Monday, March 4, 2013

Spammer Alert


"Hello Dear, I would like to get acquainted with You...." Can you say creepy? That is the spam message many of students found on their slice posts this morning after we had our discussion. Thank goodness for Stacey's message in the classroom round up post for today. I love the quotes she uses as frames:
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. –Confucius
If your plan isn’t working, adjust your plan. Never give up. -Matt Martin
I shared the quotes with students before we sat down in our discussion circle for a Slice of Life check-in. Students came in excited to talk about their slices and the comments they are getting and giving each other. Some, though,  are still having difficulties: confusion or their schedules got in the way of writing over the weekend. They were the opposite of excited-glad.  I spent much of the discussion time reassuring students who are stressed out because theirs posts are late or their slice links are in the wrong place or not linked. It's going to be a process of working it out. I've explained that to students, but they don't believe me yet. They're afraid I won't believe their troubles or will hijack them (or their grades).

I believe them. I'm writing with them, so is my son. He didn't post his slice yesterday either. He went to a baseball game with his Dad and grandfather. Between church, the game and dinner with the grandparents, he wasn't in a place where he could sit, write or post. He drafted something, but didn't finish it. I know why. It is okay if he doesn't post every single day. Some days he will meet the challenge of writing or blogging daily and some days he won't. He's eleven. My youngest students, some of them, are thirteen. Students are learning. Making mistakes and failing are part of learning.

They don't control their families' schedules. While they can work ahead and schedule posts, there will be times when things don't go as planned. We'll adjust. We'll try again. We'll keep going.

That was the thinking that took me to our Ning space after our discussion, during work time, when a student said, "Miss! Do you know this person?" He was pointing at the screen and to a comment left by an outsider on his slice. I took one look and knew we'd been spammed. Man!

That's the risk I took when I stopped moderating members and opened the site for viewing. I knew if spammers discovered us what to do: I had a plan. So I went to it: I changed the privacy settings. I went back to "lock down" mode where visitors to our Bear English site can only see the front page of the Ning and not go deeper into members' content  or blogs. I hope that stops the problem. The spammer has tried to join twice more in the minutes after I re-instituted moderation. If you are wanting to connect with my students, we've probably already emailed, messaged or spoken. For now, for today, we'll slice privately until I come up with a fix.

17 comments:

  1. I love when people don't give up to the "bad" influences. We need to dominate the Internet world, not hand it over, not roll over and say it just can't be done. It's a great lesson for your students too! We don't tolerate, we don't give it up, we don't join them! Congratulations for staying the course!

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Donna. We are certainly not giving up!

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  2. I love the encouragement you give your students--and the freedom to learn from their mistakes. Since this is my first time slicing, I didn't share it with students, but it is definitely something I would like to try with them in the future. I'm watching the classroom challenge with great interest.

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    1. Thank you for watching--I am sure you will find plenty of mistakes to iron out the next time around! We're learning and sometimes that is fraught with failure (a good thing).

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  3. Yikes, that is so creepy...but you acted quickly. It is also just an encouraging lesson and how we can't let the little, even creepy things stand in the way of this awesome road you are traveling with your classes. xo

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    1. I know! And can you believe the spam-bot immediately applied for membership just second after I deleted it. It is odd. I wish I knew more about computer programing.

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  4. Good thing that you had a plan! And how wonderful that you understand that they may not be able to post every day - but you'll believe that they will try.

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  5. So glad you have a plan and know what to do! And here is to hoping that it will not happen again!
    I have enjoyed reading some of your students' slices!

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    1. Thank you, Jaana, They have loved seeing that others have spent some time reading their writing. I've enjoyed seeing what your students have done too--we will up the commenting this week!

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  6. I like the message of working through problems and not giving up! You can let your kids know that many of mine haven't been able to post every day either, and that's ok! Whatever they can do is helping them grow as writers, and that's the important part!

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    1. I will definitely let them know that. I am out of the room for lesson study tomorrow, but Wednesday we'll have a mini-lesson and then a comment session. I've enjoyed reading your students' pieces. They are full of heart!

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  7. I like the fact that you handled this as a teachable moment rather than a reason to panic or quit. Our kids need to have confidence in their abilities to handle people who violate their boundaries. At the grocery store tonight, I watched a grown man question our young cashier in ways that were equally inappropriate. She looked him in the eye, told him to stop, and calmly turned her attention to the next people in line. I thought to congratulate her on her mad social skills rather than freak out over what a creep the guy was. Your post makes me feel okay about that.

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    1. What strength that cashier demonstrated! Teaching boundaries both in terms of content--what's appropriate or inappropriate to post--and community seems to be a theme this first week. Thank you for sharing the cashier moment.

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  8. Just tell your kids that spam on your blog is how you know you've been noticed! All the cool bloggers get spammed :-)

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  9. Lee Ann,
    Sorry about the spammers. That's just frustrating. I love that your students - and your son - are also participating in this challenge. I'll be interested to hear their reflections at the end of the event. How has writing for 31 days changed them as writers?
    As for the spammers, BOO HISS!

    Cathy

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