Spam reporting thread #68

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING SPAM

Distinguish between the following, and flag the highest level of the violation:

-- Type 1: Irredeemable commercial spam: make sure to flag the member's profile, as well as the spammy activity. This type includes things selling strollers, pharmaceuticals, live-streaming sports games, porn, and/or trying to create traffic/links to sites for such things. Sufficient profile flags will automatically result in temporary suspension and deletion of the member's activity, so use your profile-flagging powers wisely and carefully.

-- Type 2: Teachable moments: DO NOT flag the member's profile, but DO flag the violating activity (e.g. self-promotional Talk post, group, or local venue). This type includes promotional activity that violates the Terms of Service (TOS), but where the member is potentially redeemable, e.g. overzealous authors, overzealous publishers, or other members with small TOS violations but who are otherwise using the site legitimately. These cases should be reported to staff (by sending a message or email to staff and/or or posting on this thread), so the member can be taught how to use the site.

Specific procedures:
-- Overzealous authors or publishers (these fall under type 2): do NOT flag the member's profile. Report to staff here or privately. You can also send the member a polite message pointing them to the terms, mentioning the "no promoting" language, and pointing them to the Do's and Don't page for authors: http://www.librarything.com/about_authors.php
-- Suspected sock-puppetry to promote a book, write fake reviews, and/or stack ratings: do not flag the profile, but report to staff here or by message, so staff can investigate. This is a serious violation for which members can be permanently banned.
-- Profile flags for commercial spammers only (type 1): On the member's profile page, click on the "report for spam" link, then follow instructions to flag the member. Again, this is only for commercial spam, not for "overzealous" authors, publishers, or booksellers, which should be reported to staff instead. See Talk post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85810
-- Spam or promotional posts in a Talk topic (type 1 or 2): flag the post as an abuse of the terms of service.
-- Spam or promotional groups (types 1 and 2): flag new groups using the "flag this group" link.
-- Spam lists: report in this thread, and flag the member if it's commercial spam.
-- Spam works (type 1 spam): flag the work as spam on the work's editions page, and then vote on proposed work spam. Make sure to read the guidelines before proposing or voting, especially for what is not spam. Voting page: http://www.librarything.com/spam_works.php
-- Spam in a review (type 1), or an explicitly promotional review (type 2): flag the review as an abuse of the TOS, using the red flag.
-- Spam or promotion in "published reviews," or other CK fields (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete.
-- Spam or egregious promotion/advertising in venues or events (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete. Note that authors are permitted to add events for their books.
-- Spam in book links / quick links: post here and/or edit to remove spam.
-- Spam author names listed on a work: No current procedure. Tim has asked us not to change CK to indicate spammers, and not to combine spam authors together.
-- Not sure if it's spam? Post here, and explain why.

Please note that Tim has asked us not to use either CK or the combining system (whether works or authors) for spam fighting.

For more information see these wiki pages:
Procedures for flagging and reporting spam: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Spam
Spam works, guidelines for flagging and voting: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/HelpThing:Spam_works

(A copy of these guidelines, for pasting in new threads, can be found here or at the top of previous threads.)

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308368

Long time member pushing a newly published book. I left a message on their profile.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/lucindawalsh (do not flag)

Author pushing his book: http://www.librarything.com/topic/308454
For info only, don't flag: http://www.librarything.com/profile/Johnaeliya

>3 lilithcat: Oh dear. The author got flagged out of existence...

Added a legitimate book, but Spam account- note profile name

https://www.librarything.com/profile/carfinance

needs more flags.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308527 is repeat author spam.

For the record:
Book is Adventures on the Astral Plane.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/John.Guilgood (Maybe give the author one more chance.)

See http://www.librarything.com/topic/304532#6849363

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308527 is by a repeat author.

Book is Adventures on the Astral Plane.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/John.Guilgood (Maybe give the author one more chance.

See http://www.librarything.com/topic/304532#6849363

Sorry, already third time.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/307785

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308503#
Author, do not flag: https://www.librarything.com/profile/rorabo
I left a message.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308645#
Author, do not flag: https://www.librarything.com/profile/DrAprilVMartin
I left a message.

>12 norabelle414:

Ack! She's actually encouraging other authors to spam the forums.

