Sometimes fake plants can look as attractive as the real thing. But they sure can look trashy when they gather dust and the light hits them a certain way. Kinda like the comment spam farm at Beyond Structured Settlements. Previously it was the farmer's errant till. Now it's the growing controversy of whether author Patrick Hindert is actually keeping fake comments from spammers because they appear to compliment his web site. We'll, we're onto the game.
Each of the comments currently appearing on the home page of Beyond Structured Settlements (9/17/2007 10:25am) is a cover for some type of solicitation, whether it be auto parts or in the case of the latest comment by "Greg", to Settlement Capital Corporation. Most blogs require the commenter to register and provide an email address and/or web site link. The value to the spammer is that acceptance of the comment provides an automatic back link to the spammer's website thus contributing to an improving search engine result. Spammers often place positive comments on blogs hoping to suck in people like HIndert. Owners of blogs and other interactive websites need to be mindful of the potential damage they are causing by accepting a seemingly legitimate but actually spam comment. Hindert is a self-promoted web 2.0 expert so he has no excuse.
The comment "Great Article". authored by "Greg" (see below) on Hindert's post, about the Society of Settlement Planners Fall meeting, appears to be spam.
Download beyond_structured_comments_9142007_greg.pdf
Clicking on Greg's name leads to the Settlement Capital Corporation website. Thus the commenter put the URL of Settlement Capital into the form used to register his or her name for the comment. Settlement Capital Corporation is a factoring company. I checked with Settlement Capital and there has not been a "Greg" at the company for over 2 months. My source at Settlement Capital ALSO stated "I also know that nobody here is posting comments to blogs with the intention of linking".
So what the heck is going on? 
I can see the spam obviousness of the auto parts and Turkish swiss knife peddlers (discussed in previous posts) but this really raises an eyebrow. If Settlement Capital didn't do it. Who did? Hindert is known to be a heavy promoter of factoring to anyone who will listen, even those who don't. I'm getting the sick feeling that the light is shining a certain way. What a pity.
As Tammi and Marvin once sang "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing Baby"
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