Trackback spam has been an irritant for a long time, but over the last few weeks it has become intolerable. Between this blog and the one for my podcast, “For Immediate Release, I am deleteing around 100 illicit trackbacks a day. It’s time-consuming and infuriating. I have reluctantly decided to turn off trackback capabilities on both blogs. It continues to astound me that conscience-less vermin have no problem hijacking somebody else’s property, leading to the closing of an otherwise useful tool.

I have tried any number of solutions. I have employed every measure available through Expression Engine which does not include a tool to moderate trackbacks. (I have put in my request for such a feature.) There is a version of Akismet available for Expression Engine, but the authors cannot address trackbacks as long as Expression Engine provides no moderation tool. I took a stab at using Bad Behavior, but it fouled up too many other elements of the blog. (I may try this again when I have some free time.) I have scoured message boards, pled with Expression Engine staff on the support boards, and spent hours researching possible fixes. Alas, there are no alternatives available beyond turning trackbacks off or continuing to cleanse my blogs of this nonsense.

If the folks over at pMachine ever decide to address trackback spam more directly in Expression Engine (which I otherwise love), I’ll turn trackbacks back on.