>13 lilithcat: Oh dear. Someone who's GR spoiled. Where's she doing this?

>14 gilroy:

She started a thread in Book Talk with a link to her own book on Amazon and suggesting others do the same. Thanks to >12 norabelle414:, it's gone now.

>15 lilithcat: Ah. Thank goodness I missed that. :)

I'm amazed that there were no flags yet on this. Total spam. Please flag topic and profile.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308700#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ienuccgi

Never mind. All gone. Guess it only took one...

This guy seems to be plugging an app to track reading speed—identical or near identical posts https://www.librarything.com/topic/286120#6864466, https://www.librarything.com/topic/280099#6864468 and https://www.librarything.com/topic/308759#6864470.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/SharpReader. Just joined, no books listed.

>18 haydninvienna: No worries. Gone now.

Over-enthusiastic author: https://www.librarything.com/topic/308807#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/SameemIslam

>20 haydninvienna: I left a comment on their profile.

>20 haydninvienna:, >21 gilroy:

Topic still needs flags.

>22 lilithcat: Gone now.

Event spam. https://www.librarything.com/local_add_v2.php?event=3083515

>24 davidgn: I can't see the account that added that material. Were you able to track it?

>25 2wonderY: Looks like https://www.librarything.com/profile/oliviajosie

The dude from >20 haydninvienna: is still spamming the forums, despite gilroy's message.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/308835
http://www.librarything.com/topic/308830
http://www.librarything.com/topic/308837
http://www.librarything.com/topic/308832
http://www.librarything.com/topic/308834

Need just a couple of flags more.

>27 lilithcat: I left him another note.

>24 davidgn: Can we delete the event? Or should staff have a look at it first?

>30 Taphophile13: It's gone. The link will continue to show it open, but it's no longer on the venue page.

Didn't this Bookly nonsense get killed off a couple of weeks ago?
https://www.librarything.com/topic/308881#6867627
https://www.librarything.com/profile/GabrielleG

>32 haydninvienna:

I don't recall seeing that before, but I might have missed it.

This particular post doesn't look terribly spammy, nor does the account.

See >18 haydninvienna: and >19 Lyndatrue: . Those are gone now, but "GabrielleG" has evidently inherited the task from "Sharpreader".

>34 haydninvienna:

Thanks!

At least she seems to have confined her self to one post (so far, anyway).

>35 lilithcat:, also this one, but not troubling either:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/308843

Commercial spam:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/308973

>37 konallis:. Did we catch the poster? Please give us the profile as well.

Yes, it was https://www.librarything.com/profile/lusiaemily89.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Rochel1986
https://www.librarything.com/topic/308980

Author who's been warned before. Let the flagging commence.

>40 gilroy:

Not sure I want to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/308981

Author advertising: http://www.librarything.com/topic/308990

Oddly, the group: http://www.librarything.com/groups/cheatingtheferryman has never been flagged, although it was set up by another author to push his book. And there doesn't seem to be an option to flag it, perhaps because it's dormant.

>42 lilithcat: Still no option to flag it, though it is no longer dormant.

>41 lilithcat: I only give them one chance, one warning, so I've already flagged the profile.

>43 karenb: Maybe it has too many members to flag? Or it was set up before group flagging was developed?

https://www.librarything.com/profile/electroformingkits
https://www.librarything.com/profile/goldplatingkits
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Plating-Services

https://www.librarything.com/work/22885988/165757729
https://www.librarything.com/work/23066007/167155607
https://www.librarything.com/work/23100345/167433803
https://www.librarything.com/work/22889998/165795890
... (and review https://www.librarything.com/work/22889998/reviews/165795890)
https://www.librarything.com/work/23083815/167289891
https://www.librarything.com/work/23065888/167154867
https://www.librarything.com/work/23041623/166902889

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Serena_Das

https://www.librarything.com/work/23486561/147508525
(with cover stolen from another book)
(with review https://www.librarything.com/review/147508525)

https://www.librarything.com/profile/purchasetramadol
https://www.librarything.com/work/23414207/170389712
(with about 100 tags, I kid you not)

