Spam, Spam and more Spam

The Monty Python world of digital life.

The Monty Python world of digital life.

Picture courtesy of and with thanks to www.bbc.co.uk

Please allow me to tell you a short bittersweet story that you may well wholeheartedly disagree with. And why not?

So now for something completely different:

Whenever I finish publishing an article here (from film reviews to sports, travel, stream of consciousness or my current pet writing obsession) I post a link to this article to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I have a sparse, disinterested audience but I write for myself first and foremost and for reasons varying from mental health to escapism, fun, keeping the grey matter ticking over or to purely entertain myself.

I also post a link of my article to various Facebook Groups and one in particular has accused me of “spamming” the Group and I’m apoplectic with apathy.

I’m not repeatedly posting the same article or “spamming” in any way. As my genuine audience of fastidious moderators (fans of your writing surely? Social Affairs Editor) here will attest, I write genuine pieces, often from the heart, often wistfully full of images collected on my travels, or sports reports, rambling musings on film and a hopefully an eclectic mix of writings that some find entertaining along the river of life.

But one group on Facebook has deemed me as “spamming” and/or not participating in the way I should be in the Group.

Here’s an example:

I post an article on cricket.

People link their articles to my article and request I read their article.

Even though it has no relevance whatsoever to my original article.

And I’m the one who’s spamming as I find them linking their articles to my article rather tawdry and distasteful.

Here’s a clearer example:

I post an article on the new Indiana Jones film and someone, often many someone(s) will link to my article with their article on how to buy Bitcoin, their travels to Peru or yet another vacuous bunch of bunkum and get rich quick schemes. What fucking relevance does any of these real life examples have to my appreciation of a new film?

I thank them for noticing my article (but they will never read it) and I follow back here if someone deems me worthy enough of a follow. I’m polite, despite the swear word above, courteous, and will read an article of theirs within their overall library of writing, but only if I find something worth reading and on my terms.

Why would I read an article that’s been linked to my article (which they won’t read) as they demand/request I read their article (even though they won’t read mine) and, lest we forget, I started this digital transaction in the first place by linking my original article. Which they won’t read.

I pointed out to the un-named Facebook Group and their pesky “Moderator” that the people linking to my article are the spammers for using my article to promote their article, and an article that will have ZERO relevance to my article, and the very reason why we’re in this Monty Python, inverted, slapstick, carnival of the bizarre in the first place.

Here’s a final example:

You post a link to a new piece of prose or a poem

I link to your article with an article of mine about cricket

I say I’ve clapped, commented and loved your article (which I haven’t but they always say they have) and then demand you read my article on a wholly unrelated topic to the article you posted to originate this chain reaction of internet doom in the first place.

Who’s the scammer or spammer here?

You will no doubt wholly disagree with me or even worse, you’ll be one of those people who will link to this article without even reading it, thus proving my point.

I’d never, in a million month of Sundays link an article of mine to an article of anyone else’s UNLESS it has absolute relevance: Your trip to Peru. My trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. But I’m seen as a spammer because I refuse to engage with people who willy-nilly throw their vacuous articles full of drivel onto my articles.

I’m a dinosaur, I know that. But this upside down world sure is the wrong way up. Alas.

“Lovely Spam! Wonderful Spam!”

“Spam, Spam, Spam, etc etc etc etc etc boring etc”

Thanks for reading. A selection of three of my most recently published articles are linked below:

A morning return to Wheaton Aston
Shropshire Union Canal, Friday 23rd June 2023.medium.com

Locks, Locks and more Locks, on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
21st June 2023.medium.com

Ironbridge Regatta, 25th June 2023
A pictorial stroll beside the River Severn.medium.com