Feb 26, 2010

The Not So Private Lives of Garden Bloggers

garden blogger on TwitterTwitter is the best thing to happen to oversharers since the invention of the telephone. It is also a great tool for garden bloggers because you get to connect with some of your fellow garden bloggers, engage new readers, spam strangers with links to your latest blog posts and try out your comedy routine before your set at the Laugh Factory.

Unfortunately, all cool things have an element of danger. How can Twitter be dangerous? Well, for starters: take the screengrab above I just took off of Twitter moments ago. While I'm sure this garden blogger/writer isn't having any problems in that department I'm pretty sure the message is spam. Her account must have been "hacked" when she inadvertently followed a link posted by someone else whose account had been hacked.

The lesson here is to stop following links if you don't know where they lead to. Yes, even from people you know and trust. Since it seems the past few days have been a perfect breeding ground for spam on Twitter it may be a good idea to change your password.
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6 comments:

  1. I've seen a similar spam attack. I think if you see this you should inform the Twitter user via DM and recommend they change their password. I'm not sure what else you can do.
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  2. Yeah, nothing one can do besides let the person know. Usually though, the blogger finds out pretty quick, an apology is issued and hopefully he or she learns a lesson.
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  3. What's really funny is that some people fall for the same sort of scam on a regular basis. I wonder if they've sent their bank account number to any Nigerians...
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  4. Displaying technical ignorance here, MBT, but is there any chance sending a DM to the person's hacked account could compromise your own? Or is the only way to get hacked to click a link?

    Annie
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  5. Annie,

    Sorry for the late reply here. Yes, the only way to get your account taken over is to visit a link to a page designed to take over your account.
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  6. I've often wondered about this very thing. When URL's are shortened one doesn't know what one is clicking into! Could be a hornet's nest really. Thanks for posting this very valid point.
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