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Kriti.Sharma

(The reviews are key, here)

https://www.librarything.com/work/20209582/145846503
https://www.librarything.com/review/145846503

https://www.librarything.com/work/20255003/146195684
https://www.librarything.com/review/146195684

https://www.librarything.com/work/20219517/145920172
https://www.librarything.com/review/145920172

https://www.librarything.com/profile/jazzsliverplatinum
https://www.librarything.com/work/14401121/103220831

(I don't know exactly what they're selling, but the review says it's legal)

Author spam from http://www.librarything.com/profile/Winter-Fox

http://www.librarything.com/topic/201185
http://www.librarything.com/topic/258355
http://www.librarything.com/topic/283690
http://www.librarything.com/topic/301067
http://www.librarything.com/topic/306246

Publisher spam: https://www.librarything.com/topic/309327#6877876
Profile https://www.librarything.com/profile/Bogdan_Sasu

>64 haydninvienna:

I've left a message on the profile

author spam
http://www.librarything.com/topic/309407

I left a note CharlesStoll

>66 2wonderY: But he should know this:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/chip999

He has opened a new account for the purpose of spamming.

>66 2wonderY:, >67 MarthaJeanne:

Both are gone now. Yet he remains a LibraryThing Author with a link on his author page to a now non-existent profile.

Enthusiastic publisher:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/309074#6879670

https://www.librarything.com/profile/harrygeorge4158 (I've left a message)

>69 gilroy:

That's certainly an odd thread in which to advertise that book!

It's generic, but I'm pretty sure that specific books will be next. Please flag.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309418#

https://www.librarything.com/profile/biffmitchell

The account was created a while ago, and somehow that profile photo doesn't look much like a Biff, but we all know I'm pretty heartless. There's seven books in his library, all written by him, and (with one exception) he is the only member to have them here on LT.

There's already a comment on the profile, which makes me wonder it he'd already posted elsewhere, and it's now gone.

Oh, the post is definitely spam.

somehow that profile photo doesn't look much like a Biff

I don't know. What does a Biff look like?

There's already a comment on the profile, which makes me wonder it he'd already posted elsewhere, and it's now gone.


2WonderY may have seen the profile photo in the Recently Added Profile photos. The timing and content of her comment would suggest that.

It's also possible that he was trying to introduce himself in the appropriate group as I suggested, but the post defaulted to Book Talk, as it does frequently, if you don't know to double check.

>72 lilithcat: I've never known an actual person named Biff, although I'm sure there are quite a few for whom it was a nickname. Football player from the Comics is where I first saw it (and to show you how old I am, I remember it as new, and recent).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biff_(cartoon)

(LT strips off the rest of the URL with the parens, so you'll have to cut and paste it to actually see the link.)

https://www.biffonline.co.uk/

and also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_McNamara

Tank had reference to the occasional Biff. I was rather astonished to meet a Biff, some years ago, having always known it in the papers. Okay, enough of Memory Lane.

>73 2wonderY:

post defaulted to Book Talk, as it does frequently, if you don't know to double check

It does, indeed, which I have no doubt is the reason all those "Help me find this book!" posts end up in Book Talk.

>73 2wonderY: It wasn't Book Talk, it was Welcome to LibraryThing. I would have left the post, with a reply making sure they know not to promote their books anywhere but the designated places, but the topic was removed before I could hit "save message".

>76 norabelle414:

It's better not to respond to spam in the forums, but, in this sort of case, leave a comment on the poster's profile instead.

If you respond, then the thread remains visible, even though the post itself is hidden after four flags.

>77 lilithcat: Yes, in this case because it was an enthusiastic author, and it was Welcome to LibraryThing, I think it would not have hurt anything for it to stay up. They introduced themselves, which is appropriate for the group, they just talked about the kinds of books they write in the introduction.

>78 norabelle414:

See above: Type 2: Teachable moments: DO NOT flag the member's profile, but DO flag the violating activity (e.g. self-promotional Talk post . . .

This was a promotional post; he included a link to a site for purchasing his books.

>79 lilithcat: Ah, I must have seen a different post. The one I saw from that author did not include a link. My mistake.

>74 Lyndatrue: I'm always reminded of Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future movies...

