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  • new member challange

    There are a lot more one-post-spammers over the last few months than previously. Usually theyre automated by robots who have capthca breaking skills, so it would seem hard to stop them.

    There is one way that works well for small-user based forums such as this one: challenge all new users with a question. Capthca robots usually cant handle a text box such as:

    - What colour is an orage?
    - What is one less than 7
    - Some very easy google search

    Ive seen it work well. Andy have you tried this before?

  • #2
    Re: new member challange

    Sadly most of the spammers on the site in the last few months are human... not bots.

    Seems there is a trend of hiring a room full of low paid workers to post links on forums.

    I dont want to discuss what we have done or plan to do as that just makes it easier for them but please understand that you are not seeing the 1000s of posts that would be there if we did nothing.
    8-)

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    • #3
      Re: new member challange

      Originally posted by 4D6268750C0 link=1320809487/1#1 date=1320817506
      Sadly most of the spammers on the site in the last few months are human... not bots.
      really? wow!
      I dont want to discuss what we have done or plan to do as that just makes it easier for them but please understand that you are not seeing the 1000s of posts that would be there if we did nothing.
      of course, many thanks for keeping the place running - I wasnt trying to tell you how to run things, just saw this stupidly simple idea recently that worked for a friend. His forum must be smaller than CS - I suppose 17,000 members is a big enough target :-?

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      • #4
        Re: new member challange

        Originally posted by 2B232B2C2620420 link=1320809487/2#2 date=1320819481
        I suppose 17,000 members is a big enough target
        As one of the slides for my computer security class says: if the economic benefit is there, itll get exploited.

        This is basically an arms race and there are far more ratbags than good folk. Like Andy

        Much of the work of the humans planting this stuff goes towards links to sites hosting malware. They dont need much of a hit-rate for this stuff to pay off. Sadly.

        /Kevin

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        • #5
          Re: new member challange

          Is there a simple way to report a suspected spam post to a moderator? Ive not found it if there is!

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          • #6
            Re: new member challange

            just in case you hadnt noticed... Andy likes his messages by email

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            • #7
              Re: new member challange

              Originally posted by 664147545B5250744141475456415A47350 link=1320809487/4#4 date=1320916795
              Is there a simple way to report a suspected spam post to a moderator? Ive not found it if there is!
              There really isnt much need of one as all the new posts are read by the mod team many times a day so its rare for any spam to remain in public view for very long.



              Java "Spam filter" phile
              Toys! I must have new toys!!!

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