stopping the spammers

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I'm glad you clarified it was a PM vs email. If it was spam through email this would be a much different issue to deal with.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
You may have to disable new accounts or take other measures, since they don't stop. :(
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
Thanks for taking care of the spammer accounts. Their posts aren't getting moderated in the way I'd expect and I have an idea why that is which means I need to make a few code changes.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Yeah, now it's here too. Maybe it is time to disable new accounts if that is possible.
That's not really necessary. The forum just needs to be set so that no posts from a new, just-registered user will be visible until a moderator blesses them until they pass something like 5 approved posts (and have it actually work).
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
That's not really necessary. The forum just needs to be set so that no posts from a new, just-registered user will be visible until a moderator blesses them until they pass something like 5 approved posts (and have it actually work).

I don't know how the software works, but maybe we need an Exorcist. :D
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
That's not really necessary. The forum just needs to be set so that no posts from a new, just-registered user will be visible until a moderator blesses them until they pass something like 5 approved posts (and have it actually work).

It already is set to do this but more specifically with new accounts that make a post containing a URL. Those get automatically moderated until they have a certain amount of non-moderated posts making their account a normal account. There is an issue with how the code processes the URL in their post and only looks for HTTP vs using HTTPS URLs. This is what I need to fix and I'll try to get it done today.
 
Last edited:

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I've gone in and fixed the code which previously only looked for URLs that started with "http" inside of a given post. Now the code checks for all iterations and variations of url formats within a post. Posts containing urls from new user registrations will all be automatically moderated so that you will not see them.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
That was the point of the recent change. I can't completely stop random nonsense posts when they have no links in them.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
For whatever it's worth there was more than a dozen recently in the mobile section that were auto-moderated so you didn't see them.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
That's true, you would see them as a moderator but normal members don't see them.
 

Newtun

Storage is nice, especially if it doesn't rotate
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
465
Location
Virginia
That was the point of the recent change. I can't completely stop random nonsense posts when they have no links in them.
I wonder if they're trying a few random posts without links first, and then if they're not "weeded out", they start posting with links.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I wonder if they're trying a few random posts without links first, and then if they're not "weeded out", they start posting with links.

Yup that's definitely a strategy that happens but they have to have a bunch of successful posts before they are allowed to post URLs. It's annoying but these bots/scripts are the remaining 1% that doesn't get caught by all the other mechanisms in place to catch them.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Yup that's definitely a strategy that happens but they have to have a bunch of successful posts before they are allowed to post URLs. It's annoying but these bots/scripts are the remaining 1% that doesn't get caught by all the other mechanisms in place to catch them.

It is working well. The miscreants keep posting, but no links are present. :)
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
A bunch of spammers signed up recently. Now they use spaces and other characters to avoid the links.
Is there a surplus of iPhones in Malaysia?
 

Newtun

Storage is nice, especially if it doesn't rotate
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
465
Location
Virginia
Well, you're doing a tremendous job. I think I saw one yesterday, avoided it, and it's gone today.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
Thanks! If you see them, please click the report button (triangle icon under the name/avatar) and I'll get notified to take care of it sooner.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Somehow the spammers got through today and spammed all over the Computer forum with links to Chinese stuff.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
I sure hope it wasn't the oxygen concentrator. Who in their right mind would buy any Class III device from a spammer? :eek:
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I'll look into setting up more rules to stop spammers from being able to post. Things work differently in this new forum and I need some time work figure it out. The spam filter is actually stopping a lot more that you aren't seeing but some still gets through.
 
Top