Not sure how to flag this, but I received the following email as a comment was apparently posted to my wall by Sara33 - I have no idea how to see my wall, remove comments, or report spam, though. I think everyone will agree that the purpose of this post wasn't to promote discussion about books :-)

Sara33 just sent you a message on LibraryThing.

Your conversation with Sara33 is at http://www.librarything.com/conversation/Sara33

All your conversations are at http://www.librarything.com/comments/ChrisMitchell

Sara33 wrote:

Hey, my name Sara, nice to meet you!). I look for some fun!) If you want to see my nude cosplay and chat with me, copy the link) >> f*******/Sara >>

After registration find me by nick) - "DirtySara33"

It's free, waiting for you honey).

(This email was sent because you elected to have comments sent to your email. To turn off this feature, choose "edit profile/account settings" and uncheck "email comment.")

>83 ChrisMitchell: Lots of members got that spam, unfortunately. Discussions are going on here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/309424 and https://www.librarything.com/topic/309439
There's nothing else you need to do, the message should be deleted from your profile by now.

Ah, great - thanks very much!

>83 ChrisMitchell:

Please delete the links from your post.

So in one of the threads about Sarah there's "escort" spam: http://www.librarything.com/topic/309462#6882124

>87 lilithcat: Oh the irony...

I have temporarily disabled adding tags to groups, unless you are a paid member, in response to a report of spam on http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2019 . Working to remove the tag.

Enthusiastic Author (it took me a moment to realize it).

I've posted a message on the profile as well.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309730#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/andras.nagy1

a rash of graphic designers today

http://www.librarything.com/profile/stokongd
http://www.librarything.com/profile/montaniegd
http://www.librarything.com/profile/toledogd

Already gone...

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309795#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ennieurner

I'm seeing spam works with links in the book descriptions. Is that common? Should I leave the description be, even after the work is marked as spam?

https://www.librarything.com/work/22512742

ETA: https://www.librarything.com/work/14823903

https://www.librarything.com/profile/prowebdesignIT
(work already marked as spam)

>97 karenb: delete it, otherwise the advertising, though covered, still remains.
I cleared it on those two links.

>99 gilroy:
Got it. Thanks!

(Just found a spammy description on a legit book, too. Love the CK search results.)

Author promotion:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/309830
http://www.librarything.com/topic/309829

I've left a message on his profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/BenedictRedgrove

Hey guys, was voting on spam works and noticed one of the flagged ones is a published book with ISBN and all, by an LT author who catalogued it. It even had a cover uploaded, just needed to be recalculated to show

https://www.librarything.com/work/23496851

Just in case

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309836#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/309838#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/JoeCarlos524

I don't think I've seen spam in broad daylight in quite some time.

Already gone (thank goodness).

>102 SandraArdnas: Rats, I think I maybe deleted a spammy description and then went on auto. Fortunately, the book seems to be fine now.

>104 karenb: No problem. That's why I posted here, expecting most people who vote would see it.

work is owned by two users, who have legit books and then reviewed this one. Reviews are full of links.

https://www.librarything.com/work/9726636/summary (is NOT spam, apparently -- available via Amzn -- please vote no)

https://www.librarything.com/profile/MPSatLT159
https://www.librarything.com/profile/hankreardon

>106 karenb: The former account is definitely spam, but I think the latter (this review aside) looks legit?

>107 lorannen: That's what I'm wondering. Spammer who added lots of books to seem legit? If so, it worked. No activity since they set up the account, I bet.

(see review)

https://www.librarything.com/work/23555545
https://www.librarything.com/profile/jamessmithj11

They always wait until I'm about to head off to sleep.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309932#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/vnhdtygrLee

https://www.librarything.com/work/9120010 was probably no spam. It's a zero edition now, so it's possibly irrelevant, but if not Weekend Breaks From Hyderabad appears as a travel guide on Amazon.

Similarly, a zero edition at https://www.librarything.com/work/11459910 can be found as a Dutch edition book with the author as indicated.

>111 SandraArdnas: That would suggest that the person posting them probably had a spammy review, and was doing spammy things on their profile, making their works suspect or part of the spam process to kill.

