A few days ago Cheryl Miller Brown left a wonderful comment about bottles on Chatter’s guest post. Near the end of the comment she asked this question: “Tipper, do you really read all of our LONG winded comments before approving?”
I answered Cheryl back: “I love all the comments folks leave and enjoy reading them! You all make the Blind Pig a better place with each comment you leave.”
Years ago when I first started Blind Pig & The Acorn I realized pretty quickly that setting the comments to moderation approval would make my life a whole lot easier! It wasn’t that regular folks left unsavory or crazy comments, it was spammers.
Many of us think of spam in terms of the canned meat that when fried makes a pretty good sandwich. But in today’s world spam = any unsolicited contact you receive via the world wide web. The most common form of spam arrives almost daily in your email account. You know like when you receive notification that you’ve been awarded a vast inheritance from a long lost relative—if only you’ll pay some money up front they’ll send the rest of the funds right over. Spam can also show up on your social media feeds and of course on your blog if you have one.
In one of my college classes I learned using the word spam in connection with junk email or unwanted online drivel actually came from a Monty Python skit. In 1970 Python had a skit where cans of spam kept interrupting the singing performance and kept popping up all over the place. In other words spam was showing up were it wasn’t wanted exactly like the spam we are often plagued with on the web. In the early 90s when folks first started getting bombarded by unwanted emails someone gave the junk email the moniker of spam and it stuck.
My blogging platform has a spam filter, but it doesn’t catch everything. Most of the spam I get here on the Blind Pig is of the advertisement sort. In most instances, spammers who leave blog comments are simply trying to gain links to a specific website or product or entice readers to buy something.
Sometimes the spam is horrible!! Other times it’s downright funny.
Here’s a couple of humorous examples.
“Yo literally flying high with regard to getting the website immediately when my girlfriend and I were nosing for a mode to create free electricity in our house and more topics when I stumbled over the certainly crucial network.”
“Tһe other day, whіle I was at work, my sister stole my iPad and tested to ѕee if it ⅽan survive a 40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sеnsation. My apple ipad is now deѕtrⲟyed and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someօne!” (*I’ve been getting this spam comment for literally years!)
“Many home cooks are quick to toss away broccoli stalks as they quite simply don’t know how to use them or that they’re even edible. they provide all the glory to the florets, Escorting the highly undervalued stalks to a new home in the bin. around the other hand, they really are the unsung heroes of this magical vegetable.”
“Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!”
As you read the silliness you likely noticed some of the misspellings and weird syntax. Sometimes, actually most of the time, the people who leave spam comments are not people at all. They are computer generated comments in an effort to sell whatever they’re selling or gain links back to their websites which pushes them higher in the search results of the internet.
Thankfully my spam filters do catch most of it, but every once in while they don’t and I would hate for some of the really horrible ones to make it through and publish automatically.
When I told Cheryl the comments make the Blind Pig & The Acorn a better place I was sure telling the truth. The comments left by readers enrich the very life I live. They teach me, touch my heart, help me achieve my endeavor of preserving and celebrating Appalachia, and encourage me in more ways than you could ever know.
I recently had some work done on the back side of my website and the lady said I sure did get a lot of comments. I was proud to say “I sure do. I’ve got the best blog readers in the whole wide world!”
Last night’s video: My Life in Appalachia 22 | The Joy of Summer in the Mountains.
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I read your posts about “old bottles”. I remembered when we bought our house, we had to completely rebuild it. It was owned by 2 brothers that had been the first males to inherit the property. Their mother was the last female to have inherited the home from her parents. The home was built in 1813 and called a “Prairie House”. The father had bought the house from the government back when they were selling land to homesteaders. Any way as there were no sons all girls inherited the home up until 1980. The last lady that owned the home only had 2 sons, who were well into their 70s and 80s.The home had set for about 25 years with much needed repairs going by the wayside. We bought the home from the brothers in 1989 and moved in and began rebuilding it. All along the back of the property was a row of hedge trees grown through a barbed wire fence. When we started cleaning this space out, we found all kinds of treasures. We asked around and found out people often threw out their trash on the very back of their land. We unearthed bits and pieces of beautiful old China and numerous old bottles. Some we kept some we didn’t. I saw the video of Cory and her husband searching for old bottles and it brought to my mind all that we had unearthed. I would have loved to see a table set with some of the beautiful bits of China that we found. Anyway, just thought I would share that with you. We watch your videos every day and the girls too. Love them very much keep them coming. 2 New Huge fans Happy New Year God Bless you and yours throughout the new year and always.
Loved Pinnaclecreek’s comment today- “Appalachia just grabs your heart and keeps it, and it becomes almost a spiritual journey.” That comment was beautifully & perfectly said about Appalachia & those beautiful mountains, streams & the wholesome people who call it their home. I won’t insult folks who are blessed enough to live in Appalachia by claiming I am one of you. I have never lived there, but merely made yearly trips to Western North Carolina since I was 9 yrs old (now 70 yrs old). I instantly fell in love with the beautiful mountains, the sedating streams & the folks I met there. I felt somehow I belonged there & would tell my parents that I belonged there & when “I get big, I’m going to move there.” Unfortunately life took me another direction, but I love my yearly spiritual journeys to Western North Carolina. I sure hope I go to heaven when I die and heaven will be full of mountains & peaceful streams and Appalachian folks. Tipper, you & your family are lucky enough to enjoy these things on earth & in heaven, too.
