@markoetjens About the only thing you can do is include a sentence or two by your comment form saying what is allowed and what is not allowed.  Most comment forms will allow users to add a link by default – unfortunately, spammers will spam, regardless of what rules you set.  If you’re using WordPress, you can try a plugin called GASP ( http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/growmap-anti-spambot-plugin/ ) that makes people have to check a box to prove they are human and not bots.  This might slow some of your spam down.

@kristi-hines I tried Growmap, and my readers got a javascript error message saying they couldn’t leave a comment. I had to shut it back off. I even looked at some different fixes, but none of them worked.

No, I didn’t. I keep thinking I should pursue it more, but haven’t had time.

@markoetjens I’m very careful about links in comments. If they add value to the conversation, they stay in. I also have comment luv set up so I can help commenters promote their own work.

You might consider creating a comment policy. I use one, and I explain my rules. It’s my blog and it’s my job to make sure I’ve created and maintained a safe conversation zone for my visitors. By having my policy available for everyone to see, I feel I’m being as transparent as possible about how I moderate comments.

@markoetjens Glad I could help. 

If you check my blog, you’ll see that I added a statement “By submitting a comment, you agree to abide by our comment policy. Comments from first time participants are moderated.” between the comment box and the submit button.