You cannot block someone from following a public blog. The only way to stop someone from following you, i.e. subscribing, is to make your blog Private and then invite only users you choose. See here: http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/

However, you do have total control over who can post a comment on your site and that includes holding all comments for moderation and if need be, deletion. See here http://en.support.wordpress.com/who-can-comment/ and here http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#before-a-comment-appears.

I read that I can block followers, in fact when I look at whose following me it says 'People who have not confirmed or who have blocked following will not appear.' But I'm unsure how to find the 'block' button again - I swear I saw it once! Hmmm.

Any help you could give me would be great, though it looks like I'll have to pack up and move my blog, which actually kinda upsets me, even if it is 'just a blog'.

If they're on WordPress.com, just use the Report as Spam button on the Admin bar when you're looking at their blog to report the issue. Be sure to link to both your original content and their copy.

If they're not hosted here, you'll have to DMCA them. Send them a copy (usuallly[email redacted] will reach them) and send one to their web host as well. You can force the ISP to take the whole site down without ever even phoning a lawyer. It's brilliant.

If they're on WordPress.com, just use the Report as Spam button on the Admin bar when you're looking at their blog to report the issue. Be sure to link to both your original content and their copy.

If they're not hosted here, you'll have to DMCA them. Send them a copy (usuallly [email redacted] will reach them) and send one to their web host as well. You can force the ISP to take the whole site down without ever even phoning a lawyer. It's brilliant.

I've had some experience with your issue in the past. The truth is there is no technical ability for WordPress to block any party from following your blog. WordPress isn't Facebook and doesn't have that Facebook functionality.

For that party following and plagiarising your stuff, the only workable way is to report that party to its webspace/blogspace provider. If that party is on a self-hosted site, then the next course of action is to report it to its ISP provider.

Other than that, there really aren't many countermeasures available.

Hope this helps.

I am followed by TGI and they copy content without linking to http:// pharmaceuticalintelligence.com

BLOCK TGI from following my blog.
Blog url: http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.wordpress.com/

:-)

Yesterday, I entered some very vulgar words into the Blacklist. I'll keep monitoring the spam and see if Akismet does start to filter out Contact Forms that contain those words.

I'll be sure to follow up on this forum with any information I think may be of interest to you.

When a user submits your contact form, the feedback will be filtered through Akismet to make sure it’s not spam. Any legitimate feedback will then be emailed to you, and added to your feedback management area.

http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact-form/

I'm just sending them to spam in my email and finding that since they generally come from the same few addresses, it's gradually learning to pre-filter them out.

If I were to type certain, very specific words (like the F Word) into the Comments Blacklist section, will that help Akismet filter out the porn spam that's currently getting thru?

Thanks in advance for your help.

If you wish to you can make your blog private. http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/

@quigonjedi
You can't.

Note that you have complete control comment moderation. http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-moderation If your blog is public others can, of course, read it. They can submit comments but you can Moderate all comments and choose which ones to approve or not.

For trolls, you can “blacklist” them at Settings > Discussion toward the bottom of that page. Enter their email address, their username, and if they included it, their website. That will automatically send them to moderation so that their comments do not appear on the blog. Do note though that if they are determined, they can use a different email address or username to get around that. Also, do not put their IP address in the blacklist. IP addresses are no longer unique, and you might end up blocking legitimate visitors. Also, all they would have to do is go to a wi-fi hot spot, or connect via a different ISP and they could get around that.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/
http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-blacklist

One other thing I would suggest is to set your blog so that first time commenters are held in moderation till approved, then from that point forward they will not need approval. Settings > Discussion. The next step on that of course is to set it so that all comments are held in moderation until approved. That way you are in control, and they might just get tired and go elsewhere after a while.

We try hard to only run them in limited places. If you would like to completely eliminate ads from appearing on your blog, we offer the No-Ads Upgrade: http://en.support.wordpress.com/no-ads/

If you're referring to the video ad with the "Live and Exotic" title card, it's actually a commercial for the new Mini Roadster.

My problem with this is that my website is schools-orientated and educational.

Is there any possible way I can block such adverts, without opting in to the $30 no-ads scheme?

It does seem inappropriate that you market our blogs to such advertisers.

(Thank-you, however, for such an accessible, professional service; and I do realise that the one may follow from the other).

Note that you have complete control comment moderation. http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-moderation If your blog is public others can, of course, read it. They can submit comments but you can Moderate all comments and choose which ones to approve or not.

For trolls, you can "blacklist" them at Settings > Discussion toward the bottom of that page. Enter their email address, their username, and if they included it, their website. That will automatically send them to moderation so that their comments do not appear on the blog. Do note though that if they are determined, they can use a different email address or username to get around that. Also, do not put their IP address in the blacklist. IP addresses are no longer unique, and you might end up blocking legitimate visitors. Also, all they would have to do is go to a wi-fi hot spot, or connect via a different ISP and they could get around that.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/
http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/discussion-settings/#comment-blacklist

One other thing I would suggest is to set your blog so that first time commenters are held in moderation till approved, then from that point forward they will not need approval. Settings > Discussion. The next step on that of course is to set it so that all comments are held in moderation until approved. That way you are in control, and they might just get tired and go elsewhere after a while.

And technically there is zero way to effectively block someone since IP addresses are no longer unique and all someone would have to do is to go to a wi-fi hotspot, or use a different email address and name, or subscribe to the RSS feed, or even the old fashioned way and just visit your blog and read what you are posting.

The only way to control who sees your stuff is to set your site to private and then invite ONLY those that you want to view your site to be viewers.