows: Each time a new comment is posted it is submitted to the Akismet web service which runs hundreds of tests on the comment and returns a thumbs up or thumbs down. In nearly every case this is done in an instant. But occasionally there is a slight delay, especially if several comments are posted at once, and the comment is placed on hold to be re-checked within about 15 minutes or less.

While this service does an excellent job of keeping the bums out, every now and then the innocent are hurt. The quickest way to get relief is to send an email to help@craigcrawford.com

– Craig