>112 gilroy: OK. But what's the common practice with the leftover zero editions of legit books? Does flagging them spam affect possible future adds of those works? In particular, the one that has author entered too. If someone were to add it, would it auto-combine with the flagged one or do flagged zero copies go to some LT recycle bin? I'm asking because even works marked as spam still show up in search, so I'm uncertain how they behave

>113 SandraArdnas: If the legit book is here as another work beside the spam one, the new work should combine with that work.

Okay, bear with me. After examining the profile, and thinking it over, I'm going to flag it, as well as the "helpful" post here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/309291#6892147

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Peeky

Seriously, someone who is proud of owning no books but his own??? I dunno.

Never mind. User profile is already history. Dang.

Cannabis word salad: http://www.librarything.com/topic/159928#6893446

http://www.librarything.com/profile/mouris

Just in case:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310070#

https://www.librarything.com/profile/zeac

All gone

User Smithrin is using reviews of other books to promote their own book on Amazon.
https://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=Smithrin

Please flag the reviews as spam. I've left a message on the user's profile.

http://www.librarything.com/work/23453581

member is probably gone already.

I noticed a spammy member description on Becoming. CK history reveals it was entered by http://www.librarything.com/profile/Halim29. Please flag.

I'm going through their CK history and deleting all the member descriptions they entered. If you'd like to help there's a list here: http://www.librarything.com/commonknowledge/search.php?q=Halim29&f=username&...

>120 norabelle414: Yuck! But I think we've got them all now.

These were links to a free download site. Some of the books are certainly not being distributed with the permission of the copyright holder.

Not with people like me just having bought them!

>120 norabelle414: He seems all about the free download, using multiple tags referencing it on 61 works - everything he added on June 25th.

>121 MarthaJeanne: If the links were even to a download site! I certainly wasn't about to click on them.
The member has a lifetime account so I think we'll need Loranne's help to zap them. I'll send her a message.

>122 2wonderY: Yes, they even added "download free ebook" to the title of the books they entered. Yuck.

He also added "Download PDF/Ebook" to a slew of titles.

Some have canonical titles and just need recalculation. Others need canonical titles entered and then recalculation.

>125 lilithcat: The Work titles look OK now, and we can't change his titles.

Author spam.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/310312

(Two other copies of this in Book Talk have already disappeared.)

>127 MarthaJeanne:

Just gave it the fourth flag.

There is also one in the Early Reviewers group; unfortunately, it was replied to so the thread won't disappear.

>127 MarthaJeanne: See, I'd be cruel and be up to flagging the profile.
The author was warned at 7:17 am and he continued to post spam at 7:40 am...

What makes you think he saw the warning?

Nothing, but like I said. I'd be cruel

>134 haydninvienna: I'm not convinced that it is the author, but it is certainly meant to push the new member's blog.

>135 MarthaJeanne: I deleted the message (which wondered if "justeddy" was plugging his own book) because I poked around a little and decided that "justeddy" probably wasn't "T L Mistlberger". However, you are quite right that he is trying to push traffic to the site linked at the end of the post (which BTW throws a security alert in Firefox). On thinking about it and deciding that the whole deal looks like a bunch of crap, I've flagged both the post and the profile.

For the record:

https://www.librarything.com/profile/justeddy
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310528

>136 haydninvienna: I flagged the post, but neither the profile or the review.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301249#6905807
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Vipul1011
Crane hire in Mumbai

>136 haydninvienna:

He's doing it on other sites, too: https://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/562815

https://www.librarything.com/profile/siu1988ldh
https://www.librarything.com/profile/arawdog1

sending everyone friend requests. They are lifetime accounts so they'll probably take staff intervention to squash.

I also got a friend request from this one: http://www.librarything.com/profile/thenoblesgang
It's not a lifetime account, though, so should be easier to remove.

>140 norabelle414:. I got friend requests from dyedye and cachingpixie

Seems a trend.

>140 norabelle414:, >141 Marissa_Doyle:
suspect it's some kind of spambot, similar to Sara33?
http://www.librarything.com/topic/310583

has anyone notified staff?

I got a couple as well, which I deleted.

See http://www.librarything.com/topic/310583

conceptDawg is on it.

Yep. I'm on it.
Killed nearly 700 accounts so far. Thanks for the info.