Tipper, reading your blog is one of first things I do each day. I especially enjoy listening to the music and reading stories about how things were done in times past. A lot of these stories bring back memories of my childhood. I appreciate the work and time you put into your blog.
It’s the first thing I read every morning also.
I know how time consuming your blog/vlog is and it is appreciated! I always wonder what the Deer Hunter is thinking during your filming and while eating his coconut popsicles.
What a wonderful family you have!!!!
You do a great job of keeping your blog on it’s intended path, I and my other BP&A kindred spirits appreciated that. It keeps being a very enjoyable read.
God Bless you and your family.
Love your blog and YouTube channel. It’s always uplifting and educational. Feels like talking with a neighbor. The music is great too!
Tipper, I really don’t know how in the world you can do so much in a day. I know you have a super family to help and that’s a real blessing. Thank you for reading all the comments and being so devoted to what you do. It’s always a pleasure to read the BP&A.
That is what I love about your website, nothing political, definitely family friendly and I look forward to it everyday in my emails! We also enjoy your videos Celebrating Appalachia, again for the same reasons, plus I learn a lot about that region of the country. I’ve tried some of your recipes which have been wonderful, and your site is where I first heard the term Leather Britches for dried greenbeans. And guess what, I have some drying so that we can try them out later this fall. Keep doing what you do, we all appreciate it!!!
My hat is off to you, Tipper, you’ve stayed with us faithfully all these years in spite of all the crap you get from spammers. I know you stay because you love Appalachia and want to share it with the world.
I thank you and I appreciate what you do for Appalachia!
Unlike most subscribers I don’t go to my email first to see what Tipper has to say today. Sometimes I don’t open my email at all. I don’t get notifications in my emails from http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com any more . That doesn’t mean I have lost interest in http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com . It means I go directly to the website. I have http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com bookmarked. The first icon on the bookmark bar across the top of my web browser is a little rectangle with a pink pig in it. It’s the first thing I open in the morning and the last thing I close out at night. All throughout the day I read whatever comments might appear and even reply to some. You might say I am addicted to http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com and you might be right.
Similarly I have a dependence on http://www.youtube.com/c/CelebratingAppalachia . Unlike http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com I don’t read all the comments on http://www.youtube.com/c/CelebratingAppalachia . In fact I read very few and reply to even fewer.
I feel a camaraderie with the folks who comment on the blog that seems to be missing with the Youtube channel. I enjoy the content of both equally but the readers and watchers seem dissimilar. Maybe it’s just me!
Thanks for reading!
I know Tipper in her wisdom always moderates her blog. I’ve made a couple of joking comments that didn’t make the cut, and that’s ok. I’ll bet that if we had a testimony meeting, other commenters would confess to having had at least one comment tossed out…or maybe not. A sometimes-whimsical sense of humor might be mine alone. Blog on, Tipper and family!
Tipper, your blog has been woven into my life, and has become part of it. This was more so after I retired. I always knew my mountains were very special, and the people who lived their lives in this rugged terrain even more special. Appalachia just grabs your heart and keeps it, and it becomes almost a spiritual journey. For whatever reason many I knew just did not share this deep love for our culture, and some even made efforts to avoid and minimize their heritage. My extended family mostly had to leave for jobs all over the country, but fortunately their homesickness made their roots what they became most proud of.
I love the way you are able to capture the essence of what this wonderful life is all about. You honestly write in such a way sometimes that I become homesick, and I am right here in the mountains and valleys of West Virginia. I suppose that means I am homesick for the past here, as it definitely has changed. My sis and I have great conversations about things our younger generation can never understand. We still ferment (locally was called pickle) corn and beans, grow vegetables, and just generally cling to the habits and traditions we grew up with. I can no longer hike the mountains due to foot problems and I will admit fear of running across one of the animals DNR says is not in these mountains. No problem, I can just turn on YouTube and enjoy the hikes you take with your family. I love love love how Chatter has made a career with the use of rocks from her beloved creek. Chitter’s bottle collection shows how she is enjoying life with the simplest things. I love it all, and from the bottom of my ♥️ I wish your family well in all they do. You taught them well!
Oops think I reversed Chitter and Chatter. I cannot blame auto correct.
Tipper, you do a great job filtering your comments from SPAM. I enjoy reading the blog and do read a lot of the comments too. It’s like sitting down listening to friends have good conversations.
I forgot to add that the name SPAM has a mystique of its own. Seems nobody really knows where the name came from. I think (without checking) that the canned meat originated during WWII to feed the troops. Of course it got an enormous exposure as a result. The GIs had their own various interpretations of what S.P.A.M meant or could mean. Most seem to favor it as a derivative of the words “canned ham”. If correct, that is an even better match to digital “spam”.
