# Why can't I see this post? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 13, 2011, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207 "2011-04-13T08:34:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/1 "2011-04-13T08:34:09Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604324) in GQ I suggested that it would be better off in Cafe Society. There are no further posts in that thread, but I’ve just received an email saying that **Athena12** has posted: > [@](#): > > Athena12 has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - What’s That Song?! - in the General Questions forum of Straight Dope Message Board. > > This thread is located at: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604324&goto=newpost](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604324&goto=newpost) > > Here is the message that has just been posted: > > * * * > > I don’t have any knowledge about this. If you want to search about this then just ask any community senior member, I am sure they know about this, So keep sharing and Have A Great Day…! > > * * * Why can’t I see this post? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/2 "2011-04-13T09:40:24Z")
A search for posts by member **Athena12** returns no matches so my guess is we’re looking at something in the footwear department. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/3 "2011-04-13T09:47:14Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > A search for posts by member **Athena12** returns no matches so my guess is we’re looking at something in the footwear department. Or canned meat. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/4 "2011-04-13T10:25:15Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Or canned meat. Yup. **Rico** banned this one and deleted the post. Reason given: “Out, damned spammer!” ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/5 "2011-04-13T16:43:26Z")
What a strange way to spam. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/6 "2011-04-13T17:22:14Z")
The actual post probably had 1 or more random words as links to something. I spotted and reported one like that, once. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/7 "2011-04-13T17:35:49Z")
Forum spam is one of the biggest growth industries on the net, expanding from negligible proportions a few years ago to juggernaut size today. There are several variants: the obvious ones who name their products in the post, the less obvious who don’t mention a product but generate some innocuous text (becoming more and targeted to the specific forum) or don’t post at all but register and hide themselves in the profile. The last two sorts are concerned with search engine rankings, I think, the more sites they’re somehow linked to the higher they get. ‘Invisible’ links in posts are popular too, you can’t see them unless you highlight them. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/8 "2011-04-13T17:46:09Z")
I’ve seen this many times before. A spammer will register and his first post is something very innocuous, such as: > [@](#): > > Hi! I agree with you are sying good things. This is nice board and I like to be part of it. Note the generic, nothing specific, the spelling errors, and the stilted grammar. All point to a spammer. They are testing the board, making sure they have the right to post, trying not to draw attention to themselves. Seeing if the moderators are paying attention. Then they spam. Another new thing I’ve seen is a link to their store in white text, so it does not show up. But it will help them in Google positioning, as we now are providing a link back to their site. Here’s an example. Roll your mouse over the white space in this sentence and see how it’s a link. [COLOR=“White”][http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)[/COLOR] Or better still, highlight it with your mouse. It’s WAR, I tell ya! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/9 "2011-04-13T17:56:49Z")
One of the giveaways, besides the weird, nonsensical usernames, is the way the profile is filled out. Like this: About Spammername Biography Man Location Spamistan Interests Man Occupation Spamistan And on the contact page is not only a full email but a ICQ contact. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/10 "2011-04-13T18:00:04Z")
Hidden messages in a white font? _Nazi Supermen are our Superiors_ Who would do such a dastardly thing? _Don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine_ ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/11 "2011-04-13T18:07:05Z")
Can’t you have a tech admin disable the BBCode colour option to prevent the use of white? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-this-post/578207/12 "2011-04-13T18:27:16Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > Can’t you have a tech admin disable the BBCode colour option to prevent the use of white? 1. I hope not. It’s the only way to spoiler just a single word around here without looking stupid 2. Then again, if you only get rid of solid white, that would stop most spammers, and wouldn’t be too bad, as the background to the board is actually #f8f8f8–a really, really light gray.