False follows on my blog(s)
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I’m going to keep this as simple as I can I’ve read some other threads that got technical and folk were quite agitated.
My so called new followers are not visible on my blog as I don’t use a follow counter. I’m notified of their ‘follow’ by email only. The only info. I have is their return email, no website, no gravatar, nothing. I receive these notifications daily and most are either outlook or yahoo addresses. I don’t believe they are real. I would like to know what I can do about it, and if it even matters. At this point it is just annoying and eats up time.
Please advise.
Thank you very much,
Lesley-Anne
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi Lesley-Anne,
It does look like you have some email-only followers shown here:
http://wordpress.com/my-stats/?blog=11319586&blog_subscribers&type=email&unit=1
One potential way these subscribers may be following your blog is through the signup form that is shown to them at the bottom right-hand corner of their screen (only viewable when you aren’t logged into WordPress.com). You can disable this if you would like on your Reading Settings here:
https://buddybreathing.wordpress.com/wp-admin/options-reading.php
Just uncheck the option for “Show follow button to logged out users.”
You can read more about following a blog here:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/following/
Let me know if that’s what you’re referring to!
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Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for pointing me to the subscription list which makes things even more mysterious because the new so called subscribers do not show up here, yet I receive emails saying they are following me? All those on the list are known and real followers. So, disabling the signup form doesn’t appear to be the answer either.
Any additional thoughts on this please?
Lesley-Anne
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Not everyone has a web site, not everyone wants to share their web site or Facebook thing, not everyone has a Gravature or other fancy signature –
I admin for a friends blog, many followers (I also recognize many of the names) but again – most don’t have the Gravature image or a web site – just friends keeping track of their friends that are currently crossing the Pacific Ocean
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I do appreciate that some people want to remain anonymous, and either don’t have an online identity or desire to share it. I guess it doesn’t matter if they are real or not, but if they are real, then why don’t they show up on my blog subscriptions list, on the follow counter?
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate it.
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Hi Lesley-Anne,
Can you let me know the email address of a follower that you recently were notified of that is currently not on the subscriber list?
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Hi Jeremy,
I received 3 email follows on April 10th, 6 on April 9th, 2 on April 8th… a pattern of either yahoo or outlook email addresses;
(email visible only to moderators and staff)
(email visible only to moderators and staff)
(email visible only to moderators and staff)
(email visible only to moderators and staff)Thank you for helping me. I guess it just bugs me and that’s why I’m asking.
Lesley-Anne
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Perhaps, alternately, I could forward a couple to you, Jeremy, if you can share your email address?
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what does email redacted mean?
The forum software hides email addresses for safety & privacy reasons, the staff however can see the redacted addresses.
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I’ve been using the WordPress platform for years as a casual blogger, and when I chose to adapt a WordPress platform for my professional website, I felt comfortable and positive about it. Now that I see so many spam likes and follows, not only does it waste my time, but it gives a false sense of connectivity to the world I am trying to reach. I know there are issues, and I realize WordPress is not responsible for the abuse of their platform, but I’m also feeling rather let down.
Hence my questions and desire to clarify and correct.
Lesley-Anne
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Hi Lesley-Anne,
All of these subscribers have subscribed to another blog that it looks like you may own (laevans.ca). Does that blog sound familiar?
If so, you can see them here when logged into that account:
http://wordpress.com/my-stats/?blog=55461793&blog_subscribers&type=email&unit=1
It looks like the follow button is enabled to logged out users on that blog as well. That is likely how they are subscribing to follow your blog. You can disable this by navigating to Dashboard -> Reading and unchecking the option for “Show follow button to logged out users.”
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