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Spam threads & what's next

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by smorty71

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I'm sure most of you have noticed an increase in spam threads over the past couple of weeks.

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are working on getting the spam threads cleaned out (deleted), banning the spammers and putting measures in place to limit spam in the future.

The "fix" we are going to implement is the requirement that all new members verify their e-mail address before posting. This is something we do in all other areas of the site except forums.

Also, if we've missed any spam threads in our clean up efforts, post them here or private message me and we'll get them cleaned up.

Thanks.

55 replies

by smorty71

It won't solve the spam problem. Nothing will. If someone wants to sign up and spam the site, they will figure out how.

The current system makes it way too easy. We find that most spammers are using totally bogus e-mails. This makes it super easy to exploit the system.

However, if they have to create a new Hotmail account every time they want to post spam, I am betting it will slow them down or discourage them.

I guess it's like the old saying about being out in the woods with a friend and running into a bear. You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your friend.

Same applies here, I think. If we make it harder to spam us, they'll go spam somewhere else.

by now left tr

However when I suggest it - flames, it will never work.

When you do - oh it's the best idea ever.

See my point.

by gadgetgirl

ensure that your vacations are covered, too? I think the main reason so many were laying around over the season was that Jay, Beth and yourself were all on leave, and I get the impression George doesn't have the same rights on the forums as "The Musketeers" do.

Thanks for getting on this; at one stage, NYE I think, the whole of the New Discussions list were spam posts.... bleucch!

Happy New Year, Smorty!

GG

PS: Anything from Jay yet? Interested parties need to know!!!

by dontknowwhatimdoing

In another post, jdclyde made several recommendations that seem to make sense. I guess the only question is, does TR have the manpower to do it?

by gadgetgirl

don't tell jd he had a good idea.

Please.

It'll just make him more big headed than he already is, and we don't want that now, do we??

:p :D

GG

by jaqui

as much as I detest it myself..
new members, for first 90 days of membership, are subscribed to any discussion they post in.
and cannot unsubscribe for that 90 day period.

then we can hit them with their verifired email address with tons of bots for new messages on posts. ]:)

very few spammers want a verified email addy getting loaded with ebot messages they can't stop. :D

then the die spammer scum messages would have a better chance of being read by the spammers.

by jaqui

hotmail requires you to log into it at least once a month, as soon as the account bounces a message TR can cancel the account. ]:)

by smorty71

Unfortunately, we would be spamming anyone and everyone who posted in discussions (whether they were a spammer or a valid member).

We're trying to come up with something that will help deter the spammer without interfering with "law-abiding" members and their activities.

If requiring the confirmation of e-mail addresses doesn't slow them down, we will try something else.

by deepsand

The resulting subscriptions e-mails may be annoying, but they are not legally spam.

Furthermore, TR can stipulate that members agree to any and all terms of its choosing that are not illegal if they wish to register as members. A member's acceptance of said terms constitute a contract of adhesion.

As the mandatory subscription e-mails do not legally constitute spam, and as the member voluntarily entered in the aforesaid contract, virtue of which said e-mails are sent, and as they have no legal right to claim access to TR under their own terms, they have no justifiable grounds for a complaint.

by gadgetgirl

I also have a superduperhyper one waiting in the background for nearer the meetngreet. That should REALLY get the guys going!

You have a good Christmas and NY?

GG

by steffi28

Xmas & NY were great although they went over much too fast, back to the stage of missing England again now that everything is back to normal. Although there were times that I wanted to be here while I was home, but thats mainly because family and friends are so very good at driving you insane when they havent seen you for 6 months.

Hope you Xmas & NY were great to :)

by gadgetgirl

of when you're back over here, and I'll see how close I can get you to the meetngreet, whenever it's decided when it's going to be. Will resurrect that thread sometime this month to get more feedback, I think.

Hols were quiet, thankfully, I needed the rest! (and the alcohol!)

GG

by jaqui

bt the free hotmail account using spammers will have gotten past the verify email before posting it, so it's a way to make us feel better, giving the spammer lots of ebot messages from posting spam.

edited for typo

by steffi28

I finish my placement August this year, so thats when im next in the country. Ive told the family that if they want to see me then they'll just have to come and visit me lol.

by jdclyde

some time that either prevents or limits new discussions created until the person has been a member for a week or so?

I also like the idea of a "report abuse" button to streamline the reporting.

by smorty71

is that it treats every new member like a spammer. The goal is to limit the spammers while not interfering with valid members.

If we put in a waiting list, then the forums have very little value to the member who has just joined and needs a question answered quickly.

So many of our loyal members have found us this way that we can't take that ability away.

I agree, though, that a "report abuse" button would be helpful. I'll see what we can do with that.

by hal 9000

But maybe allowing them to ask their questions but not start off discussions will be a step in the right direction.

That way any urgent question gets answered but the Discussion Forums don't get filled with Spam.

I don't know if it's just me but just about every question that I've answered recently has been from a member joining that day.

With so many joining and asking whatever question they want I'm wondering how many are staying around. Anyway personally I don't think that whatever you do you'll totally eradicate these people who want to abuse the system but by at least confirming a valid E-Mail address you are making it slightly harder for them to abuse the system. As they have to supply a valid e-mail address and respond to activate the account.

It will only stop the armature ones but when it comes to the [b]Hard Core Spammers[/b] there is no way of stopping them so we'll just have to live with their ways and try to ignore them as best as possible and report any cases when they arise.

