Is it just me or we're flooded with spambots?

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#51 Post by **Orodaran** » 21 Jun 2011 23:10

Me too, they seem to be fewer in numbers... maybe they go on summer holidays as well...

Lord Borbak · #52 Post by **Lord Borbak** » 24 Jun 2011 14:23

I'd say you spoke too soon

Desert_Storm · #53 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 26 Jun 2011 22:18

Well from what I saw (and that wasn't much), most bots seem to have location:usa now, I guess the webmaster did put in that hack and now we just get the ones that aren't in that time zone?

#54 Post by **Orodaran** » 02 Jul 2011 17:56

I just banned one from Australia... not sure they're only from the USA now...

Gandalf de Grijze · #55 Post by **Gandalf de Grijze** » 06 Jul 2011 20:39

At this point I'm only checking in out of habit, often leaving after 2 seconds because there seems to be nobody else posting but spambots...

Little Dragon · #56 Post by **Little Dragon** » 06 Jul 2011 20:57

flooded, definately flooded. ten or more new topics in the coffeeshop and all of them seem to be spambots. and i'm way too lazy to report them all. You know where to find, do anything against them.

The Rider Of Rohan · #57 Post by **The Rider Of Rohan** » 06 Jul 2011 21:16

Interesting countermeasure:

http://forum.xbmc.org/register.php

Desert_Storm · #58 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 07 Jul 2011 13:21

@Rider
There seem to be a bunch of them, also on the link I posted on the last page there were a lot more hacks that could be included in the php code, but somebody has to set them up and probably exchange them for new ones every few days to stay effective and that seems like some work to me.

Still, wouldn't e-mail activation be an option under the premise that they're processed by some volunteer members? It seems to me like we have enough people willing to help... yet. I don't know about the other people, but I hardly visit the forum any more because of all the sections flooded with spam, wouldn't it be better to have some regulars answer a bunch of e-mails before accessing the forum than to lose those regulars because nobody wants to dig trough all the spam before finding a human post anymore?

#59 Post by **Led Guardian** » 08 Jul 2011 18:11

They're definitely registering from places other than USA. I just deleted one that hailed from 'Livesex land.'

The Rider Of Rohan · #60 Post by **The Rider Of Rohan** » 09 Jul 2011 11:17

@ Desert Storm

Dunno about e-mail registration. Do you mean 'click here to verify your registration?' Yes, that would help. I would also increase security at the gate, because it solves the actual problem. And yes, this would involve higher security through a number of addons. None of these would actually solve the problem, but at least they'd reduce the number of spambots. Some registrations are actually carried out through manual labor, so it's never possible to prevent them all, just to make their life a little harder.

Led Guardian wrote:They're definitely registering from places other than USA. I just deleted one that hailed from 'Livesex land.'

Is that an actual country? And if so, what are we still doing here?

Desert_Storm · #61 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 09 Jul 2011 22:00

Why not just ban registrations from the US?

#62 Post by **Led Guardian** » 10 Jul 2011 03:42

Desert_Storm wrote:Why not just ban registrations from the US?

They're not just registering from the US though, so that only partially helps. It will also confuse the hell out of any fans from the US who are trying to register, even if you put up a message.

Desert_Storm · #63 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 10 Jul 2011 13:29

Led Guardian wrote:
Desert_Storm wrote:Why not just ban registrations from the US?
They're not just registering from the US though, so that only partially helps. It will also confuse the hell out of any fans from the US who are trying to register, even if you put up a message.

I know.
I wasn't too serious about it either

#64 Post by **Led Guardian** » 10 Jul 2011 18:27

Desert_Storm wrote:
Led Guardian wrote:
Desert_Storm wrote:Why not just ban registrations from the US?
They're not just registering from the US though, so that only partially helps. It will also confuse the hell out of any fans from the US who are trying to register, even if you put up a message.
I know.
I wasn't too serious about it either

Ah. That makes sense, actually.

#65 Post by **Led Guardian** » 18 Jul 2011 18:43

And now they're posting pictures of naked women. I admit that I nearly did not delete that post. What can I say, they were nice boobies.

Andreas · #66 Post by **Andreas** » 21 Jul 2011 00:17

Pervert

#67 Post by **Led Guardian** » 21 Jul 2011 02:22

Andreas wrote:Pervert

I'm sure you're overcome by moral outrage right now.

Andreas · #68 Post by **Andreas** » 21 Jul 2011 15:53

I sure am. I expected higher moral standards from a moderator...

#69 Post by **Led Guardian** » 22 Jul 2011 01:54

Led Guardian wrote:
Andreas wrote:I sure am. I expected higher moral standards from a moderator...

That's why I deleted those pictures. My standards are very high, and those pictures didn't meet them.

#70 Post by **Led Guardian** » 23 Jul 2011 22:23

Someone do something, please. I just deleted a forum-wide tidal wave of spam. If something doesn't happen, this forum will simply drown in it. Basic captcha, anything to reduce the volume. It would take far less time to add that than it does to delete everything.