My brain cells expanded this morning with learning where SPAM came from. I loved to watch Monty Python but didn’t realize they are responsible. THANK YOU so much as I’m sure it will be a great conversation piece. I love to read your comments also. Very informative!
I feel confident your folks here are happy that you are happy with us. And I dare say we are happy with each other. Reading your blog is like talking with neighbors on the porch. Most of the time I leave your message in my inbox until bedtime or overnight and revisit until I have read what I figure is all the day’s comments. I have never yet felt like reading yours and ours any sort of chore, unlike much of other email I get. And, like I seem to recall you posting once, I like the occassional interactions among us (though I know it runs the risk of changing BP&A into something else).
As a general rule I am not a fan of wearing somebody’s brand name, logo or sayings; too independent I guess. But BP&A is certainly an exception. It would be very interesting to have some low-key identifier to wear out and about, especially in western NC and northern GA but really anywhere to see who one met. I expect it would be kindred spirits.
But what will you do when your daily comments are in the hundreds, or more? That will be another challenge.
I too often wondered if you read all the comments. It’s nice to know that you take the time to do that. I’ve tried some of your recipes and do enjoy the garden segments on your U-Tube site.
I can’t thank you enough for your time and committment for continuing with your blog and to post daily. It is definitely an antedote to all the awful “news” of this world. Every one of the blogs I used to follow years ago no longer exist because the writers have all gone to all the social media forms which require me to subscribe. Nope. You and Sean of the South(https://seandietrich.com/) are it. God bless you and your family. P.S. I envy your garden and youth! Brings back such sweet memories.
From another Cheryl who lives in Ellijay because of loving these mountains.
I’m glad for the moderation. It makes your blog a much nicer place to visit and the comments easier to traverse. I always read but I do not always comment. That’s just the way God made me.
Tipper, I know I’m one of the more “colorful” bloggers here but apparently you “get” my weirdness. Lol. I think BP&A is the best site on YT for sure!!! There’s no other like you or your wonderful family!!! Often times I think about something I saw you mentioned. You’ve made my life richer and a lot more fun not to mention I eagerly look forward to reading your blog most mornings when I feel good or am not helping feral cats. Your blog rocks and it’s better than a rooster with his socks on!!! I feel so good about it, I’d like to dance at your next family wedding!!! Lol
Had no idea how using the term spam got started lol. I enjoy reading your blog then comng back later in the day and reading the comments.
Of course the first thing in the morning, after getting a cup of coffee and checking the weather, are emails. Lo and behold, the ‘Blind Pig and Acorn’ are right there. It is a soothing and comical and informative and a wonderful read. This one today is still leaving a smile on my face that I am sure some of the world news will wipe off. Sometime I file the post in my file folder, aptly named, and sometime I leave it in the unread column to reread later in the day. This is one that I will keep in my unread. Watching your garden wither away and knowing mine is as well, I can only pray that we will begin, after the fall crops, another spring in the coming year. Take care of Granny and Matt and those Girls…you are a treasure, that is for sure. God Bless
Oops think I reversed Chitter and Chatter. I cannot blame auto correct.
Amen!
All of that just shows your commitment to creating and maintaining a wholesome, informative and interesting website. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Appalachia with all of us.
I’ve wondered this very thing, myself, since finding/enjoying your blog. I thought maybe you had a moderator or something. How do you decide what gets approved & what you won’t approve? Sometimes I am disappointed in youtube channels, because they will ‘remove’ all dissenting views in their comments. This would lead some to think that EVERYONE agrees with them, or thinks they are wonderful. Obviously, real life does not operate that way & often you can learn something from an opposing view point. Sometimes all you learn is why you feel the way YOU do & it helps you formulate/strengthen your opinions in your own mind. I often learn more from the comment section than from what ever video/blog I watch/read. But I have to say, your blog/commenters are especially nice & I LOVE reading it/them, too. As for the spammers, it always seems like a bad translation. I worked in a Japanese high school (in America) for a while & the syntax reminds me of the way the kids would try to translate their language into English. I was an English teacher, and it could get funny. We had a difficult time teaching them the difference between Bored & Boring, Excited & Exciting…..Any combo like that. They would try to say they were Bored, but would end up telling us they were Boring! It was hard explaining the humor of it to them. We did many, many lessons trying to straighten that one out. We told them not to go around telling people that they were Boring! Have a great day, everyone!
Patty-of course I’d never publish any of the spammy ones that sneak through. But as for other comments I post pretty much all of them except ones that are overly political or controversial. There are so many online places where folks can debate those sorts of things that I don’t feel bad about not publishing them. Another thing I learned early on was to carefully guard my endeavor of celebrating all things Appalachian or run the risk of having it become something else entirely 🙂
Good call. I like those parameters, seem logical. Everyone seems so nice & pleasant on here (altho, I am sure its because you set the tone, with your own personality) I couldn’t imagine you get too many nasty comments. But people do like to argue sometimes. I think your focus is good, too. Sometimes people can get you pulled in too many different directions. My husbands calls it “herding cats”. LOL.
Just learned a lot! Love your blog. It’s the first thing I read every morning. Also my husband and I love your videos. Thanks for all your hard work!