stopping the spammers

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
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Michigan
If we allow for editing, then there's the risk that the seller can change the information that was advertised and the accountability is thrown off. Has that ever been an issue in other forums?
Do you really think that's a problem with the relatively close knit group of people we have here, and the few things that are even listed FS here?
 

timwhit

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
5,278
Location
Chicago, IL
Do you really think that's a problem with the relatively close knit group of people we have here, and the few things that are even listed FS here?

I can't imagine it would be a problem. If it becomes a problem then the rule can be changed.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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Feb 1, 2003
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16,624
Location
USA
In other forums the previous versions of edited messages are typically available through a link so that the interested viewer san see what changes were made. It is a fair compromise.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
It seems like there are a bunch of new ones signing up lately.
 

Handruin

Administrator
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Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
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USA
Yep, I don't know what happened, but I suspect someone started up a new spam server or something. 95% of the accounts that have joined get deleted. The Poland (.pl) TLD is about to get a complete block with regards to email address signups.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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You must be doing something or they are not posting. Anyway there is no nasty spam yet. :)
 

Handruin

Administrator
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Most of them sign up and put URLs linking to their crap websites in their profile and never do anything else. The other ones post threads that get put automatically into a moderated state that requires manual approval when they have URLs in their post. Most spammers do this, and they won't get through until after they have a certain number of posts that have been approved before letting posts with URLs in them. The crap still happens, you just see less of it now.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I'm looking through the log file which records the attempts of account registration and I can't believe how many attempts to create accounts are rejected.

Between:
2011-02-13 16:21:55 & 2011-02-14 11:26:44 there are 200 attempts to register accounts from spammers. The plug-in I'm using rejects them based on look-ups from multiple sources. Of the 200, 3-4 accounts got registered and one made a post that was automatically moderated due to the content. The other accounts register and put spam links in their profile.

They are persistent fucks.

Also, since I've implemented this, there are 17,197 total log entries (each log entry is an attempt to register an account). I started using this on 2010-11-07 09:08:16...
 

Handruin

Administrator
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I wasn't posting in hopes for thanks (but thank you for saying them), I'm just overwhelmed sometimes with dealing with those dickheads. We're a small forum...how do other larger forums handle this crap?
 

time

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
4,932
Location
Brisbane, Oz
Jeebus, that's enough to make anyone paranoid.

Doug, thanks for your efforts. Just remember, we're all firmly 20 feet behind you. ;)
 

sechs

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
4,709
Location
Left Coast
I'm just overwhelmed sometimes with dealing with those dickheads.
The problem is, we're not dealing with dickheads. We're dealing with their computers. And, in reality, it seems, our computers are dealing with them, not us.

It's an arms race for a proxy war.
 

Handruin

Administrator
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Messages
13,737
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USA
Oh I get it now. Dunny is a slang word for toilet in Australia. They've yet to do anything spam-related so you had me confused with your comment in this thread which is related to spammers.
 

Handruin

Administrator
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Messages
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USA
It is a fairly safe bet even without being a Precog. :) 99% of the new registrations end up being douche-bag spammers.
 

P5-133XL

Xmas '97
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
3,173
Location
Salem, Or
If you are not a moderator, you didn't see it for the automated anti-spam is blocking it. But it is a lot and all from one person. I had already PM'ed Handruin asking to have him banned.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
If you are not a moderator, you didn't see it for the automated anti-spam is blocking it. But it is a lot and all from one person. I had already PM'ed Handruin asking to have him banned.

Oh, now I see some new users with goofy letters for names. :(
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
Now the spammers are attacking the PMs. It's some east Asian script I don't understand. :(
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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Feb 1, 2003
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USA
Thanks. What makes no sense is the foreign language. Do they think people on a US website will understand it?
 

snowhiker

Storage Freak Apprentice
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
1,668
I received the SPAM email as well. Twice. I didn't click the link that had a .VN domain. Vietnamese?
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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Messages
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Location
USA
Mine was the PM, not email. Can the Viennese send email also?
 

Handruin

Administrator
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Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
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USA
I've added a lot more restrictions to the private messaging for members who have recently signed up and also members who are in a group designed to allow for limited behavior until they've vetted themselves as a real person. I hope this helps mitigate this problem.
 
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