Gandalf de Grijze · #71 Post by **Gandalf de Grijze** » 24 Jul 2011 19:15

this forum is already drowning, many regulars have abandoned the board since the spambotinvasion began...

Raistlin Majere · #72 Post by **Raistlin Majere** » 26 Jul 2011 12:08

maybe this can help: http://blogspam.net/
I found it in google, but I have no clue how it works.

Desert_Storm · #73 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 27 Jul 2011 01:53

Raistlin Majere wrote:maybe this can help: http://blogspam.net/
I found it in google, but I have no clue how it works.

A lot of stuff "could" help, but it always needs somebody who does it. What about more or other admins? I don't blame anybody who doesn't have the time for all that stuff, it was much less work in the days were spambots were a rare event, but if "people" feel that they don't have time to take care of the forum, maybe the admins should seek for another staff. I rarely see regulars posting here anymore, and once the forum consists only of spambots it wont be of any use for anybody anymore.
Not to be taken as a personal attack, but there are people who would gladly do something to keep this forum alive, why not hand the rights over to them?

Desert_Storm · #74 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 27 Jul 2011 01:58

By the way:

Andreas · #75 Post by **Andreas** » 28 Jul 2011 16:20

Lots of spambots having their birthday today

#76 Post by **Orodaran** » 01 Aug 2011 21:25

Desert_Storm wrote:
Raistlin Majere wrote:maybe this can help: http://blogspam.net/
I found it in google, but I have no clue how it works.
A lot of stuff "could" help, but it always needs somebody who does it. What about more or other admins? I don't blame anybody who doesn't have the time for all that stuff, it was much less work in the days were spambots were a rare event, but if "people" feel that they don't have time to take care of the forum, maybe the admins should seek for another staff. I rarely see regulars posting here anymore, and once the forum consists only of spambots it wont be of any use for anybody anymore.
Not to be taken as a personal attack, but there are people who would gladly do something to keep this forum alive, why not hand the rights over to them?

Well, while more mods could help, at the rate spambots are spamming now, you would need someone to actively refresh the forum and delete them as they come, they just won't stop. It's a problem that has to be sorted at the root....

Gandalf de Grijze · #77 Post by **Gandalf de Grijze** » 01 Aug 2011 22:02

ie. the webmaster has to quit being lazy and do something or appoint someone who can and is more willing to invest a little more time in forum maintenance.

Desert_Storm · #78 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 03 Aug 2011 19:58

Well I'm with you guys. Especially since it really can't be so hard. Every other forum that I visit has hardly any spambot problems, or none at all. Probably due to application of some of the codes I posted above, a simple question required to be answered right for registration, captcha-esque stuff or simple e-mail confirmation.

Anyway, It's been going on for a while now, and I don't see any help coming from the webmaster (or anyone else for that matter - except for the constantly post deleting mods

), so maybe we users should get creative.

For example:

As somebody pointed out earlier, spambots seem to either create their own threads or respond to such that only have one page. The first shouldn't be too much of a problem, since the threads are easily recognised and therefor easy to avoid or delete (I think). The second could be "solved" if we users spam them first!

I am referring to the following: everybody who sees a new topic instantly responds with a post containing "discussion starts on page 2". If enough people do that, page 2 will be reached pretty soon, traditionally followed by a post saying: "PAGE!" and then the discussion can be started spambot-free, optionally with the opening message quoted in the first post of the second page.

Advantages: Spambots on the first page don't bother anyone and don't have to be deleted because they disturb a discussion; Everybody who knows about the "technique" will instantly jump to page 2 and isn't bothered by spambots at all; Everybody who doesn't know will read it on the spamposts with "discussion starts on page 2" and then jump there; Higher postcount for active spambot-preventers (

); Less time-waste for the mods; Probably unique; etc.

Disadvantage: May scare away people (though the many spambots we have do that anyway); inelegant (again, so is it now); Extra effort for participating users (but so is the report function).

All in favour?

#79 Post by **Orodaran** » 03 Aug 2011 20:33

Too complicated...

I would suggest trying to bring back what seemed to be a very useful remedy some time ago: the creation of a "General" section that all spambots would go looking for first, and having it completely flooded while the forum stays free.

But I'm under the impression that spambots have evolved their ways. Damn, I recognize their patterns by memory by now: some post 13 posts, 7 in a thread they start, 6 somewhere else; the Coffee Shop is flooded by single and multiple posts; some other spambots reply to the topmost 4-5 threads with a single reply in it etc etc... it's the same 3-4 patterns for all spambots, I can't believe there isn't a fix or a hack to sort it out.

For what it may be worth, and as I said this would not solve definitively the situation, I volunteer to be promoted to admin rather than moderator, for the sole reason to have the "Delete all posts by this user" option avalaible to me and be even quicker to delete all the posts. But since we're literally flooded (Desert Storm, I saw your reply here as last post in the Site section, I came here to read it, and by the time I entered the subforum a spambot had already posted something and it was still online) this would not solve THAT MUCH things. It would be just a tool more for me...

