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Why do gold spammers spam in-game chats but not game forums?

QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,353
in The Pub at MMORPG.COM
Game forums like this one get a lot of spam messages, but they're hardly ever advertising something in games.  It's not like people who run forums have figured out how to make forums immune to spam.

Presumably gold spammers have tried spamming game forums and found that in-game spam works better.  But I'm curious why spamming game forums doesn't work for gold spammers, but does work for sites that have nothing to do with the forum theme.  My best guess is that forum spam isn't so much an effort at getting people to click on links as it is to trick search engines into thinking that the site that the links point to is important.
AlBQuirky

Comments

  • iixviiiixiixviiiix Member RarePosts: 2,256
    Because forum is den of wolfs where the hound and white knights hunting for complaint posts to delete or protect they owner , while in game is a wild place with no sound or shadow of GM around to catch them .

    AlBQuirky
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,500
    Simple really, they know a forum like this is full of people who either spend little money on or don't actually play games.

    ;)


    KumaponimmodiumAlBQuirky

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

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  • TiamatRoarTiamatRoar Member RarePosts: 1,685
    In-game is probably a larger audience compared to the forums.
    AlbatroesAlBQuirky
  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 7,910
    I remember reading that the number of players who visit a forum is a small percentage compared to the actual number of players in a game. Why would they advertise where the likelihood of players seeing it is less?
    AlBQuirky

  • AlbatroesAlbatroes Member LegendaryPosts: 7,671
    edited October 2019
    Never heard of the silent majority I take it? Youtube does support advertisements for WoW Clears for real money, so there's that.
    AlBQuirky
  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432
    I think it's because we're more edjumicated than others! It's a waste of time for them to try and fool us ;)

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,085
    I would assume because of the time delay.

    If a goldspammer logs into a game and sends players a /tell, their /tell actually reaches their potential customers and they are usually not afk.

    While a game forum, at any point in time, only has a few people on. Most of these people wont actually play the games the goldspammer is farming, and they wont see the posting immediately either. In many instances the mod will be faster, even if they arent faster than ingame mods.

    Also forums are usually not very open about their list of users, and/or restrictive with their private messages, so that doesnt work either.
    AlBQuirky
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,500
    edited October 2019
    Quizzical said:
    Game forums like this one get a lot of spam messages, but they're hardly ever advertising something in games.  It's not like people who run forums have figured out how to make forums immune to spam.


    Actually, as it turns out "most comment spam is meant to increase page rank rather than generate immediate traffic." 

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221655445_A_Quantitative_Study_of_Forum_Spamming_Using_Context-based_Analysis

    So most of those India escort or computer help posts are to push their sites higher up in search engines than hoping anyone will actually click on the link or buy something.

    So yeah, once again we can blame Google.    :D 
    kitaradAlBQuirky

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    edited October 2019
    Kyleran said:
    Quizzical said:
    Game forums like this one get a lot of spam messages, but they're hardly ever advertising something in games.  It's not like people who run forums have figured out how to make forums immune to spam.


    Actually, as it turns out "most comment spam is meant to increase page rank rather than generate immediate traffic." 

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221655445_A_Quantitative_Study_of_Forum_Spamming_Using_Context-based_Analysis

    So most of those India escort or computer help posts are to push their sites higher up in search engines than hoping anyone will actually click on the link or buy something.

    So yeah, once again we can blame Google.    :D 
    Too logical. I'd rather hold on to my fantasy that these forums are full of people who travel to obscure places and enjoy the locals.
    AlBQuirky
    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”

    ― Umberto Eco

    “Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” 
    ― CD PROJEKT RED

  • alyndalealyndale Member UncommonPosts: 936
    edited October 2019
    Simple really, they know a forum like this is full of people who either spend little money on or don't actually play games.

    ;)


    All I want is the truth
    Just gimme some truth
    John Lennon

  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    Quizzical said:

    But I'm curious why spamming game forums doesn't work for gold spammers, but does work for sites that have nothing to do with the forum theme.  
    It's probably about the immediacy of response. Spam in game, get an immediate reply.
    AlBQuirky

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    DMKano said:
    TiamatRoar said:
    In-game is probably a larger audience compared to the forums.
    kitarad said:
    I remember reading that the number of players who visit a forum is a small percentage compared to the actual number of players in a game. Why would they advertise where the likelihood of players seeing it is less?

    This.

    In game - there are you actual players who are likely buyers. Also they are already in game so those compulsive buyers are more likely to just do it when in game.

    Forums is a tiny percent of players and some may not be active in game players.

    So - yep - in game spam is way more effective 
    I believe that in-game spamming is a "targeted marketing" strategy.  In the game, anyone who sees the message will be someone who plays the game.  In a forum, an ad is less likely to be seen by players of a specific game.



    AlBQuirky

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • LosingplayerLosingplayer Newbie CommonPosts: 11
    Thinking bout this cause it happen in a lot of games.
  • AAAMEOWAAAMEOW Member RarePosts: 1,605
    You are more likely to get ban when you gold spam on the forum.

    People still do it but usually they send private message.
  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,085
    You get banned in games pretty quickly too.

    Still you have reached a lot of potential customers in a short amount of time.

    In a forum, chances are much lower.
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