Spam, Spam, Spam on the EAB

[mrbob2]

Originally Posted by Graham Humphrey

Ahem

Doh! il erm, get me coat............

[StevenJGore]

I'm genuinely interested to know if anybody is actually stupid enough to order any of these phones, not just on this forum but on any forum.

Even if the spammers actually sent something (as opposed to just running away with the money) I imagine it would be a brick in a box, or a very bad fake.

Steve.

[CodyJarrett]

I've changed the subject of this thread as it made it look like spam!

[ilm]

i guess custom image verification would be best.
Like pictures of all Amiga (with model clearly on it). user has to type answer :-)
no way they are going to adapt the bots to recognize these images (well not any time soon though)

however that needs some precious time of RCK. I wonder how good that image verification technique is where you are actually helping to translate a book or article :-)

[mrbob2]

Codyjarret, I wondered why the change lol it was meant to look like a tongue in cheek version of the spammers spam.

I think the best way to stop this is for all threads that contain certain keywords like "for sale" or "mobile phone" should go 1st to the mods for verification. Then once deemed ligit, they are finally posted. And a mention to all users of this process.

[bLAZER]

I think that's a really bad idea. Integrate a good captcha module, it's as simple as that, no work for the mods and impossible for the bots.

[exoticaga]

Originally Posted by ilm

i guess custom image verification would be best.
Like pictures of all Amiga (with model clearly on it). user has to type answer :-)
no way they are going to adapt the bots to recognize these images (well not any time soon though)

A photo image zoomed into say a A500, A600 and A1200 so on. At random for each new sign up. Asking new user to type the letters and numbers that are in the picture shown. Its not computer graphics, which should help, they be actual photos, safe from bots.

[Magno Boots]

How about just blocking any posts with the combined words of nokia / ericsson / Samsung etc?

Most spam here contains a combination of these words.

[DamienD]

Just permanently banned the user Williams011 and deleted the 8 threads that he created. Also permanently banned the user leg11 and deleted the 1 thread that he created.

Nokia, iPhone, Ericsson were the key words in all the threads and do come up very often in the majority of spam threads...

[Shoonay]

Anyone still wonders why spam has been such a promblem on EAB lately?...

[Graham Humphrey]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Also permanently banned the user leg11 and deleted the 1 thread that he created.

Er, Damien...?

[Ian]

2 for RCK to look at (unless he's given one of the mods the ability to add products/plugins)

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showt...highlight=spam

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124828 - I use this one

[Dizzy]

I got 2 ideas

1. Let all mods be able to block/ban a member with less than 10 posts, it could be a temp ban, so a GM should do the permanent banning.

2. User with less than 5 posts can't create new threads without a GM approving their threads.

[TCD]

@Dizzy
Phew, it's good that this is my 10th post

The idea with the captcha when creating a member is a good idea, yet it would be better to use it for each new post since a human could create an account and then let the bot do the spamming.

[BippyM]

Originally Posted by Dizzy

I got 2 ideas

1. Let all mods be able to block/ban a member with less than 10 posts, it could be a temp ban, so a GM should do the permanent banning.

This could be a good idea, whether VB allows this is another question!

Originally Posted by Dizzy

2. User with less than 5 posts can't create new threads without a GM approving their threads.

This is pointless, most new users come along and generally post asking for help or to just remember the good 'ol days!

Limiting where a new user can post might be better though

[RCK]

Thanks for the links Ian

I will first release one new vB version in a few weeks, there is a lot more anti spam features during registration and for moderator.
If it's not enough, I will come back to theses plugins.

[Graham Humphrey]

Yay!

Better start posting some more then, don't want to be banned before I've started :-)

[jmmijo]

Originally Posted by Ian

I used to get loads of bots at my site, a simple hack from vbulletin.org has stopped them all dead, despite the fact my site runs on an outdated version of vbulletin with the crappy image verification that they have since updated.

There's no excuse for them here

Damn Ian, I remember when the first spate of these Sp@mb0ts appeared and you said you were able to find something to stop them, I didn't realize it was that effective, nice

[CongealedWallrs]

Originally Posted by jmmijo

Damn Ian, I remember when the first spate of these Sp@mb0ts appeared and you said you were able to find something to stop them, I didn't realize it was that effective, nice

Well, I hope someone can find a solution to them! That was putting me (and probably others) off coming on here for a little while.

Also, I did not realise they were bots, I believe I answered to one of the threads and attempted to mock an "artificial entity", I don't know what that makes me! An official titty?