Concern over SPAM in the forums

[Sluggo]

It seems that we have seen a real increase in the level of SPAM coming into the forums these days. It was a while back when I signed up to USPOL so I have forgotten what the sign up process is like but, did we not used to have some sort of anti SPAM/BOT code entry process upon registration for the forums?

If we do not, it may be worth looking into but I will admit not being too sure what kind of costs to USPOL that may add. I'll continue do what I can to report those I have found, and will add the admins have been very responsive thus quick to remove those reported. Just appears to me SPAMers and BOTs are getting better about getting in here.

Thoughts from the admins and members?

[hairballxavier]

When you see spam report it right away.

If nobody reports it the mods might miss it. A forum like this could be overrun by spam if the members are too lazy to report the spam.

When I see spam here I just click on the "report post" icon and type in "spam alert". It only takes a few seconds.

[MattLarson]

There is a cottage industry built around spamming forums. It's a huge PITA.

Matt

[imported_Jefe]

It seems that we have seen a real increase in the level of SPAM coming into the forums these days. It was a while back when I signed up to USPOL so I have forgotten what the sign up process is like but, did we not used to have some sort of anti SPAM/BOT code entry process upon registration for the forums?

If we do not, it may be worth looking into but I will admit not being too sure what kind of costs to USPOL that may add. I'll continue do what I can to report those I have found, and will add the admins have been very responsive thus quick to remove those reported. Just appears to me SPAMers and BOTs are getting better about getting in here.

Thoughts from the admins and members?

When you see spam report it right away.

If nobody reports it the mods might miss it. A forum like this could be overrun by spam if the members are too lazy to report the spam.

When I see spam here I just click on the "report post" icon and type in "spam alert". It only takes a few seconds.

Sluggo and hairballxavier - yes, thank you both for reporting spam immediately. I see both of you doing it, and it really does help. We, as mods, probably don't thank you guys enough (or ever?) when reporting spam posts, so I just want you to know that it IS appreciated.

[Sluggo]

Understand that I am happy to help and I was not trying to design a complaint thread. More a request thread for discussion on asking if it was practical for USPOL to implement some anti SPAM/BOT mechanisms that may (probably a research item) cut down on these SPAMers getting into the forums causing us all headaches. I am not familiar (can't seem to remember no matter how many cups of coffee I've had) with what we use now.

[lutherf]

The problem you run into if you really, really try to clamp down on SPAM is that pretty soon you have to makes regular users start jumping through some of the hoops set up to stop spammers. It would be a pain, for example, to have to log in every time you entered the site.

[imported_Jefe]

Understand that I am happy to help and I was not trying to design a complaint thread.

Oh, understood - I was just taking the opportunity to make a side comment thanking you guys for reporting the spam.

More a request thread for discussion on asking if it was practical for USPOL to implement some anti SPAM/BOT mechanisms that may (probably a research item) cut down on these SPAMers getting into the forums causing us all headaches. I am not familiar (can't seem to remember no matter how many cups of coffee I've had) with what we use now.

I have no idea if there are any mechanisms. Other guys take care of that stuff, I'm just a peon here, lol. I have to think that if there were some kind of despaminator mechanisms, we'd have them, or will have them at some point in the future. In the meantime, I guess we have to keep zapping them manually.

[Good1]

Sluggo and hairballxavier - yes, thank you both for reporting spam immediately. I see both of you doing it, and it really does help. We, as mods, probably don't thank you guys enough (or ever?) when reporting spam posts, so I just want you to know that it IS appreciated.

I have to say, they (and others) must be doing a helluva job reporting it and you guys must be killing it pretty durn quickly because I really don't see a lot here. Definitely not anywhere near as much as I see in some of the other communities.

My spam setting is on search and destroy so I notice pretty quickly, I think and there are moderators and administrators elsewhere who really get tired of hearing from me (one got so tired, he made me a moderator so I could deal with it instead of telling him about it)...

So good job to both ends of the equation and I very much appreciate your efforts.

[imported_Traveler]

Thanks for all the comments, from everyonne - they are appreciated. The staff do indeed put in a lot of work to get rid of Spammers but this is a problem we had going back about 2004 and earlier and it comes in waves and drones at a go...in 04 it used to be a lot simpler and they'd come on, with a pretty obvious advertisement of phones, Viagra etc and it'd be pretty simple to get rid of it. But then they started to get smarter and smarter and do it in different ways which were more discreet, more difficult to catch and for the last 3 years or so, me and CYD have been going after every Spammer we can get, and one very persistant one who just won't go away. Since there have been additional admins put in, and additional powers will be given them all it is a lot easier to destroy the Spammer's account, but we try to make sure no trace of their "goods" are left behind either. To put it mildly, if we even suspect a Spammer, we will incinerate their account, to put it mildly.

All i can advise is that posters continue to hit the report button, or if you'd preffer and it'd be quicker, contact a member of staff directly.

[imported_Traveler]

Understand that I am happy to help and I was not trying to design a complaint thread. More a request thread for discussion on asking if it was practical for USPOL to implement some anti SPAM/BOT mechanisms that may (probably a research item) cut down on these SPAMers getting into the forums causing us all headaches. I am not familiar (can't seem to remember no matter how many cups of coffee I've had) with what we use now.

There are extensive tools admins have - CYD runs extensive checks on posters that register, a lot of them are pre-emptively obliterated before they even get their chance to spam the board.

If things got totally out of hand, we could take emergency measures such as requiring all new registrations to be admin approved so nobody can even activate their account without staff approval, however we're not at that stage just yet, not to mention the site would come to a grinding halt and clog up the new registration process - we have nearly 100 members a day join at times.

As for helping out, whilst it really is appreciated, the spam techniques of our current deviant are so intricate that giving you advice in going after them would likely lead to you being further exposed to the spam itself and leading you right to it, and he'd win. This would effectively become a how to guide for him to attract folks in, so that extent, for now i'd say just continue to report/contact staff members.