Oh, now I get one. I was wondering why I hadn't earlier. But already killed before I saw it.

Received a friend request from this user

https://www.librarything.com/profile/ngamber

Homepage URL. It may be a hacked account due to age sign up 2006.

Bookstore spam
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310609

(Don't flag https://www.librarything.com/profile/KaylieMonahan)

>150 MarthaJeanne:

I don't consider that spam. It's a new member who probably doesn't know about venues, so I've pointed her to the LT Local listing for the store.

It would definitely count as spam if an author posted the book descriptions. I don't see the bookstore as being any less commercial.

>152 MarthaJeanne: I don't think it's a matter of being more or less commercial. The emphasis is on 'there's a place where it's perfectly OK to post it, but the member seems new and unaware'. A response to that effect and/or personal note seems a better way to go about it than flagging. It is certainly more welcoming if you're not of the opinion someone is deliberately spamming.

Authors are in my experience also pointed to few places where they may plug in their books

Malaysian or Indonesian betting spam:
https://www.librarything.com/profile/AgentMaxbet
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310621#

Flagged the message and the profile. There are 2 messages on the topic, of which the author has deleted the second. Is this a new trick? I flagged both messages anyway.

Author spam (don't flag http://www.librarything.com/profile/george-calleja1)
http://www.librarything.com/topic/310689

Gone now

>156 MarthaJeanne: I left an additional message. I'd bet money that this is not his first effort, either.

group about treating hemorrhoids and constipation
https://www.librarything.com/groups/antrvng

>158 Taphophile13:

Creator should be flagged, too: https://www.librarything.com/profile/ds_lephuong

>160 tardis: Gone.

Author promoting own book:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310822#6912680
https://www.librarything.com/profile/RolandSatoPage

Not exactly an enthusiastic author, but I think the topic's a bit over the line. I'm still trying to decide how to word a suggestion to her that explains why I'm flagging this.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310860#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Molly3028

Please note that I'm not suggesting anyone else flag this. If I'd thought about it, I'd have posted over on "Is this Spam?" instead.

>164 Lyndatrue: If you don't think it should be flagged, you can delete your post or replace the text with "nevermind", etc. It happens all the time.

>165 norabelle414: I meant to flag it; I just wasn't wanting to suggest it to others. It is gone now, but I see it wasn't the only one.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310861

...and another...

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310858

>164 Lyndatrue:

Why was one of my topics zapped? Why would a post about Wowbrary be zapped? It is an email service for library devotees! Informing library patrons about available books should not be an issue at LibraryThing!!!!!

>167 Molly3028:

I didn't see your posts, so I don't know how they were worded, but it's a bit of a red flag when someone makes multiple posts pushing a product or service.

>168 lilithcat:

Different people are members of different groups.
Making LibraryThing more user-friendly for library devotees should NOT be considered a posting issue.

>167 Molly3028: I'd been trying all day to come up with a good post to leave on your profile page, but in the end, other things distracted me, and I didn't get to it.

Your post was borderline, and I did hesitate to flag it, but when I found another, then it tipped the decision, and I flagged both. You posted it in multiple places (I found and listed three). I realize that you feel wronged, but the places you posted in were random, and not well suited for the announcement. I gently point out that none of the places you posted were oriented towards Libraries, or similar.

I'm sure that your enthusiasm for the subject/book may have pushed you in the direction of posting in multiple places. My guess is that if you hadn't posted in Book Talk with your announcement, no one in Spam Fighters would have noticed.

>170 Lyndatrue:

Since library-related sites on the Internet are few in number, zapping
info about one of them makes no sense on a site that claims to be
"Library Thing." "Book Thing" would be a more appropriate name.
Wowbrary.com is working to expand the usefulness of public
libraries for its patrons.

Your dictates/rules are senseless and not library or library-patron friendly.

Happy to be a non-paying member of this site!

>171 Molly3028: then maybe the site you're pushing like an advertiser should talk to the admin of this site to work out an agreement?

This has to do with keeping ALL advertising to a minimum. Otherwise we get overwhelmed and become as bad as Good Reads, or potentially worse.

Honestly, we are a book cataloging site. NOT a library site, NOT a loaning site, NOT a place to advertise.

