If you do any "Next Blog" surfing, you've seen these. You may not call them "AFF Splogs", but you've probably noticed them. Statiscally, they make up 1/3 of the Blogosphere, in "blogspot.com".
Finding them isn't hard - just go Surfing.
http://www.blogger.com/next-blog?navBar=true
Identifying them isn't really hard, once you've seen a few.
Here's an obvious one.
Obviously, being generated by a script. Names are very brief (1 - 3 words, English). A suffix of random alphabetic characters is appended to the name, giving a unique URL.
The template used is a pattern too. Frequently Rounders, or 897. Monochrome backgrounds, no customisation, very plain. A single linklist at the top of the sidebar, the last item in the linklist will be "Friendfinder", and will link to "AdultFriendFinder.Com".
The content is another story. For a long time, I thought that the blogs that I was seeing were hijacked from existing blog owners, and were legit content, though a bit random and scattered subjects. Then another blogger showed us what we have.
Scraped content. Scraped from other blogs.
But, it's scraped content with a payoff - a payoff that you don't want, and may not see immediately. If your computer isn't properly protected, with a robust layered security strategy, you are possibly now a part of another botnet.
>> (Update 10/12): This problem has not gotten any better.
>> Forum thread links: bX-*00065
>> Copy this tag: bX-*00065
>> Top
Finding them isn't hard - just go Surfing.
http://www.blogger.com/next-blog?navBar=true
Identifying them isn't really hard, once you've seen a few.
Here's an obvious one.
Aff Friend Finder (this one is dead, now, so I will show it to you).
http://aff-friend-finderwvghpcb.blogspot.com/
Note the URL.
aff-friend-finderwvghpcb
aff-friend-finder <== Name
wvghpcb <== Suffix
Obviously, being generated by a script. Names are very brief (1 - 3 words, English). A suffix of random alphabetic characters is appended to the name, giving a unique URL.
The template used is a pattern too. Frequently Rounders, or 897. Monochrome backgrounds, no customisation, very plain. A single linklist at the top of the sidebar, the last item in the linklist will be "Friendfinder", and will link to "AdultFriendFinder.Com".
The content is another story. For a long time, I thought that the blogs that I was seeing were hijacked from existing blog owners, and were legit content, though a bit random and scattered subjects. Then another blogger showed us what we have.
Scraped content. Scraped from other blogs.
But, it's scraped content with a payoff - a payoff that you don't want, and may not see immediately. If your computer isn't properly protected, with a robust layered security strategy, you are possibly now a part of another botnet.
>> (Update 10/12): This problem has not gotten any better.
>> Forum thread links: bX-*00065
>> Copy this tag: bX-*00065
>> Top
Comments
After about 50 go throughs, I haven't seen one yet. Interesting.