| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
 Link Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:02 pm Post subject: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
 |
|
I've made the following changes today to deter spammers even further:
- Only users with 5 or more public posts may send PMs. This will deter spammers from signing up and PM'ing people privately as happened today.
- Links for sending emails has been disabled everywhere. This was a feature that allowed you to send someone an email (different from PM) without actually knowing their email address. Whatever message you sent was sent to their email address. Use PM instead. I doubt anyone used this much. Most people probably did not even know it existed. No loss.
- AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, and MSN messenger links have been disabled everywhere. I doubt anyone used these much. No loss.
- Websites are no longer listed on the memberlist page. I had already disabled the memberlist page from being visible publicly but this goes even farther.
Die spammers. You're all a bunch of losers. Get real jobs.
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
Last edited by kal on Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Tom.W
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 6637
|
| Link Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ecrabb
Forum Moderator
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
|
| Link Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:31 pm Post subject: Re: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
|
|
Great work, Kal. I'm nuking a couple of users and half a dozen posts per day, and I figure the rest of the mods are, too. No doubt these improvements will help. This one especially should help - at least with the PM problem...
| kal wrote: | | Only users with 5 or more public posts may send PMs. This will deter spammers from signing up and PM'ing people privately as happened today. |
Bastards...
SC
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
|
| Link Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Interesting. I hope this works.
Too bad about sending email though. I get all softs of tech support questions that way.
Oh well that's what the forum is for.
_________________
Tech support for nothing
CRT.
HD done right!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Link Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| AnalogRocks wrote: | Interesting. I hope this works.
Too bad about sending email though. I get all softs of tech support questions that way.
Oh well that's what the forum is for. |
Letting people use the forum to send emails on their behalf is just asking for trouble so I figured it was best to disable it. No need for both PM's and the ability to send emails to the user (IMHO). If you look at any of the bigger forums they've all disabled any extras like this to avoid spam issues. PM is about the only thing that remains.
The ironic thing is that I'm subcribed to about 20 or so forums. Every week I get a spam or two by PM on some of them, just like we had here today.
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jocrazy0
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Carrollton, Texas, USA
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I wish I'd seen this before I replied to the "Private essage pop-up or email, but no new messages in inbox" post.... I am a member of a lot of forums, and I can't say I've had more than one or two PM spam messages in five years. It is very rare to receive a spam Pm. Ah, well, the life of a sys-admin is hard and no need to bust your chops over the *hole spammers.
(edit to fix exactly which post I replied to. I really have to learn to read someday.....)
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24301
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
I thnk the spam email is the first time in 5 years it's happened here, so we're on par. 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
garyfritz
Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12026
Location: Fort Collins, CO
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:59 am Post subject: Re: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
|
|
| ecrabb wrote: | | Great work, Kal. I'm nuking a couple of users and half a dozen posts per day, and I figure the rest of the mods are, too. |
If that many slimebags are getting through every freakin' day, wouldn't it be less work and less hassle to have some sort of admin-must-approve-before-you-can-do-anything process? How many *legitimate* new users do we get every day??
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:24 am Post subject: Re: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
|
|
| garyfritz wrote: | | ecrabb wrote: | | Great work, Kal. I'm nuking a couple of users and half a dozen posts per day, and I figure the rest of the mods are, too. |
If that many slimebags are getting through every freakin' day, wouldn't it be less work and less hassle to have some sort of admin-must-approve-before-you-can-do-anything process? How many *legitimate* new users do we get every day?? |
About a dozen or so new users/day.
We have multiple mods to moderate. There can only be one admin. I don't want to have to approve a dozen or so new users every day, 365 days/year, for years.
But the most important reason: As someone who's been on probably 50 forums over the years: The most annoying thing you can experience as a member to a new forum is to have to wait to be approved. Normally you want to sign up because you have something to say right then and there, and if you have to wait 2-12-48 hours, you start off on the wrong foot.
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:31 am Post subject: Re: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
|
|
| kal wrote: | | garyfritz wrote: | | ecrabb wrote: | | Great work, Kal. I'm nuking a couple of users and half a dozen posts per day, and I figure the rest of the mods are, too. |
If that many slimebags are getting through every freakin' day, wouldn't it be less work and less hassle to have some sort of admin-must-approve-before-you-can-do-anything process? How many *legitimate* new users do we get every day?? |
About a dozen or so new users/day.
We have multiple mods to moderate. There can only be one admin. I don't want to have to approve a dozen or so new users every day, 365 days/year, for years.
But the most important reason: As someone who's been on probably 50 forums over the years: The most annoying thing you can experience as a member to a new forum is to have to wait to be approved. Normally you want to sign up because you have something to say right then and there, and if you have to wait 2-12-48 hours, you start off on the wrong foot.
Kal |
Or you forget about it all together and don't bother to go back.
_________________
Tech support for nothing
CRT.
