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Spam, spam, spam, spam, roleplaying and spam


phoenix

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There's been a lot of spam on these forums recently, and I just thought I'd start a thread to ask if there was anything to be done about it. I'm sure there'd have been a discussion about it before, except for the moderators (myself included) just deleting the threads straight off, and all comments with them.

I've noticed that many forums require users to type in text displayed in an image before being able to register - is that an option for EurOpNet? Registration is pretty straightforward here, and I'm pretty sure that the recent spammers are no more than robots.

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There's been a lot of spam on these forums recently, and I just thought I'd start a thread to ask if there was anything to be done about it. I'm sure there'd have been a discussion about it before, except for the moderators (myself included) just deleting the threads straight off, and all comments with them.

I've noticed that many forums require users to type in text displayed in an image before being able to register - is that an option for EurOpNet? Registration is pretty straightforward here, and I'm pretty sure that the recent spammers are no more than robots.

From what little I understand of forum working, the 'bot-prevention' measures (like making you type in a series of letters or numbers) are only partially effective at preventing bots from getting logins.

One thing I have noticed is that all of the spam shows up straight in the first forum, not in one of the sub-forums where real threads happen. Would preventing posts in the base forum stop it? Or possibly a setting to make sure that a member's first post has to be a reply, not a topic starter? I don't know if that would stump a bot or not.

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From what little I understand of forum working, the 'bot-prevention' measures (like making you type in a series of letters or numbers) are only partially effective at preventing bots from getting logins.

Well, studies show Phoenix is almost 100% effective at removing bot-posts. He's just lazy and would like the forums to take over somewhat.

Anyway, I think it would help, and I registered a second account today to check; EON does not currently have that feature. I was just wondering if it was available.

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As far as I'm aware, no, EON doesn't have the security feature where you have to type in a code to validate the account. That feature may be available in a future version of the forum software, but right now, no go.

What I have done is turned on email validation, where any new user has to read and respond to an email before their account will be turned on. I've also disallowed any new posts by Guests in the General forum, we'll see if that helps as well.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Got another spammer for you guys - a poster named "barabarN" just posted some "free game online sex" spam over on the Adventure! forums. ::glare

I deleted the offending topic, but I don't know how to block the poster ::unsure

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The procedure is as follows:

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Click on the offending topic.

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Under the offending posters side profile click on the red square at the right end of their warning level. This takes you to the add or decrease warning level page.

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Click disable members posts indefinitely. This requires a text explanation. Spam or Spambot will suffice.

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Save settings by clicking change Warning Level.

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This gives you the option of returning to the offending topic.

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Delete Offending Topic

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Voila!

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Re: another possible spambot-

Call me paranoid, but the name "xascbuypills" looks more than a little fishy. Have any posts been made by this "member"?

UPDATE: This one's a rookie with only one post - sure looks like another spambot.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Jesus there has been alot of spam lately! Anything that can be doen Jackson Creed? And were we still going to cull all the non-posted spam members from our ranks?

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IMPORTANT REMINDER!

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please PLEASE do NOT report Spam to us mods. It needlessly fills our PM boxes. Trust me...there are enough of us here daily checking new posts that if you are just a little patient, we WILL see it and delete it.

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Thank you, that is all.

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::moderated

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  • 2 weeks later...

Already blasted him to oblivion!

Okay folks, I've deleted every member who has not made a single post. This may have zorched some of our regular viewers who read but don't post, but it has tidied things up, and they can always just create a new profile.

Apologies for any inconvenience if you have lost a profile, but a single post would have saved you!

JC

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And the next spambot in the shooting gallery: one "falamovv", which text-posted a couple of completely non-EON-relevant links over in the General Aeon forum. The spammers are making a minimal effort to avoid the spam-sweepers, but it's really minimal. ::thumbdown:

UPDATE: And now we're even getting Spanish Spambots: One "erroveCet" just spammed a list of pornsites over on the General Aeon forum. ::rolleyes

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Yet another spambot (one "Forp Lopre") in the same place as last time. ::rolleyes

UPDATE: We can add "Joki Retru" to the list. I imagine the Mods are feeling like that little Dutch boy faced with a very leaky dike & far too few digits to plug them with.

UPDATE 2: Ditto one "Kolit Nulokir", who's spamming sites for storage facilities.

Re: Post #27-

Haven't seen any spam for kiddie porn yet (and am not really expecting to ever see any of that here at EON), but I'll keep Cybertip in mind.

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Hey people, if you see spam advertised as underage porn, can you please send the advertised link to www.cybertip.ca

Cybertip's site seems to be down at the moment...it's linked to a Toronto based police force that deals solely with online child pornography, they coordinate stings on a global basis.

I'll contact some people at work tomorrow and make sure the sites back up again soon...

Thanks

P.S. No need for you to click on the link (better if you don't) just copy paste to cybertip...

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Our latest batch of spambots: "infilmsmonoda", "BritneyloverII", "acenoumma" & "Hacyenlicle". ::glare

The first three appear to be spamming regular porn, but "Hacyenlicle" does seem to be spamming child related garbage as ezekiel predicted might happen.

I don't suppose we could use the General Aeon forum as a "spam trap" of some sort?

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::ohmy

Don't think I've ever seen this much spam here! I now vote for Jackson Creed's authenticated method...as long as it's clear to new users and MODs other than JC can authorize as well. It'll be a bigger deterrent to new posters if they have to wait a couple days before posting after all..

I'd rather have a spam-free eon than a spam trap... ::sad

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Don't think I've ever seen this much spam here! I now vote for Jackson Creed's authenticated method...as long as it's clear to new users and MODs other than JC can authorize as well. It'll be a bigger deterrent to new posters if they have to wait a couple days before posting after all..

I'd rather have a spam-free eon than a spam trap... ::sad

I've got to agree with you 100% on JC's method there. The stuff these spambots are pushing has become truly nauseating. ::thumbdown:

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There is a step that can be taken short of that.

After having seen lots of these span things come and go, IMHO every single one of them has posted in "General" (i.e. EON FORUMS > Aeon Continuum > General). While it's possible that they'll just switch to a different directory if posting there is disabled (no one should ever post there anyway), it's also possible they'll just leave.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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