A message to all spambots.

LPChip · December 03, 2006, 18:44:33

I want to thank you all for taking your time (0.001 ms) to come to this nice place, register a bullock user and spam this nice forum so I can clean up the mess.

It really makes me feel wanted in such area, so each time you spam my forum, I feel great.

It just feels so good to ban you from my nice forum because you haven't read the rules and posts non-music related material.

Sometimes, you even add nice images to it aswell. Its a joy to be the only one at the forum that can see them before they're being deleted.

So, please come back so I can ban you again, untill you can't come here anymore.

KrazyKatz · December 03, 2006, 22:05:27

Why dont you set up one of those " type the number in the picture" for new registering users? Maybe this could help the situation.. Just an Idea. Im far from expert.

Sam_Zen · December 04, 2006, 01:45:16

I'm afraid such measures always will be temporary solutions. They will find new ways every time. Even with a block, some will slip through. So there's nothing left than the moderator acting as a service, to clean up the mess from time to time.
Like a popconcert and the empty beercans and other trash all around afterwards..

LPChip · December 04, 2006, 11:58:23

In order to do that, we'll need to move to a new forum system. I've tried to do an update but its impossible without loosing the posts and users.

But its great to be able to clean up the mess.. Makes me feel required.

Waxhead · December 04, 2006, 18:45:54

Regarding those nice spambots who are doing great work to transform this forum into a real sleazy adult page. I just love it! - It's great that pictures of nude girls are here on the forum

this was I don't have to visit all those dirty pages that take forever to load and I can combine modplug related stuff and enjoy porn at the same time. Can it be better?!

Seriously: LPChip. It's unfair that you get all the fun work with cleaning up all that delicious spam. How about giving a few nice people here moderator status? Some of us (not me sadly) visit this forum several times each day. Why don't some of us get some fun work as well !?

Sam_Zen · December 05, 2006, 01:04:54

A nice idea, Waxhead .. I've been co-moderator on the TC-forum for quite a while, mainly busy to get rid of the dirt in the area.
To give the Admin the opportunity to dedicate his time to the important issues.
I visit TCF on a daily basis, as I do MPF in the same daily session. So I offer LPChip my assistance in this.

At this point, I don't think it's necessary to reset the forum, while in the risk of loosing data.. My provider has an excellent spamfilter. Nevertheless I have some 2 - 6 spams in my mailbox that sneaked through. No reason for any complaint, I just wipe them.
The message of the TC-Admin to the moderators was : -If you're clearly convinced it's spam, it's up to you to remove it.

LPChip · December 05, 2006, 11:39:39

I wouldn't mind it to give someone moderator status, its just that I want to ban those persons too, not just remove their posts. Admin status is required for that, and I'm not so happy to give someone admin status.

Don't forget that Rewbs and MisterX also help where they can to deal with it, so they also have fun.

Snu · December 05, 2006, 20:57:09

Quote from: "LPChip"I wouldn't mind it to give someone moderator status, its just that I want to ban those persons too, not just remove their posts. Admin status is required for that, and I'm not so happy to give someone admin status.

Don't forget that Rewbs and MisterX also help where they can to deal with it, so they also have fun. :)

do spambots actually post more than once tho? i doubt the software would bother to log in with the same nick and post a second time.
ayway tho, you could have the moderators give you a list of nicks they deleted topics of, and you or another admin could ban those, would lessen the workload somewhat still.

Sam_Zen · December 06, 2006, 01:31:56

There is a difference between wiping the post of the spambot (moderator) and blocking the IP of the spammer (admin).
(And I wouldn't be too happy either, if I was made admin. Way too much responsabilities..)

Of course making a block-list is very useful, but adding every IP that comes along makes the list less efficient.
As Snu stated, if a lot of the posts are 'single events' with random data, then it's easier to just wipe them, because the chance, that the same strings are used again, is very small. So only repetitious spammers should, if possible, be tracked down to the IP-source, and added to the list.

A technical thing : I know, there are server-logfiles, but isn't it so for the admin, that, if a post is wiped by a moderator, it is more difficult to check for the IP-address of that post afterwards ? The admin has to be able to judge if a spammer is repetitious, so data for comparison needed.

A thing in between could be : A moderator doesn't remove the post, but places a 'mod' comment :
[mod]This post has been considered spam.[/mod]
2 ways possible : Either replacing the content with the mod-message, or adding the message as a warning.
I favour replacing, because of no risk, any visitor will by accident activate some spam-link.

LPChip · December 06, 2006, 17:04:55

I'm here on daily bases and identifying spam is very easy for me. Most of the time, I identify spammers by their nickname and topic title. Then its a last check.

Note that I'm not banning their IP adress, I ban their email group. Eg. everything @domain.com, as they usually have their private domain names. It seems to be the most effective.

As for tagging, its not required to have moderator status for this.

But its not really required, and I have fun when I clean up the mess...

I do know that unfortunatelly a few spammers are human too. Dunno if they actually read the content on the site, but they get paid for registering and then spamming once or twice.

Sam_Zen · December 07, 2006, 03:21:41

Right about the domain-block and the human robots. Like the sellers you get on the phone while eating. Sad people.
I was not all looking for more work, so it's ok, but my offer still stands, if the spamming might rise out of the pan.

LPChip · December 07, 2006, 11:16:02

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"Right about the domain-block and the human robots. Like the sellers you get on the phone while eating. Sad people.
I was not all looking for more work, so it's ok, but my offer still stands, if the spamming might rise out of the pan.

Thanks Sam_Zen, I won't forget it, in case its necessary.

Asharin · December 09, 2006, 23:29:59

Hmm I thought phpbb was able to have the 'type the number in this image to register' thing?
or maybe that's phpbb2...I haven't run a board for ages now, I just moderate a few that I would mention, but that would be 'spamming' :p

LPChip · December 10, 2006, 02:03:57

Quote from: "Asharin"Hmm I thought phpbb was able to have the 'type the number in this image to register' thing?
or maybe that's phpbb2...I haven't run a board for ages now, I just moderate a few that I would mention, but that would be 'spamming' :p

The newer version does have this, but I couldn't update to that version

residentgrey · December 20, 2006, 22:33:52

this is for all those spambots out there:

I CALL SHENANIGANS!!!!!!!

WHERE'S MY F'ING BROOM!

:twisted: