"In one way, it's a tribute to the openness of the blog system. It's kind of ingenious in this diabolical way," Popken said in an interview. "But something like this happening undermines the trust that blogs are based on."
Spammers often use automated software to set up splogs, so since February Google has stepped up its efforts to stop the trashing before it begins, Blogger's Goldman said. Blogger requires a user to enter a code word before setting up a blog and has developed a way of flagging suspected spammers and requiring a similar verification process before they can post comments, he said. Google is further trying to improve its mechanism for identifying junk blogs from legit ones, he said, and only a few bloggers have complained of problems maintaining their blogs.
Yahoo has instituted controls on its free Yahoo 360 blogging software that allow users to limit viewership and comments on their blogs, said company spokeswoman Meagan Busath. "Obviously, Yahoo has had a lot of experience combating spam," because it had to combat a similar problem with exploitation of its free e-mail accounts, Busath said.
Still, some bloggers say the efforts are not keeping up with incoming spam.
John R. Levine, co-author of "The Internet for Dummies," said spam attacks have gotten steadily worse on his blog in the past six months.
"I get more fake comments from gambling sites than all other comments put together," he said. He has had to start requiring e-mail address verification before letting people post comments on his site, http://weblog.taugh.com/ . "It makes you look like a doofus. I have this nice blog about e-mail policy, and comments about poker and naked ladies [do] not improve that conversation."
Identifying responsible parties can be difficult, because free blog software programs -- like free e-mail accounts -- do not require identity verification. The culprits tend to be fast-moving, and their handiwork so far is not as debilitating as other forms of online fraud.
"It's rarely worth the resources and time it takes to find them," said Anne P. Mitchell, president and chief executive of the Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy and a law professor at the Lincoln Law School of San Jose. But Internet companies that helped create the blog phenomenon can also help keep it clean, she said. "From an ethical, moral, good Internet neighbor perspective . . . if they have the ability to do so, they should do so."