>172 Molly3028: You sure sounded like a paid member of the other site. Your post was uninformative, but full of 'oh, wow, this is one great thing, you must visit and you'll see'. It was clearly spam to my eyes

At first I thought this was just in Book Talk, but she's posted in multiple places.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310950#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310951#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310952#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310953#
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310954#

That last is in a group she made just for posting about the book.

https://www.librarything.com/groups/freetobemechildrenbo

https://www.librarything.com/profile/NancyZarriello

I'm about to flag the profile. This doesn't mean you have to, but I suspect it's not going to end well. I've also flagged the group she made. This is a person who has thought things through. I gently point out that it's late, and headed into the weekend.

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/310954
http://www.librarything.com/groups/freetobemechildrenbo
Group is join to post (and flag) and still needs one flag on the topic.

author
http://www.librarything.com/profile/NancyZarriello

tarot readings, black magic, divorce problems etc.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/310968#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Divorceproblem

in RSI thread!

>177 Taphophile13: Flagged both the post and the profile.

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/310976

Author
http://www.librarything.com/profile/matheusflx
Even authors who can't spell shouldn't be flagged.

It seems like there's always one or two each and every evening.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/310997#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/lnnd

ETA: Gone, at least for now...

http://www.librarything.com/topic/311039

Digital marketing training in how to spam? (But no link!)

http://www.librarything.com/profile/mukulkhopade

Author spam:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/311228#6921763
https://www.librarything.com/profile/Paulo.cupping

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Anchor1904

http://www.librarything.com/topic/301609#6923770

and probably more.

eta: Nope, just pickin'on tardis.

This law group is being particularly persistent. Fourth time needing to zap them

http://www.librarything.com/profile/EstatePlann

>192 2wonderY: I feel special!

It's early, but they're starting up.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/311375#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/iylc

ETA: At least the response was quick. Already taken care of.

It seems a bit early, yet again.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/311497#
https://www.librarything.com/profile/ullc

ETA: Already gone, yet again.

This profile has been flagged a couple of times, and more importantly, the spam posted by the account is long gone, with four flags. It ought to be gone, now, too, and yet it's still there (and still, I'd like to point out, capable of posting more spam).

https://www.librarything.com/profile/pereanoraz

Perhaps everyone else is off playing the Pirate thing...

https://www.librarything.com/topic/311499
https://www.librarything.com/profile/glanbvgfLee

I dunno. I'm off to bed, it's late.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/kiaescort
https://www.librarything.com/work/23369634/170003128

https://www.librarything.com/profile/mumbaiescorts12
(work already marked as spam)

This is about the seventh time this law firm has made a Spam profile:

https://www.librarything.com/profile/elderattorneylocal

Location
2899 Ocean Avenue, 2nd Floor, suite 4 Brooklyn, NY 11235

Just noting this for future staff intervention.

Don't know if this is the author/publisher or a friend, but it's definitely advertising: http://www.librarything.com/topic/311537

I've left a message on his profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/john.m.german

>201 lilithcat: I've also flagged the review of the book: https://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=john.m.german

Author spam

http://www.librarything.com/topic/311575#
http://www.librarything.com/profile/highlevel

>204 2wonderY: I rather doubt it. Reasonable question from a new user. Lists two books by different authors. No links.

>204 2wonderY:

I agree with MarthaJeanne. I don't see anything to suggest the poster is the author of either of those books mentioned. She's looking for something similar.

If it's spam, it isn't very clever as there are now links to books that are not mentioned in the first post, making those easier to get to.

>204 2wonderY: Not seeing it as author spam. Seeing it as someone doing research.

>209 karenb:. HighRiskGateway3635 has added a third spam work.

works & reviews:
https://www.librarything.com/work/22947449/166194724
https://www.librarything.com/work/22728399/164351324
https://www.librarything.com/work/22668064/163675699

works:
https://www.librarything.com/work/20859962
https://www.librarything.com/work/21419907
https://www.librarything.com/work/19546349
https://www.librarything.com/work/18620978
https://www.librarything.com/work/22082725
https://www.librarything.com/work/20568210
https://www.librarything.com/work/5485419
https://www.librarything.com/work/19063587

This is getting long. I'm starting another thread.