In last 2 days I have deleted 3 spam threads in PMTW2 sub-forum.
Anyone has similar troubles ?
I have seen something similar in the Lords forum, now the ORG is invaded as well.:inquisitive:
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In last 2 days I have deleted 3 spam threads in PMTW2 sub-forum.
Anyone has similar troubles ?
I have seen something similar in the Lords forum, now the ORG is invaded as well.:inquisitive:
I've reported 3 in the last couple weeks or so. It seems like people registering new accounts just to plug their product.
Especially that they can now post outside the EHQuote:
Originally Posted by Vladimir
Not to worry, the mods will assassinate them soon enough. :eeeek:
Most forums have problems with these types of commercial spammers and it's getting more common. It's a while since I joined here so I can't remember the registration process, but there are "hacks" for messageboard software such as this that can help to deter spammers and bots on registration. They can often deter genuine members as well though...
lovely... 6 spam threads in 24 hours...
Perhaps some members cause this flood of spam ? Any ideas ?
They do love your forum cegorach, I don't know why.
The only reason I can think of is the number of links to this forum I placed elsewhere, but I did the same with the old MTW1 forum and there is nothing there...
Perhaps some members do affect it somehow...
I reported 2 bots in Cego's forum some time ago, seems that they only target him ... mmm maybe Adrian II did send them :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4:
I had nothing to do with any of this.
Wow, they are all over your forum... just reported another one...
The other forums I frequent have had an upsurge in spam the last 2 weeks. I wonder if there is some new spambot or something out there.
I think there must be if other forums have been invaded too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mount Suribachi
for a while we had a load in the RTW Mod Discussion sub-forum but that's died down and gone to M2TW forums instead... i suppose it should be considered lucky for me but unlucky for you... and i did notice a lot of spam threads in the pike and musket forums :wall:
What I understood from board 'support' forums: a real person signs up and then hands his account over to a bot.
It's an arms race. Spammers want to annoy or advertise, admins want a clean board.
Perhaps we need cegorach's forum to close for a week. It might kill/stop the bots, but it may also kill/stop interest in the mod too.
And you got another one!
I have other forums, though not so important. I can't close that for now...
Maybe another assistant moderator would volunteer - I can't be here 24 hours per day, especially when I am working and have other activities too...
BTW can old accounts be hijacked ? There are numerous from over a year ago which were not possible to activate - I was Hetman over 1.5 year ago maybe something did manage to steal that ?
I haven't signed up as Hetman since the 'great fall' so maybe a spamming software manage to steal old, not used now identities ?:idea2:
You can remove Hetman from the list for example, maybe it will clear the mess a little.
Maybe we should announce to delete the accounts which aren't used for a very long time ?:smash:
No bots always go to a certain fora. They always post in the same, I have them on 1 forum, and they always post in the General Discussion forum, like they do here in the PMTW2 forum, best thing to do is update forum software, and since bots tend to fill their entire profile at registering it might be good to install a mod which dis-allows you to fill a website at registering. A bot will still do that, and therefore can't register.
I agre - in last 24 hours I deleted 6 spam threads...:wall:
The anti robotic registration (the image containing text that you have to enter in a box) that is part of the registration process should take care of bots, if it's not doing it's job, then it's been circumvented and is useless. An update might cover this, or their may be a hack available that will improve or enhance it. I've seen some sites where the text is obstructed with slashes and lines to reduce it's readability, this is because some of these bots can process the image and perform OCR on it to acquire the key code.
All the bots are newish members, if you look at the id in the url they are all above 20k. I know I check out the pike and musket forum pretty regularly to instagib them and several other mods do as well.
So do you propose to again limit the Junior Members to EH again ?
I have nothing against it, honestly. If moderators will delete their threads they will never reach member status if I am correct.:inquisitive:
The EH system turns members away from the Org.
How about we stop this spam by creating a new rank. This rank can only post in the EH till they have at one post that is good and acceptable. Then they get promoted to Junior Member or straight to Member should their post be good enough in the eyes of the mods.
