8 replies to this topic

[Trof]

There is a spammer flooding all the Methods forums with advertisments.

http://www.protocol-...view=getnewpost
http://www.protocol-...view=getnewpost
http://www.protocol-...view=getnewpost

and so on.

Please delete him.

[josse]

yeah,  he posted everywhere.

I think the mods will delete his account and his posts.
I do hope so anyway.

[casandra]

even here in the Suggestion subforum......there shld be a better way to screen them out....

@bioforum: perhaps the forum shld have a policy of not allowing to post any links during the first 24 or 48 hours after registering or until one has become an active member only....nickenboos managed to pull a real fast one on us so with this new policy, at least he/she/it would have to wait a little bit...

Edited by casandra, 21 April 2010 - 07:13 AM.

[josse]

casandra, on Apr 21 2010, 04:21 PM, said:

even here in the Suggestion subforum......there shld be a better way to screen them out....

@bioforum: perhaps the forum shld have a policy of not allowing to post any links during the first 24 or 48 hours after registering or until one has become an active member only....nickenboos managed to pull a real fast one on us so with this new policy, at least he/she/it would have to wait a little bit...

I was thinkin the same: when registering, you need to wait 12  hours or 24 hours before you are able to post.

Or maybe instead of being able to post, they should make a limit like : maximum 2 posts the first 24 hours.


Letting people post only after they become a regular member is hard I think, because in order to become a regular member you need to post    (or is there another rule to become a regular member?)

[HomeBrew]

Require email validation before account is active?

[casandra]

josse, on Apr 23 2010, 04:10 AM, said:

Letting people post only after they become a regular member is hard I think, because in order to become a regular member you need to post    (or is there another rule to become a regular member?)

I meant, a new member shldn’t be allowed to insert links (not posts) in the first 24 or 48 hours. What good’s a spammer without his links and I doubt if patience is considered a virtue there. Not that it would stop them though bec they’ve become quite ingenious and right now, they spam with impunity.

The occasional wayward one or two spam posts are not that annoying IMO or I’d have find it more amusing if spam dude/dudette/bothead jazzed it up a little bit e.g. you can solve all your gel running problems by wearing Nike shoes <check link>….your primer pair don’t work? Then try our own Timberland pair <check link> etc. ….but to systematically post in each subforum from top to bottom (like what nikenshoos did) was really too much (Off with his spamming head). HB’s suggestion is also worth a try.

[Lapsang]

On a forum I moderate, I check all new members on StopForumSpam and BotScout before activating their account (you can't post until a moderator or administrator has activated you).

I believe they also have lists etc you can download and use which prevent known spammers from registering successfully. And you're already required to validate your own account by e-mail (or at least I was), which probably means you're doing enough already.

The problem with using a time limit before you let people post is that many of these kinds of spammers are actually automated programs, not people sitting behind a screen. A spambot has all the patience in the world.

Edited by Lapsang, 23 April 2010 - 09:34 AM.

[casandra]

Lapsang, on Apr 23 2010, 01:03 PM, said:

On a forum I moderate, I check all new members on StopForumSpam and BotScout before activating their account (you can't post until a moderator or administrator has activated you).

I believe they also have lists etc you can download and use which prevent known spammers from registering successfully. And you're already required to validate your own account by e-mail (or at least I was), which probably means you're doing enough already.

The problem with using a time limit before you let people post is that many of these kinds of spammers are actually automated programs, not people sitting behind a screen. A spambot has all the patience in the world.

Hi Lapsang and welcome to Bioforum...you're probably right about the spambot's saintly patience . Actually, I can understand why we don't have a time limit before posting or a wait period policy for new members cos many new people who come here need help urgently (and then some disappear quite fast after they get their answers ) so can you imagine if they may have to wait a week or so before they can post their inquiries? Anyways, spamming is not that common an occurrence here esp the likes of this nike invasion…I guess it’s because Bioforum and the mods are doing a great job….(is the apple shiny enough?)

Edited by casandra, 23 April 2010 - 11:50 AM.

[pito]

Lapsang, on Apr 23 2010, 07:03 PM, said:

On a forum I moderate, I check all new members on StopForumSpam and BotScout before activating their account (you can't post until a moderator or administrator has activated you).

I believe they also have lists etc you can download and use which prevent known spammers from registering successfully. And you're already required to validate your own account by e-mail (or at least I was), which probably means you're doing enough already.

The problem with using a time limit before you let people post is that many of these kinds of spammers are actually automated programs, not people sitting behind a screen. A spambot has all the patience in the world.

Are those spambots fully automated programs then?

If so then let them, when registering, solve a simple math question.
Some universities us that system too when looking up names for their emailadress: you need to solve a question like 3+2 before you can see their emailadress ^