Death Threat by StumbleUpon Engineer
Just yesterday I published a post that bluntly criticizes the many shortcomings of StumbleUpon. A few hours ago I got the first reaction by StumbleUpon staff. No, they didn't ask me how they can help me, a self proclaimed StumbleUpon engineer send me a death threat.
Death threats on StumbleUpon have been pretty common over the years but now we know why they never tackled the issue, they send out death threats themselves.
Also this person, who uses only a pseudonym "benadamx", and who obviously never has heard of me before, calls me a "spammer" and "SEO scammer".
Here is what he wrote [sic!]:
.. dead to spammers and SEO scammers, anyway.
Viva StumbleUpon!
Now this is what I call customer service! They never replied when I complained about death threats unless I suggested to write an article about it for Mashable. Now we know why.
Hey Tad,
It’s not great feedback from their staff but playing devil’s advocate, isn’t he referring to the title of your post rather than making a threat against you?
i.e. 12 Reasons StumbleUpon Is Dead [to spammers and SEO scammers anyway]
However it does show that they have rather a low and generalised opinion of the marketing community. I can understand they get a lot of spam there but it’s a pity they can’t engage the quality marketers on their platform.
I have to admit I’ve not even visited my profile for a couple of years now.
I have a question, where would these people be without the marketing community that promoted them relentlessly? The very SU engineers who wish death to the SEO community would not have jobs without us! And the so called users who don’t care about “SEO” would have never heard about SU in the first place. Ungrateful little wannabes.
Hey Nick,
yes, some people pointed that out on Twitter as well. Well, maybe I just got so used to death threats on SU that I overlooked the ambivalence.
Still the “review” is explicit enough to show the underlying StumbleUpon policy towards the SEO industry.
Mihaela: Yeah, they hate SEO, bloggers and business users. They ban bloggers and business users for just anything, even people who don’t know what SEO is.
That’s why I’m in a way glad a StumbleUpon spokesperson has issued such a statement. Now we know for sure.
Also that’s why Twitter will be the only social site to care for.
StumbleUpon hates business users? They hate bloggers? They hate marketers? No problem. Let Twitter get all the free marketing by outspoken power users who use it for business.
May be this a death threat or just a stupid remark by an idiot working for SU, it reflects the StumbleUpon way of dealing with the most active netizens. The people who work on the Web.
here ya go: http://www.google.com/search?q=define:+ellipsis
I don’t think you should take this too seriously. Seems like a frustrated guy…
Well, I don’t really think this was a death treat. He spelled “dead” – he meant that StumbleUpon is dead to us. And I agree, but not for the reasons he thinks. The fact that the StumbleUpon employees thumb down all articles that criticize their company, instead of listening to the feedback and taking measures to address the issues is what really pisses me off.
Yeah Thomas, I’d be frustrated as well working for a dying company.
Mihaela: Yeah, they have created a broken system and then they try to find a scape goat. The SEO industry is always handy in such cases.
When will you spammer cunts get the drift, when even the SU staff wants you to go to hell, why the fuck do you still hang around?
Oh, right, your job is pushing crap onto unsuspecting surfers, no wonder you cling to SU like vermin…
I’ve never used StumbleUpon and I for sure wont be now. I love this site you guys have going. I’ve been browsing the net and posting on blogs and I actually took the time to look around, read the netiquette post and have now been reading up on this StumbleUpon drama. Heck of a way to run a business.
I think SU still has its advantages depending on what industry you are working with.
WTF, that’s a bit screwed up! Shows this benadamx is a bit narrow minded by the SEO scammmer comment.
This is not a death threat. The person from SU who responded is essentially implying that unlike in the past where SU was easy for spammers and scammers to promote their stuff, it is no longer as useful to such people because SU rules and technology have changed, thus making it more difficult or almost impossible to spam and scam as in the past. Hence it could be seen as dead to spammers and scammers, while being very lively for those who don’t use it for that purpose.
I hope that you realize that you could be held accountable for libel, as this is not a death threat. You really should delete this post.
Thungur old friend! Sad to see that your account has been finally revoked. Your filth filled reviews were very entertaining in a trashy way.
Sadly you don’t read before you comment as you didn’t notice that I actually left SU as it’s full of content theft and stopped working a long time ago.
Nick: If you’re into the stolen content, cat or “funny pics” businesss it’s still grand.
Chris: Thank you for your comment but apparently you don’t read my posts. Stumbleupon is infamous for death threats and this review is ambivalent at best even without the context. This person is referring to my as a “scammer and SEO spammer” so if someone is accountable for libel s/he or StumbleUpon is.
As the person seems to be confused about my business model “scam and SEO spam” s/he might as well be confused about English language saying “dead” instead of “death”. I’ve received more bizarre death threats on StumbleUpon already.
In case you are another spokesperson for StumbleUpon: You can’t scare me. I’m blogging since 2003 and have written for several big publications in Germany and beyond as online journalist so you surely don’t want to risk as much bad publicity my dear friend.
Did I mention that I have a few influential friends as well on the Web ;-)
What death threat?
The only words written were viva StumbleUpon. He obviously was quoting the title of your post.
Su doesn’t want spam. Spam is marketing (usually) but marketing isn’t spam. People seem to get them all confused for being the same thing.
The only threat on this page is yours.
“The only threat on this page is yours.”
Hey Teller, don’t drink and write. I’m threatening poor little StumbleUpon or something? Ridiculous.
Oh, did widdle OnReact shit his widdle panties because a SU engineer mixed “spammers and SEO scammers” and “dead” in one single phrase? Your reading comprehension skills aren’t very good, by the way.
Also, it’s hilarious how you feel so identified by “spammers and SEO scammers”. Maybe you actually realize what you’re doing is bothersome?
One last thing: don’t DARE call yourself a “marketer”. Like it’s been said a thousand times before: SU wasn’t made so you can promote your own services, at least not without a fee.
Hey “Bozz”: I know you guys over at SU have no guts to use your own names when slandering your power users. Btw. you are right, I never call myself a “marketer” as I’m an optimizer as in SEO. By now I’m more a blogger and writer anyways.
Interesting to see that you people can’t even discern a difference between marketing and SEO. Btw. read my postings next time before you flame pal, I’ve written a few times that I didn’t promote anything on SU but you illiterates simply don’t read.
Believe what you want, I’m through with SU and I leave it to trolls like yourself. Maybe I ban the site altogether to prevent ignorant idiots like you polluting my comment section.
I’m so glad I left. Such a waste of time. Twitter and Tumblr are 10 times better for social networking.