Desert_Storm · #80 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 03 Aug 2011 22:15

Yeah well I didn't actually reckon that this idea would get promoted to general forum policy, but instead of whining I thought it might be better to be creative (and to whine some more

).
As you say, you being able to "delete all posts by user" would make the situation a little better but not nearly solve it. I guess e-mail verification would be a good solution, given the volunteers who would do the verifying and the trust of the staff to let them do it (I think they tried it and it worked but was too much effort for the admins?).
Also, this raises the rather historical question of how the admins became admins in the first place and who decides who stays on board and for what reasons. Curu for example is an admin but I rarely see him around anymore (nothing against Curu!), and you (Oro) have been mod for quite some time now (though not in the earlier days if I remember correctly?), one of the most active for that matter, but don't have the means to do the work quicker.

#81 Post by **Orodaran** » 03 Aug 2011 23:39

Well, in the beginning me and Joost were the first mods made on this version of the forum, then for whatever reason too far back in time to be worth discussing I felt like not posting anymore for a while so Curufin was made a mod as well, then when the webmaster finally decided he hadn't enough time to follow the forum he elevated the active mods of the time (Joost and Curu) to admins, leaving me as mod even if I was away (I eventually returned), and things have stayed that way until we added Led Guardian to the fold

also because without spambots there's nearly nothing to do for a moderator around here, so there was never the need to have a bunch of regular people looking after trolls and pirate links and whatever - and still there wouldn't be, if it wasn't for all this spam!

spamel · #82 Post by **spamel** » 04 Aug 2011 19:05

Any news on thefollowing? Can't be arsed with this any more.

Desert_Storm · #83 Post by **Desert_Storm** » 04 Aug 2011 19:29

To be honest I don't really see that happen anytime in the near future, at least that's my impression when I look in the forum section. After so many people were excited about the idea of reviving it, the "developers" would certainly report any big steps. Maybe we should evacuate this forum and leave it to the spambots and all join another community for future discussions. I suggest the twilight zone fan club. If we are many and persuasive enough, they certainly will give us a blind-guardian subsection. Just remember to have the words "I am legion" in your sig.

#84 Post by **Led Guardian** » 05 Aug 2011 21:13

A spambot just made two posts on page 2. We're doomed.

#85 Post by **Orodaran** » 06 Aug 2011 00:17

Also, I noticed that we have 3000 users (give or take) with 0 posts, and at least 2990 of them have suspicious (or quite blatant) spambots names... I'd say that a little forum de-population wouldn't hurt the database, I remember Joost did it once... sure, it won't solve the spambots issue, but at least we'll make space for brand new ones

last.fm · #86 Post by **Joost** » 08 Aug 2011 14:12

Just deleted some 3000 users, mostly spambots and inactive accounts.

Also I mailed Jason, asking him if he could update phpBB to the latest version.

#87 Post by **Orodaran** » 08 Aug 2011 19:28

Call it placebo effect, but the forum seems quite faster now

last.fm · #88 Post by **Joost** » 09 Aug 2011 18:04

Just switched to the Q&A Captcha, hopefully this works...

last.fm · #89 Post by **Joost** » 10 Aug 2011 08:50

Lovely! No spambots this morning!

#90 Post by **Orodaran** » 10 Aug 2011 19:55

And not even this evening

#91 Post by **Led Guardian** » 10 Aug 2011 23:46

I haven't seen anything in 2 days. Feels good.

spamel · #92 Post by **spamel** » 11 Aug 2011 00:29

Let's hope the issue is resolved and never happens again, but should it have been allowed to happen, and to continue to happen, for so long? How did it benefit the forum? How many people have been put off visiting here permanently? I cannot believe it was allowed to go on unchecked for so long. Big up to the Mods that stuck with it though, and to the forum members that could still be bothered to report the posts in the first place after what seems like months of inactivity on the Admin's behalf.

Hopefully, this is the end of the matter.

#93 Post by **Webmaster** » 17 Aug 2011 21:45

Finally...now that they are gone I can come back here.

Raistlin Majere · #94 Post by **Raistlin Majere** » 29 Aug 2011 10:15

congrats!

No spam!

Andreas · #95 Post by **Andreas** » 03 Sep 2011 00:39

Then what are you doing here?

Frozen within · #96 Post by **Frozen within** » 06 Jul 2012 21:46

you guys missing the spambots as much as I am ?

last.fm · #97 Post by **Joost** » 10 Jul 2012 15:48

They're off to Isengard, where they belong!

#98 Post by **Orodaran** » 17 Nov 2012 01:22

Frozen within wrote:you guys missing the spambots as much as I am ?

They're back, happy now?

Gandalf de Grijze · #99 Post by **Gandalf de Grijze** » 17 Nov 2012 02:50

I sure as hell wasn't today... but now they're gone i am

#100 Post by **Orodaran** » 17 Nov 2012 14:41

Gone? they keep coming faster than I can delete them.... dunno what has changed!!! when Joost fixed the problem last time the spambots disappeared in an istant, I wonder how all of a sudden they found a way to get around that....

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