Sorry about the SpAm!

[ixl]

Hey folks,

Sorry about the recent deluge of spam. Unfortunately, it seems this is a new "trend", and it has started while I am out of town and have poor and intermittent internet access.

For now, please just ignore it. I am probably going to end up having to change registration policies and/or put in a code hack that restricts the ability of new members to post links. If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know.

I will "take out the trash" probably tomorrow.

c

[jabarnutcase]

Thanks Charles...Unfortunately, it just seems to go with the territory these days.
Not sure of an ideal solution other than to ignore them for now like you mentioned.

(Well, after they get a piece of our mind that is. It usually doesn't take us too long to make it quite clear that we hate Spam around here!) ;)

[PrntRhd]

Well, after they get a piece of our mind that is
I don't think the rude spammers have much care for what we think, or what it does to the site, they only care about the money.

Charles, that is a good idea about first few posts, but this last one flipped several different ones onto the site in quick succession, maybe he is wise to website first post limits and will post more to get one on regardless.

[Paleo Pete]

Yeah, this has been a nuisance. Caught me without a lot of time too. I don't have any good ideas for slowing it down, and I'm sure it's a problem on other forums too.

I just got here, I'll take a look and if any are left floating around they'll be closed etc. I appreciate people reporting the posts and letting us know too, just haven't been online till late at night recently, so I haven't known about any of them until it was too late.

[ErnieK]

Is it possible to have something auto matically posted into one of these threads that indicates they have been reported? This could possibly save the moderators from being inundated with reports about the same piece of crap.

[ixl]

After thinking about this a bit, I have decided not to do anything to limit new registrants to the forums. Most often someone registers when they need help most, and having them unable to post links would be counter-productive. All of the recent spam seems to have originated from one person, whose IP I have now entirely blocked from the site. Let's just see how things go.

If I do anything, I may block new registrations from "disposable" e-mail addresses. Nearly every time, the abuse originates from someone on Hotmail or a comparable site.

Ernie: Not really. Fortunately, this doesn't happen that often. --c

[Budfred]

I just suggested an option on SWI that might work to keep the number of notifications down.... If you notify the mod, just post a message that says in entirety: "Mod notified"....

[Whyzman]

ixl, I think your "no disposable emails" is an excellent idea! ;)

[Paleo Pete]

I think doing away with disposable email addresses might be a good idea, as long as you don't make me deal with mine :D

Restricting the ability to post links I think might be a good idea, but just for the first 5-10 posts. Most spammers are going to start the very first post, and if they can't post links, why bother? they'll probably go away and try somewhere else that's easier.

I wouldn't want to restrict posting links very long, since it is very useful for both us and the people posting questions to sometimes have links handy. 5 posts maybe, then you know the person is actually here to interact, not just for spam purposes. If a link is needed, they can also post one that will show as a simple text link, most of us know how to copy & paste...than a regular can copy it into a post as a usable link if it's needed. Most of the regulars will also know enough not to bother with obvious spam links, they aren't that difficult to spot. Or they can notify others with a reply post...

A bit of trouble yes, but it might slow down the spammers a lot, and shouldn't be too restrictive on legitimate new members.

[jabarnutcase]

I think doing away with disposable email addresses might be a good idea, as long as you don't make me deal with mine :D Hehe...I agree Pete .

The fact of the matter is that I use a Hotmail account for most Forums..and many other on-line ventures.
I've actually had the Hotmail account I use at the moment for years now. Amazingly, very little Spam so I haven't dumped it in all this time. (Although that was it's original purpose).

Of course, I also have a POP3 Account that is a little more closely "guarded".

One last observation. I noticed that since this thread started, it's been pretty quiet around here as far as "fly by Spammers". Maybe we'll just get one occasionally and they'll "Go Away" after we yell at them? :p

(Boy. Hope I didn't just jinx us). :eek:

[malcore]

I have to disagree about the disposable e-mail idea. Some people may not have another e-mail, some may not know that their ISP offers one. This is a help forum after all, not an online retailer or bank.

I know I would be discouraged if I tried to join a forum, simply to ask for a little advice, and was denied access if I used a free web-mail address.

I don't think the problem is so serious.

[pave_spectre]

Originally posted by Paleo Pete
Restricting the ability to post links I think might be a good idea, but just for the first 5-10 posts.

I think the Linuxquestions.org forum prevents link posting for the first 5 posts. Haven't had the time to go there for while though so I don't know if it had any particular effect.

[Whyzman]

My thoughts regarding non-disposable emails has to do with requirements for registering for the forums. I would suspect that immediate knowledge to moderators of a registrants ISP might give them pause...

