Streaming Sports Spam Threads

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
For some time now, DR1 has been under a spam attack from a group promoting streaming sports spam. DR1 moderators are working diligently to delete and ban them as soon as they see them.

We are not the only ones being targeted, many other online groups are having the same problem with the same people. They are automated spam bots and they have found a way around the forum software that normally does not allow a new member to post links.

So.......

1. Please do not click on any of their links.
2. Please do not post in their threads.
3. Please feel free to report the spam as soon as you see it - it helps us to target the threads quicker.
4. Please be patient when the threads do not get deleted immediately - the mods have real lives, jobs, families, and we do have to sleep :)
 

mobrouser

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
2,339
98
48
AE, the Quickbooks vB forum that I belong to requires you to complete a sentence (along the lines of Mary had a little ---.) before you can register so as to prevent the auto bots. It appears to work as I haven't seen deluges of spam on it. Has Robert not considered this?
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
AE, the Quickbooks vB forum that I belong to requires you to complete a sentence (along the lines of Mary had a little ---.) before you can register so as to prevent the auto bots. It appears to work as I haven't seen deluges of spam on it. Has Robert not considered this?

I know nothing about the workings, but I'm sure he'll see this.
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
16,050
418
83
AE, the Quickbooks vB forum that I belong to requires you to complete a sentence (along the lines of Mary had a little ---.) before you can register so as to prevent the auto bots. It appears to work as I haven't seen deluges of spam on it. Has Robert not considered this?

We tried something like that once and it caused more work because the threads with certain words were not approved till a mod checked it and approved it for viewing. Also caused many good threads to go into the unapproved section. Easier to delete spam threads. Thanks to those that report spam.
 

mobrouser

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
2,339
98
48
This isn't to post a thread, but to register as a new user. In order to complete your profile you have to finish a sentence with the correct word.

The hockey forum I visit also implemented it last year after a massive spam attack and it works fine.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
This isn't to post a thread, but to register as a new user. In order to complete your profile you have to finish a sentence with the correct word.

The hockey forum I visit also implemented it last year after a massive spam attack and it works fine.

I believe it's called a "Captcha"
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
I believe it's called a "Captcha"

captcha-300x171.jpg
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
We use Captcha and a question, plus a special timeout between when you start to register and when you confirm.

Yes, it's effecting many forums right now. These are manually registrations and postings.
They go back and edit their posts within a set time in order to add the link.

We are working on a fix.
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
16,050
418
83
We use Captcha and a question, plus a special timeout between when you start to register and when you confirm.

Yes, it's effecting many forums right now. These are manually registrations and postings.
They go back and edit their posts within a set time in order to add the link.

We are working on a fix.

This might be extreme but new posters can't send a pm till they have about 11 posts perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to post link as sell.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
This might be extreme but new posters can't send a pm till they have about 11 posts perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to post link as sell.

They can't. That why they post and then go in and re-edit to add the link.
A new post is handled different to an edited post, hence the issue.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
I have banned at least 2 and reported a half dozen more on forums where I can moderate...

HB
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
Banning prevents further thread creations from that account but obviously until there is a means to block non-human account creation or the auto editing to add a link, these will continue. They are becoming easier to identify without the need to enter the thread though.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
"You're in a desert and you see a tortoise lying on its back.."

[video=youtube;Umc9ezAyJv0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umc9ezAyJv0[/video]
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
I understood Robert's post to say that they are not "bots" but manual entries by humans.

Robert, can you set "Newbies" to not allow editing of posts or a minimum # of posts before they are allowed to edit?

Set "Newbies" time limit to edit down to zero.

Rather read misspelled post then put up with the spammers.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
Wow, still going after 24 hours. This is quite a siege.. Maybe change the question to something other than "how many days in a year?"


I can never figure out how they make money, unless it's a virus link. Maybe they get a couple pennies for every click through..
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
I understood Robert's post to say that they are not "bots" but manual entries by humans.

Robert, can you set "Newbies" to not allow editing of posts or a minimum # of posts before they are allowed to edit?

Set "Newbies" time limit to edit down to zero.

Rather read misspelled post then put up with the spammers.

They are now moderated until we find a solution.