If you want help moderating that place I would be happy to help. Sadly I am neither a moderator or an assistant moderator and I can't mod :no:
The idea is being discussed. Since the current wave of spambots seems content to post just a single post, we could ensure all bot-generated spam is funelled into the Entrance Hall by requiring new member to post there once before being given access to the rest of the forum. However, it may confuse a lot of new members.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs
Rename them Introduction forum.
Make the subtitle, introduce yourself here before going into the forums
eh voila
Nah! Even better names:Quote:
Originally Posted by Stig
The Drawbridge or The Gatehouse
With the caption:
Welcome to the Org new members. Before you can enter and pass through the great walls and the huge Citadel of these mighty forums you must post here to introduce yourself to our community.
And while on the topic of the EH: I think Members/Senior Members should not be able to start new threads there, but they should be able to reply.
I agree, if there will be a poll I will support that.:2thumbsup:
BTW I had spam only during the night (in my zone), maybe the flood is retreating...:inquisitive:
Let's turn back the clocks and reinstate the junior/senior patron system, from back in my day.
Or maybe the Atrium? To give it a "Roman" feel. Either way, they sound good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs
Four more just now! Some have an adult nature too. I think that this spam may be advancing.Quote:
Originally Posted by cegorach
I acually repleid useless helpQuote:
Porn is not worth it, get a girl freind its cheaper (well often it is)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stig
It sounds good, but many patrons never introduce themselves. I don't think I ever did. Most of them see an interesting thread, register, and then try to post there. They probably won't have looked very closely at the forum index.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs
Anyway, what's the point of preventing (senior) members from starting new threads in the Entrance Hall?
I don't think I did, off hand, though I'm not sure. I think it may be off putting to a new member having to introduce themselves before posting anything. I would avoid that. The best method to reduce this spam is to look to the registration process and the anti robot registration function. Repeating myself but, if that's letting bots through then it's not working as it should.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludens
I quite agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manco Capac
TosaInu already mentioned an explanation for the spambot's ability to bypass these features. If this explanation is correct, then no anti-robot function will work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manco Capac
I know what you mean. Not all bots will arrive here using that method however, so it still may be worth looking into.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludens
The problem is that, if a human spammer signs up then it will be difficult for any software based protection to recognise them. The only solution for now is probably to nuke them once they're identified by just locking their accounts. Banning the originating IPs risks blanket banning legit users also. Besides it's not like these spammers stick to the same IP addresses for long.
The idea of not allowing them to complete the website part of their profile might help, as well as restricting links in their signatures.
Why do you think so? I wasn't aware that the current anti-robot feature could be bypassed by an unassisted bot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manco Capac
The anti robot key images are often covered with random lines, this is because some bots can simply process those images and retrieve the key from them in the same way that you can convert scanned documents to text using Optical Character Recognition. The org's is rather clear, and may be circumvented in this way.
Correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manco Capac
Instagib.
Correct.
Perhaps not Senior Members, but certainly members. Members clutter the place up by posting threads there that would go much better in other forums such as the Citadel or The Mod Discussion forums etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludens
Perhaps when they try to post they should be given a link to the forum where they should say "hello" telling them to post there first before joining the main community.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludens
I see. I wasn't aware that spambots had grown this sophisticated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manco Capac
I fail to see the problem. All threads that have been active this week are on page one, so it's hardly cluttered up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs
That's one option.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avlvs Libvrnivs Britannicvs Maximvs
And now we have a spam-bot than nearly killed my computer.
It's still printing out blank sheets of paper now :help:
Ahem... Take the paper out of the printer...
:hide:
:book:
Thats nothin!
Take a look at this forum I moderate:
http://www.chemicool.com/forum/
We get up to 50 bots a day, everyday. And the Admin went akf and isnt coming back.
I think I just found a solution to the Org's bot problems:
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=131568
I have a solution.
Make a image. But this image, will have 5 numbers and, when the new member is going to write it, he or she have to make the following sum:
If the number is 23423, he will have to write 34534, adding 1 number. If the bots decodificate the number, they will not can sucefully create they accounts, and voila!
The humans sign up and then hand their accounts over to bots. No solution will stop that.