Besides I'm waiting on all that money from the British Lottery Commission to arrive. :D

Col

by now left tr

What is a spammer just went around hitting the "report abuse" button all the time?

The button should check to see if the reporter is a 'good member' (say +6 months membership time). If so allow the report. If not then it does nothing.

by hal 9000

About an Earthquake causing the southern bit of CA to fall into the Ocean and everyone wants out.

Since Arny has stopped taking the [b]ROIDS[/b] he's unable to hold the coast in place now so [b]All Is Lost![/b] :D

Col

by dr dij

(James Bond, that is, didn't you see the movie?)

If you like to grow things, it is a mecca. However, house prices are out in space.

I'm paying three times my sister's mortgage to rent a 2BR appartment near the beach.

She has a house on 4 acres north of Dallas.

by mickster269

Give him the power of life and death over our posts - isn't that one of the signs of the Apocolypse?

by thechas

Just a big THANK YOU for working to do something to limit the amount of abuse on the site.

The only other input I have on the subject is that you might want to make it easier to report site abusers. Either a specific listing in the Feedback drop down list. Or, a button.

Basically, a way to highlight the feedback about site abuse so that you can prioritize your work better each day.

Chas

by danlm

Truthfully, I would expand on that and make them respond to the email to verify and complete the new register process.

Dan

by gadgetgirl

just go into the browse section, and have a look under off-topic. At least a half of those threads need to be torched.

It's getting really silly looking for off topic threads that have naturally fallen off the hot discussions list. It's like swimming in mud.

Pretty please?

GG

by jdclyde

After you finish your mud bath, do you usually wrestle around with several co-eds? oh yeah........ B-)

by jdclyde

an automated way to send in a heads up as to possible abuse, not a way for members to actually remove the posts themselves.

And if anyone did that, TR would kill their account.

by deepsand

You stole [i]my[/i] suggestion, jd, and there's a price to be paid for such.

Actually, it was on my list of things to do today to send a private message to TPTB to suggest precisely this. Now, how to make them do it?

by hal 9000

They place a lovely add and when I went to order several of the phones there was no way of contacting them through the Peer Mail system. :(

I refuse to use Yahoo Accounts as you never know where they are going to so they miss out on a massive sale. Besides the Cell phones sold in the UK don't work in the US so why are all the prices in US$?

When my daughter went around the world last year her Cell worked everywhere except the US where she had to buy a new prepaid Cell while she was there to stay in contact with her parents so she could continue to ask for more money. :D

Col

by w2ktechman

I did not know of this EU-US phone problem. If a SIM card is set for global access, then it should work anywhere, regardless of the cell phone itself.
I have users right now in EU and Asia using IPAQs with Cingular global access for voice/data without issue.

by deepsand

"themobilestorelimited" is a name that appeared multiple times last year, and was banished.

Apparently, as long as one uses a different domain, the account name is re-admitted.

by manitobamike

why not use same technique that a lot of others are using to prevent bot posts, add the image verification to each post. I'm sure none of us would object to typing another 6 characters each time we post so your just atting a step 3.

by hal 9000

She has a Cell phone with Global Roaming as part of the deal but it doesn't work in the US and the Company that she is with will openly tell you that. Actually every AU Telco doesn't have the ability to support Global Roaming in the US.

The last time I was in the US we didn't have electronic leashes that constantly tied us to whoever but I actually like the idea. Now I can slip out under [b]SWMBO[/b] nose to CA to buy some car & bike bits and she'll be unable to contact me. :D

I don't know why this is but I do know that it works that way as I tried to organise to use my Cell in the US a few months ago and was told that it wasn't possible from my provider. They did give me an explanation but it sounded much more like Marketing Spin than a real Tech reason but then again as I was speaking to a Sales Person what else could I expect?

Col

by hal 9000

Europe the UK and most of Asia without a problem as well as the India/Pakistan and the like.

Only the US which supposedly has a different phone system isn't covered by a Mobile brought in AU with Global Roaming.

Col

by hal 9000

That I write as day-month and 007.

I knew that there must be a reason for this but I put it down to an airline advertising campaign but now I understand.

Actually don't even get me started on Real Estate it's one of my [b]Pet Hates.[/b] So I hope you'll understand if I drop that subject and don't touch it.

Col

by now left tr

Buy one in the UK and it works fine in the US (as long as it's triband - check the specs when buying).

by danlm

Nobody answers. ;o(

I don't know, verification email for sign up would is a nice start.

What I am afraid of happening is that this becomes a gold member forum only, ie... pay to post/read/subscribe. Because of the escalating spam problem.

Dan

by hal 9000

E-Mail Address after all everyone else requires this if only to make sure that they are not unintentionally sending out spam.

Every site gets it's fair share of Spam recently on the Debian Discussion Forum there has been a lot of Stock Adds being posted and ignored. I wonder what makes these people tick sending junk like that to dedicated technical groups doesn't make much sense unless they are getting paid by volume and not return hits.

I can't see anyone actually bothering to answer them. But since we are on the subject. :D

I have a Giant Over-sized Coat-hanger that I'm willing to sell for a reasonable price but the buyer has to pick it up from Sydney AU and it's ready to go now. Currently the Hook has been cut off to prevent low flying aircraft crashing into it and the local council has been using it as a bridge till it can be removed which they are hoping is soon. Anyone interested just PM me and I'll arrange to take the payment. :^0

Col

by deepsand

While I've no doubt that at least some, if not all, of the peer-to-peer spam e-mails are gen'd by bots, it is not clear that such is the case for the spam "discussion" posts.

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