A poster could be allowed to have a disposable email used for member contact purposes.

Hehe...of course "Grandfather current members!" :D


Hmmm...It certainly would be wise to exercise caution in this regard as malcore points out, so as not to deter computer novices. I would, however, suspect that anyone capable of signing up for a hotmail or similar account would have enough computer savvy to realize why they are doing so...

Perhaps spamming forums is just a passing fancy. It is irritating, but as usual, problems are handled pretty quickly around here. :cool:

[Budfred]

I would, however, suspect that anyone capable of signing up for a hotmail or similar account would have enough computer savvy to realize why they are doing so... I am afraid this is a little optimistic... I have encountered a number of people who sign up for these accounts who don't have a clue about using computers... I can think of one case in which I don't think the user knew that he had an account through his ISP that he could use, so he got Yahoo....

[Paleo Pete]

I have encountered a number of people who sign up for these accounts who don't have a clue about using computers...

Very astute observation. I've seen the same thing more times than I like to think about. I hadn't considered it from that angle, but now that it's been pointed out, a surprising number of people don't know they have email through their ISP, and use something like Hotmail or Yahoo as their primary email address.

When I joined the forums, I was using an account belonging to someone else, and had no ISP email address. Later I found out 3 or 5 were available per account/household, can't remember which, but I didn't know it at the time. So Yahoo was it. That account went bye bye along with about 500 spam emails long ago...

[Whyzman]

Well, I stand corrected! ;)

Your journeys into the inner workings of the unsavvy computer mind definitely have invited me to reconsider my thought process...

Indeed, with computer operators, don't assume anything...

[classicsoftware]

Originally posted by Whyzman
Well, I stand corrected! ;)

Your journeys into the inner workings of the unsavvy computer mind definitely have invited me to reconsider my thought process...

Indeed, with computer operators, don't assume anything...

Remember the 7th corollary of Murphy's Law:

Nothing can be made fool proof because fools are so ingenious

[Whyzman]

Indeed! ;)

Also, I called to mind a recent show where they were showing stupid criminals. This topic reminded me of it. The would be criminal placed a paper bag over his head so as not to be seen by the security cameras and walked straight into a metal beam having neglected to cut holes for his eyes...

Indeed, "Fools are so ingenious!" :rolleyes:

[jabarnutcase]

As long as we're on the subject. On a recent trip to CT, I was fixing my Sister in-laws Computer. (Loaded with Spyware, viruses...well, you know the routine).

Anyway, she had Broadband Service through her local Cable Company. (A rather large Company in Fairfield county).

She has been using AOL for her email!
Didn't use it for anything else, just email. She thought she "needed to".
I called her ISP myself and it turns out she had up to 5 email accounts available to her for no additional cost. She had no idea and had been using AOL for her email ever since she got a Cable Modem. (Years)!
So yes, it's usually the rule and not the exception that people don't know theses accounts are available to them.

As I also mentioned though, in my case (and I know a lot of people that do the same), I like having a "disposable" email account for Forums and such so when it gets overwhelmed with Spam I can just dump it.
I save the POP3 accounts from my ISP for other matters.

To make a short story too long, I agree that we can't do away with free Web-based email like Hotmail and Yahoo.....I think it's the majority out there that use them. Especially novices.

(Edit) Good morning WYZMN! You got in there before me. ;)

[Whyzman]

I would have done well to preface my previously posted "criminal story" with the difference between stupidity and ignorance...I didn't mean at all to imply stupidity is involved with not knowing one's ISP provides Email addresses...

Ignorance would be, "Not realizing the stove was hot!"

Stupidity would be, "Let's check to see if the stove is hot with my finger since it is pretty sensitive to hot and cold!"

[jabarnutcase]

I didn't mean at all to imply stupidity is involved with not knowing one's ISP provides Email addresses... It's ok WYZMN...my Sister in-law is pretty stupid. I doubt very much she would have remembered to cut holes in the bag. :p

(Hehe...just kidding). You certainly didn't offend anyone. ;)

[Whyzman]

Hehe...jabar, it's just all my politically correct sensitivity training coming home to haunt me! :)

[jabarnutcase]

I hear you! I HATED the politically correct sensitivity training class, but it was required. :p

Off for the day...take care folks. ;)

[ixl]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I understand the issues with the anonymous email accounts. Unfortunately they ARE the source of most of the spam. The most recent spammer today was a Yahoo user.

I am not going to put any restrictions in at this point. I don't want to fall into the trap of making life difficult for the good people in an attempt to weed out the bad. We'll just deal with each idiot as it comes along. :)

I did just modify the registration greeting to make explicit that spam will not be tolerated and how it will be dealt with.

c