HD done right!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jocrazy0
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Carrollton, Texas, USA
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:53 am Post subject: Re: Made more changes to try and deter SPAMMERS |
|
|
| AnalogRocks wrote: | | kal wrote: | | garyfritz wrote: | | ecrabb wrote: | | Great work, Kal. I'm nuking a couple of users and half a dozen posts per day, and I figure the rest of the mods are, too. |
If that many slimebags are getting through every freakin' day, wouldn't it be less work and less hassle to have some sort of admin-must-approve-before-you-can-do-anything process? How many *legitimate* new users do we get every day?? |
About a dozen or so new users/day.
We have multiple mods to moderate. There can only be one admin. I don't want to have to approve a dozen or so new users every day, 365 days/year, for years.
But the most important reason: As someone who's been on probably 50 forums over the years: The most annoying thing you can experience as a member to a new forum is to have to wait to be approved. Normally you want to sign up because you have something to say right then and there, and if you have to wait 2-12-48 hours, you start off on the wrong foot.
Kal |
Or you forget about it all together and don't bother to go back. |
uhhhhh I think I resemble that remark. 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 8508
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hmmmm, I currently have ongoing pm's with various people who have never posted. Does this mean they lost the ability to reply back to me?
I receive PM's quite often from people that have never posted with questions on flat panels, tv's and A/V systems. Curt must surely fall under this category also.
I guess if it has to be, oh well, nothing I can do about it.
Damn spammers are causing more problems then they know.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
PM's will work Mac, it's just email that won't.
_________________
Tech support for nothing
CRT.
HD done right!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 8508
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| AnalogRocks wrote: | | PM's will work Mac, it's just email that won't. |
This is what Kal posted he changed:
"Only users with 5 or more public posts may send PMs"
The email thing I didn't care about. I only get PM's.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| macgyver655 wrote: | | Hmmmm, I currently have ongoing pm's with various people who have never posted. Does this mean they lost the ability to reply back to me? |
Correct.
The ability to email someone through the forum has been completely disabled. If I enable that, spammers will simply start using that instead. I could enable it and put the same 5-post limit before emails can be sent but frankly I don't understand the point of having both PMs and emails available to reach someone.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | I receive PM's quite often from people that have never posted with questions on flat panels, tv's and A/V systems. Curt must surely fall under this category also. |
These people are likely just reading something you wrote and want to contact you and don't care about the method. Put something in your signature (like your email) for how to reach you if it's important for non-forum regulars to be able to contact you.
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
Last edited by kal on Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kschmit2
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1141
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
you just attracted a new one
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 8508
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| kal wrote: | | macgyver655 wrote: | | Hmmmm, I currently have ongoing pm's with various people who have never posted. Does this mean they lost the ability to reply back to me? |
Correct.
The ability to email someone through the forum has been completely disabled. If I enable that, spammers will simply start using that instead.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | I receive PM's quite often from people that have never posted with questions on flat panels, tv's and A/V systems. Curt must surely fall under this category also. |
These people are likely just reading something you wrote and want to contact you and don't care about the method. Put something in your signature (like your email) for how to reach you if it's important for non-forum regulars to be able to contact you.
Kal |
Can the ones I have been PMing still receive my PMs to them? I dont care about the email thing being disabled. I am getting all activity through PM.
I'm all for helping deter spammers but the 5 post to PM may not help with spamming. A spammer will merely random post 5 times and then continue with his regular spamming of PM's, even though this is the first one I got. But hay, you have to try something.
No problem putting my email in my signature. Just wish I had some warning on this PM issue though. I could of prepared for it. They are not just curious lurkers. Some were Pioneer board repairs.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| macgyver655 wrote: | | Can the ones I have been PMing still receive my PMs to them? I dont care about the email thing being disabled. I am getting all activity through PM. |
Yes they will still receive the PMs. They won't be able to send a PM if they haven't posted 5 times. If this is some sort of business you're doing and people are getting to you after reading your posts then I'd suggest you post contact information in your signature, list a website, whatever. You can't rely of forum PM's to do business. Curt has his email and phone number listed on the main site so I'm sure a lot of people simply go that way. No need to sign up to the forum.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | I'm all for helping deter spammers but the 5 post to PM may not help with spamming. A spammer will merely random post 5 times and then continue with his regular spamming of PM's, even though this is the first one I got. But hay, you have to try something. |
The whole point with them posting 5 times is that we will likely catch them and nuke them before they start to silently send 100's of PMs. Yes, someone could post replies that make sense 5 times in a row and then start spamming by PM's but most times they do not. Someone who posts nonsense as their first 5 posts immediately after registering as a forum member will be nuked. It's typically very obvious who's a spammer and who isn't.
