Item — HN Reader

I run http://blogspam.net/ which is a service which filters blog-comments in real-time for a "spam vs. ok?" result.

The submission of comments is relentless, and automated. I can see the very same comment submitted to 100+ blogs from 50+ IP addresses, in almost real-time.

I've no idea what software is being used, to spider blogs, identify submission-forms, and mass-submit, but I see evidence of it daily.

This comment-spam stuff is supposed to be bad, supposed to be marked down by Google, and others, but given the sheer amount of comment-spam out there I can only imagine it works pretty well.

The tool you are thinking of is called XRumer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XRumer) and it is the bane of the internet and the industry. Steer clear of it is my only recommendation.

Given my preference for blocking/detecting its submissions I'm not likely to have any use for it - but regardless thanks for the pointer.