Aaron Nelson (Blog – @SQLVariant) had an excellent idea about a year ago. Anytime someone needed help with a SQL Server question, they could include the phrase #SQLHelp in the tweet. Community members set up a search for that term in their Twitter tool, and whenever the questions came in, we would answer. Here’s instructions on how to use #SQLHelp.
It’s been a raving success! It’s one of my favorite things about the SQL Server community.
And then somebody started peeing in the pool.
The Twitter account @SQLPASSPR isn’t really what it seems. It’s a fake account that’s trying to shine the light on what the anonymous person thinks is bad goings-on at PASS. Ironically, even though they’re trying to expose something, they’re trying to do it anonymously. They don’t have the guts to come forward under their own name.
Even worse, they’re spamming the #SQLHelp hash tag, so now they’re interfering with community members trying to help each other. I had absolutely no problem with them until they started messing with our #SQLHelp tag.
I need your help to make them stop. If you’re on Twitter, go to @SQLPASSPR’s Twitter page, click the gear icon, and click Report SQLPASSPR for spam:
If enough of us do this, they’ll get suspended. I wish I didn’t have to do this, because I really don’t want to shut them down completely – if they want to talk politics, that’s completely okay – but I can’t have it polluting the #SQLHelp tag.
If you know who’s doing this, talk some sense into them. When word gets out who it is, they’re sinking their own career by polluting #SQLHelp. If they want to burn bridges with PASS, that’s one thing, but actively trashing a community institution is something else together.
If you’re the one doing this, you’re doing it wrong. You let your anger about PASS blur your common sense and good judgment. Write up a blog post or a web site with your message, make it easy for community members to send the link to each other, and let social media work for you – instead of against you.
14 Comments. Leave new
You don’t need to click the gear icon. Look down and to the right. Fewer steps == easier to report == more reports 🙂
do you have moderation turned on
Sorta kinda – I have caching, so sometimes you won’t see the page with your comments added, plus I use Askimet to stop spam. You always seem to get through, though, and no, for the last time, I don’t want any Viagra.
Ah, the reason I wrote the second comment is that I didn’t get any kind of feedback from the UI, e.g. “Your comment has been posted successfully. Due to caching, it may not appear right away.” That would have let me know that it worked and didn’t just postback and end up in the bit bucket. Something to consider.
I did my part!
I would think PASS could do something about the account since it would fall under their prevy to by the Twitter rules: Trademark: We reserve the right to reclaim user names on behalf of businesses or individuals that hold legal claim or trademark on those user names. Accounts using business names and/or logos to mislead others will be permanently suspended.
Then for those wondering the fact that he is posting topics to the #sqlhelp hastag is spam by Twitter’s definition:
http://support.twitter.com/articles/18311-the-twitter-rules
Spam = If you post multiple unrelated updates to a topic using #;
Wait – this is weird, Brent. What am do I have wrong in the timeline below?
1) Someone signs up as @SQLPASSPR on twitter today (Aug 24)
2) They act like jerks and, as of this writing, have posted 38 tweets thus far
3) Of these 38 tweets, no less than 7 but no more than 10 have used #sqlhelp in the post.
4) You post this to untold billions who read your blog
I think that’s the gist of it.
I don’t know – just seems odd to me. Your giving them this press has to be gratifying for them, doesn’t it? No one outside of twitter was paying any mind to it until you wrote about it, right? And it’s only been something like 90 minutes since they signed up.
Just seems to me that this sort of nastiness gets old and they’ll stop b/c no one pays them any attention. Now, I and however many more read your blog but not your twitter posts will read all of their twitter posts just to make sure we aren’t being your personal army for the wrong reasons (i.e. “Trust but verify”).
Scott – sorry about the delay in your post getting approved, but your site got flagged as spam by WordPress. Yes, me giving them press probably gratified them in a way, but they were already getting exposure through #sqlhelp, and I wanted that to stop.
Seems like they have become quiet. No Tweets in the past 2 hrs. Hope they have seen the light and not post using #sqlhelp anymore
Great idea.
Hope the twitter police will lock’em up for good 🙂
I’m not sure getting them kicked off twitter for spam is all that helpful, or the right solution. i understand it might be annoying to see those tweets in your search, but the reason they’re including that tag is presumably to be more visible to the community.
the best thing to do would be to get PASS themselves to respond (or get PASS to take it up with twitter and complain about trademarks etc). Or just ignore them if you don’t care.
Also… “I had absolutely no problem with them until they started messing with our #SQLHelp tag.”
and then “that’s completely okay – but I can’t have it polluting the #SQLHelp tag.”
Again, i appreciate the sentiment but it does sound a bit, well, you know.
And out of context but equally valid: “Twitter is a loud, angry noise of people hollering all kinds of stuff. It’s a casual free-for-all […] I love how open and honest it is. ”
🙂
Andy – I’m not sure what you mean. What about me calling it “our #SQLHelp tag” isn’t clear? We’re the SQL community members with questions and answers. The operator of @SQLPASSPR doesn’t have SQL Server questions or answers. Twitter has clear, defined policies about the use of hash tags and spam.
the “our #SQLHelp tag” is clear, it’s just the juxtaposition in the the next paragraph where “I can’t have it polluting the #SQLHelp tag.” which does make it read a lot like you’re assuming ownership in some way.
i’m sure you’re not, it just stood out to me as all a bit self righteous is all 🙂
I don’t understand Andy’s argument either. Brent is a member of the community, it’s OUR #sqlhelp tag.
Brent’s just blogging about it because his voice is heard more than others in the community. I don’t think he’s taking ownership of the SQL Community any more than any one of us considers it our community.
Done.
HTH.