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Here's a thought about spammer bots and junk.

Lupinthe3rdLupinthe3rd
edited April 2007 in Site Issues
Couldn't a validation code be added so that unless the exact code is put in people can't sign up or post on the boards?. A few sites I use have this feature and I thought maybe it could be put into use on here. Then again it's all up to the admins if it's worth the time puttting something like that on the boards.

Comments

  • alexzarachalexzarach
    It is possible, my forum has it. If the admins want to, they can.
  • QQ
    This has to clear Fish, so I'd ask him or draw his attention to this.

    Personally, it seems fairly minor now that some of the worst ranges have been banned.

    -Q
  • alexzarachalexzarach
    Then why do SPAM bots post paragraphs with each letter linking to a different search site? I'll edit this post to include an example.
  • QQ
    I'm not denying they do appear, but we get like one or two posts per two days and they're quickly deleted and banned.

    -Q
  • BlueSunBlueSun
    phpBB comes with the verification code installed, but many bots seem to have cracked this.

    The best mod I've found for dealing with spam bots was Humanizer, thanks to coreduo for giving me the link.

    It bassically asks in the registration page, if you're a human or not.

    It confuses the bots, I've gotten only 2 spam registrations so far and it's been installed for a week...

    I had been getting 5-10 a day that I had to keep deleting.
  • QQ
    That might be worth it, we get far more fraudulent registrations then actual SPAM posts.

    -Q
  • BlueSunBlueSun
    Since I know that disabling guest posting isn't an option...

    Maybe there is a mod or some way to some kind of verification before submiting a guest post?

    like when you go to make a post as a guest, it asks you for confirmation or something.
  • QQ
    Guest posting is NOT the problem. We get FAR more obviously fake registrations which exist solely to specify some SPAM site in the details then we do bad guest posts.

    -Q
  • Ka0sKa0s
    We're getting like, two posts, IF ANY. Why is it even such a big deal? If people would stop responding to them it wouldnt be a problem.
  • BODBOD
    And clicking on the links, to see what they are, that just makes it *far* worse.
  • QQ
    Wait wait wait, who actually CLICKs on things like porn-SPAM-links?

    -Q
  • BODBOD
    Alex, he keeps saying the site doesn't exist or what it's name is etc.
  • 16bit16bit
    BOD wrote:
    And clicking on the links, to see what they are, that just makes it *far* worse.
    Yes, clicking those links do make things far worse in the long run, even if it is "just to see what they are" because it will increase the spam rate on WinBoards.

    By clicking the link and opening the page, you give the server your former location on the web in the form of a referral URL, this is often checked against a list of the spammers posting targets which of course, would include that URL. In turn, they will give a higher priority to spamming WinBoards because of "just looking" traffic as it gives them exposure and higher chances of scoring a mark in the process.

    In short, don't give the spammers what they really want which is, just like a spoiled child, attention.
  • BlueSunBlueSun
    Q wrote:
    Guest posting is NOT the problem. We get FAR more obviously fake registrations which exist solely to specify some SPAM site in the details then we do bad guest posts.

    -Q

    I didn't say it was a problem per se, just that it would be a step to stop it all together.

    The fake registrations can be solved by the Humanizer mod, you would see significantly less spam bot registrations. Maybe 1 or 2 a week.

    There is also a mod that prevents unactivated users from appearing in the member list.
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