Two days ago, I posted about an unusual spike in the views of one post on here.
I thought that the large number of views, currently up to 190, must have been caused by a ‘bot’. That was because there were no ‘Likes’ or additional comments on the post, so a natural assumption made by most bloggers, I suppose.
However, I have now received a comment containing the answer to this small mystery.
Skip
APRIL 25, 2020 AT 5:46 AM EDIT
Dereham memories Facebook page had posted a link to it… Thats how I just got here….
It was a Facebook link, not a bot!
I am not on Facebook, so had no idea it was linked to that group.
The good news is that it was actually people looking at the post!
I can hardly bear facebook-but I get to see pics of my grandchildren- I just go to their parents pages and so I avoid the most of it-I do post a link to my blog – and get a lot of traffic from it! You could do the same. I am loving “The Block” I was so far behind, I didn’t believe I would be able to catch up. I really do read each post, so could not comment on anybodys’. Best wishes, friend! x Michele
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Michele. I am sworn to never be on Facebook, even though I appreciate it when people share my posts on there. I appreciate you catching up with The Block, and hope it is not too ‘London’ for you. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
i have always- loved the British- and I know one dashing bloke in a small village-that has a dog-and writes like a pro!! I am specially fond of him!! haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Too kind. Dashing? I don’t think that applies to me, but I will grab that compliment with both hands! x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, bot free! Warmest regards, Theo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to know it was actually ‘people’. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So your conspiracy theory bot the farm…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Groan… 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s wonderful to find out it was people and interest and not a bot! I’m so unfamiliar with pings and Facebook links and savvy marketing. It’s a mystery! C
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was lucky that ‘Skip’ let me know, Cheryl. Great to hear it was genuine readers. 🙂
best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to have an answer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I am happy to know that they are genuine views, Kim. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What is a ‘bot?’
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some sort of computer programme that searches out blog posts and such with a view to adding Spam comments, or introducing viruses. Here is a dictionary definition.
‘ An autonomous program on a network (especially the Internet) which can interact with systems or users, especially one designed to behave like a player in some video games.
“a mailbot”. ‘
They started off as benign, then became used by Spammers and hackers. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder why that is I suddenly had a rash of followers. They will soon find I am very boring and don’t use the internet much. They seemed to be attractive young women-judging by their pictures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Spammers use those photos to make us think real people are following, Julie. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve been getting a fair assortment of these lately for vitamins, etc. How do you handle this situation, Pete? Do you delete and block them?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The ones I am talking about here are comments shown as ‘awaiting moderation’. They cannot be blocked as such but can be marked as Spam, and then deleted.
Similar comments already in the Spam folder can just be deleted by using ‘Empty Bulk’. It is not possible to block anyone, as far as I know, only to refuse to publish their comments by not approving them.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mystery solved LOl chuq
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always good when that happens! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree….we are starting to see those migratory birds stopping by for a snack on their way home…..house wrens,,,,,indigo buntings…..others….chuq
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is incredible Pete. I have occasionally had the same thing happened to me and never knew how it had happened. I assumed that it was spammers looking at the post and linking to it in some way. I still have no idea how my own spikes happened but at least now you know and it was a good reason. Have a good day Pete x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lorraine. I do love it when a blogging mystery is solved!
Best wishes, Pete. x
LikeLike
Facebook isn’t all bad then 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still hate it! But it is good to know where all the views are coming from. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very reassuring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It cheered me up to discover it was real people reading it. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great! Always good when your posts get shared around social media.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely better than a ‘bot’. 🙂
Thanks, Darlene.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great news! I had a similar situation happen at the start of the month – Bring on the Facebook groups haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Maisy. WordPress used to put numbers on the Facebook sharing box, so we knew how many shares a post had. But they stopped doing it, so I was unaware.
Best wishes, Pete. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mystery solved! I’m still finding my way around this blogging lark: how does a pingback work? Cheers, Jon.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Facebook will not generate a pingback, as it is not on the WP platform. If someone includes a link to one of your posts in one of theirs, you will usually be asked by WP to approve that link. It is generally known as a ‘Pingback’, as it allows readers of another blog to follow that link back to your post and blog.
Here is me linking a reference to your blog post ‘Books’.
See if that generates anything on your site. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Oh, good to know, and great that it’s real people and no bot!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am grateful that Skip took the time to let me know, Sue. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
😊
LikeLike