The whole point of the 5 post minimum to get them into the open.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | No problem putting my email in my signature. Just wish I had some warning on this PM issue though. I could of prepared for it. |
Said a bit tongue in cheek here, but the problem is that the spammer who hit us hard yesterday did not give us any warning either.  I jumped on a solution right away and then spent many hours testing/installing the changes. I then had 50-75 emails and PMs to go through from people to explain what happened. I spent a good portion of the day on this yesterday. The idea of warning people wasn't something I was about to do as it would have left the door open.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | They are not just curious lurkers. Some were Pioneer board repairs. |
You are making money off this site. That's fine. Since this is a side business for you I suggest you post your email or website or phone number in your signature or provide details in your profile page. Something that is in your control and takes things offline. You can also PM your email to everyone involved if you want. Doing business through PM's on a forum isn't really what the forum is for.
If any paying club members are annoyed at the 5 post limit before PM's can be sent then by all means I'm happy to refund their membership costs in full.
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
macgyver655
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 8508
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| kal wrote: | | macgyver655 wrote: | | Can the ones I have been PMing still receive my PMs to them? I dont care about the email thing being disabled. I am getting all activity through PM. |
Yes they will still receive the PMs. They won't be able to send a PM if they haven't posted 5 times. If this is some sort of business you're doing and people are getting to you after reading your posts then I'd suggest you post contact information in your signature, list a website, whatever. You can't rely of forum PM's to do business. This is a matter of opinion but actually I'm not doing business here anyways.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | I'm all for helping deter spammers but the 5 post to PM may not help with spamming. A spammer will merely random post 5 times and then continue with his regular spamming of PM's, even though this is the first one I got. But hay, you have to try something. |
The whole point with them posting 5 times is that we will likely catch them and nuke them before they start to silently send 100's of PMs. Yes, someone could post replies that make sense 5 times in a row and then start spamming by PM's but most times they do not. Someone who posts nonsense as their first 5 posts immediately after registering as a forum member will be nuked. It's typically very obvious who's a spammer and who isn't.
The whole point of the 5 post minimum to get them into the open.
Like I said, you have to try something.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | No problem putting my email in my signature. Just wish I had some warning on this PM issue though. I could of prepared for it. |
Said a bit tongue in cheek here, but the problem is that the spammer who hit us hard yesterday did not give us any warning either. I jumped on a solution right away and then spent many hours testing/installing the changes. I then had 50-75 emails and PMs to go through from people to explain what happened. I spent a good portion of the day on this yesterday. The idea of warning people wasn't something I was about to do as it would have left the door open.
| macgyver655 wrote: | | They are not just curious lurkers. Some were Pioneer board repairs. |
You are making money off this site. That's fine. Since this is a side business for you I suggest you post your email or website or phone number in your signature or provide details in your profile page. Something that is in your control and takes things offline. You can also PM your email to everyone involved if you want. Doing business through PM's on a forum isn't really what the forum is for.
I'm not making money off this site. I am helping those with problems even the manufacturer didn't solve. I charge for parts and return shipping and very little for my time. I dont need to make money. I am fine just how I am. There are people on here that will confirm things I have done for them and didn't charge anything. This site is not a business for me in any way, shape or form. I'm only here to help.
If any paying club members are annoyed at the 5 post limit before PM's can be sent then by all means I'm happy to refund their membership costs in full.
Nice poke........
Kal |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17860
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Link Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
No problems macgyver. No poke intended.... Some people do not like changes so they're completely entitled to refunds if they want them IMHO.
I tell you - I'm completely annoyed at these spammers... I'm all ears if anyone has any other ideas on how to reduce the amount of SPAM while keeping maintenance at reasonable levels and the user experience here a good one.
It's been suggested that accounts should be authorized by the admin before someone gains access but that doesn't work for many reasons:
(a) Someone's not a spammer unless they spam. So unless they sign up with hobbies or websites with words like "Viagra" in them, how am I supposed to tell they're a spammer?
(b) Normal users will hate this. I don't know of any big forum that makes you wait. When someone wants to post you have seize the moment and let them post. Otherwise they may lose interest or go elsewhere.
(c) It's a lot of work for the admins/mods here.
I've spent some time reading at AVS as to how they combat spam and it basically comes down to exactly what we do here which is:
(1) CAPTCHA and human readable question at registration time.
(2) Not allowing PM's until 5 posts are done.
(3) Lots of moderation (their mods are fast).
(4) Flood checks (only allowing posts every X seconds)
They do have one extra one that we don't:
(5) Post with links/images from users with less than 3 posts are not seen immediately. They go for mod approval first.
This is an interesting idea. Lots of coding/testing but more importantly would require greating moderation too to avoid long delays between when someone first posts and the questional post with images/links is first seen. I don't think that one would go over well here at all given that a large portion of new members are posting support questions for the products sold here and need to link to user manuals/etc. The AVS forum feedback section is full of people asking/complaing why their post isn't seen or why it takes so long to approve....
I think it comes down to keep doing what we're doing and just being on top of things (3).
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
Forum FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Photo Albums
Register
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
