A fresh wave of spam comments is being received by my WordPress install, since I started blogging a bit more again. A recurring message is “I noticed you currently don’t monetize your page”, and then inviting me into scammy SEO services. It strikes me that I actually do monetize ‘my page’, as it builds history and reputation, lands me speaking gigs, and in various instances helps convince consultancy clients to commit. I just don’t do ads. Those spam comments showcase exactly what is wrong with the web, it feels to me, by assuming just that one business model. The content is the purpose not a means, the ‘page’ is a means not a purpose.

The Spam versus Ham perspectives on a blog’s purpose. (Spam by Mike Mozart, license CC BY, Ham by Steven Lilley, license CC BY SA.