What is hashtag spam? Hashtag spam is when spammers exploit trending topics and Twitter to promote their wares. It’s usually pretty easy to spot, especially the ones posted automatically by bots.

But there are two types:

1. Traditional – P*rn sites and get-rich quick type spam accounts (Type I Hashtagosis).
2. Desperate Bloggers – These are the folks who take advantage of Twitter chats to promote themselves, their content or the agenda (Type I Hashtagosis).

Type I Hashtagosis will always be around, just like any other kind of spam. In the biological world, think viruses. The struggle against this type of spam is an ongoing arms races. It will never finish, but vigilance does pay off.

Type II, however, is more nefarious because it represents the abuse of conversations and streams intended for conversation by people who should know better. We all know that Twitter is a great way to promote whatever you’re interested in: in fact, it’s important to share your work. But there’s a difference between sharing and pushing. Sharing contributes value as long as there is an earnest exchange of idea. Conversation is an important part of Twitter and so abusing conversational tools like hashtags represents a breach of a social contract among tweeters.

Placing several hashtags on self-promoted work is an example of bad practice. I’ve seen five or six hashtags on some tweets. There may be valid reasons (e.g. calling attention to interesting chats or trends). But more than three? Is it really that necessary? If you can’t participate in more than one conversation on an ongoing basis, then dumping self-promoting tweets is just idiotic. Besides, we all tune out that ugly noise – what’s the return anyway? Some visitors who will leave disappointed? $0.75 in AdSense revenue? Dumb. Bloggers: don’t confuse Google with Twitter.

Nobody likes conflict, but I think it’s time that those of who us who care for healthy online social relations take on the Type II Hashtagosis. Politely request obvious abusers to tone down their self-promotion, especially if they aren’t taking part of conversations and promoting others more than themselves.

Hashtag spam is social media pollution and it’s discourteous. It’s your right to call it out.

(PS – How will this post make its way into the Twitterverse you ask? It will be worked into relevant conversation. It will be picked up by Google over time and tweeted out by those who care.)