Blog commenting isn't spamming, but spamming blogs with comments is. If you're watching the top blogs in your niches (and you should be, set up a google alert) then adding comments that contribute some value to the post (You know, something actually thoughtful) then that isn't spam.
As for using some keyword phrase in your name, I wouldn't recommend it unless you can weave it in naturally.
Even if you're not building dofollow links this way, you'll still get traffic when the blogs you're commenting on are highly trafficked.
That said, spamming comments does work in the short term (though this could start a debate as to if it only works in some markets, like the eternal 'buy viagra'). But expect your site or page to take a kicking pretty quickly. If you're willing to churn and burn it could be an effective short term strategy. Just keep your naughty and nice lists seperate.

Not if the comments you leave are of value to the readers of the blog. If the link you put in the comment is going to be interesting or helpful to the readers then it's not spam at all.

In my opinion search engines don't care the content of your comment or the ways you used for approving your comment of blogs. Its only needed that you comment on quality blogs and then search engines will effect it for ranking your website.

If the comments are like "blah blah blah -chinese proverb" or "I need to ask a question. How can I get ahold of you?" (with a "Contact Us" button on the page) then it's complete spam. Crap like that gets deleted from my blogs when I see it and the URLs get blacklisted.

Now if you take the time to read through the post then leave a comment with some value to let the poster know you read their post and have something to say about it then you're not spamming. People don't make blog posts so they can give everyone backlinks. If anything, I like to do blog commenting just to learn new things. A lot of times I'll get interested in a post, read through it, and get to the bottom only to find that comments are disabled. But it wasn't a waste because I probably learned some. And as they say, "knowledge it power."

If you are commenting on a blog to drop your link, then its spam.
If you are commenting on a blog to add value to the conversation and happen to link to your site, then its not spam.

99.999999999999999999999999999% of comments on my blogs are spam and get deleted.

I've always wondered why wordpress allows links. Is there some way to turn that off? I don't think it adds any values and encourages spam. I have a bunch of sites I'd be perfectly happy if people had to cut and paste any links in comments.

I have a blog. I get tons of spam every day, rarely does any of it make it live.

My blog is even "dofollow" meaning I encourage webmasters to come comment on my blog. As long as there comments provide something of value to me, I'm quite willing to give something back in return. What I give back is a dofollow link.

It is about the quality of what is said. There are many bots out there they post the same crap over and over. Lately I've seen bots leaving comments they KNOW will go into spam but they don't care because the comments are aimed at webmasters.

It wouldn't matter how good the products are, I'd never buy them if spammed to me.

Lately, I've seen one bot that pulls my article title and quotes it in the comment. i knew it was automated the first time I saw it. Since then, I've seen it several times. Someone will get smarter on how to make that look better.

If Ban Hammer doesn't stop them from posting, Askimet almost certainly will.

SPAM = all fat, no quality, not good for you.
Comments with content, blog owners love it! NOT SPAM.

Commenting isn't spamming. What you say, can count as spam, so be mindful when commenting on blogs.

cheers,
Flavio

Read this post, http://www.warriorforum.com/adsense-...wrong-way.html
I think it will help you out.

it isnt a spam, blog commenting becomes as spam if the comment doesnt make sense and dont add up to the essence of the post.

I agree with rypher, blog commenting is spam if post is useless and only purpose is to get a link. Useful posts are of course not spam!

What I'm doing is keeping track of a small number of mediumish sized blogs. These are blogs that I want to become part of a community with. As a rule community members contribute something that benefits others of the community as well as receive instruction.

So that's part of my procedure. You don't have to agree with the post in your comments, just show that you care and are participating. If you don't have anything that would be worth someones time to read, don't comment.

Make good habits with blog commenting (as with your other promotion and relationship strategies.) You are setting the stage for one day becoming a great influencer of people. Do it the right way.

On the funny side, here are a couple of really obviously scammy and stupid comments that I got on one of my blogs today:

"With more than thousands of blogs, i have found your blog to be great and awesome in respect of every thing like layout, writing style etc - Thanks!"

"Usually I do not write on posts, but I would like to say that this blog really forced me to do it! Thanks, very good post."

even

"nice work keep it up"

None of these provide value. Who the !#$(*&## is teaching people to do this stuff? lol.