| Posted | Message |
|---|
Paul Bellamy
8/2/2011 11:07:29 AM | Here's a couple of tools I find very useful in weeding out iffy applications on the forum I help run:
BotScout
StopForumSpam
Hope they are of use,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
|
Jackie Sharp Sheflin
8/2/2011 1:29:08 PM | Paul,
Very interesting...I never knew there were such things out there.
Jackie
|
donaldbyers
8/2/2011 4:41:06 PM | We look at such applications all the time but it always comes down to compatability.... I would like to see a spell checker on the site also.
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
|
Paul Bellamy
8/3/2011 5:45:39 AM | To be honest I find it just as quick to manually run the applicants' details through the sites rather than install the code.
That also prevents a repeat of an incident last year where the IP-check code locked my forum's server up completely.
Paul
Paul Bellamy
|
EDanaII
8/3/2011 7:32:37 AM | Roger that, Paul. Will look into it, as well as other options.
|
Paul Bellamy
8/3/2011 8:38:07 AM | Ta Ed,
I've just run the usernames of the most recent new members through my basic checks* and we have a few definites to be culled:
Dydayagelay:
Same profile with different username had been spamming a number of worldwide forums in the last couple of weeks, repeatedly banned and deleted.
Given location plus the healthnewsspot link almost always means trouble.
4dadlog35:
BotScout - 19 reports
flultecauck:
royalescorts etc. is a regular red flag warning of a filth spammer, especially when it's a non-existent URL
Expendables1125:
StopForumSpam - 18 reports
BotScout - 8 reports
IP and e-mail searches would flag up a few more I should think, but as a basic member I can't access those... 😉
All the best,
PB
* SFS, BScout and good old Google.
Paul Bellamy
|
Paul Bellamy
8/3/2011 12:12:37 PM | GuareeGarrami:
Interesting new one, multi-forum spamming in Polish.... 🙄
Paul Bellamy
|
donaldbyers
8/3/2011 1:46:13 PM | And removed with extream predjusice.... and after spellcheck extreme prejudice
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
|
EDanaII
8/3/2011 6:00:54 PM | And thus we see WHY Don needs a spell-checker! 😛
|
donaldbyers
8/3/2011 10:38:40 PM | Ok Ok bud :shock:
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
|
EDanaII
8/4/2011 7:17:53 AM | Couldn't resist. You can always smack me upside the head the next time you see me. 😃
|
Paul Bellamy
8/4/2011 9:24:53 AM | rutballiell is looking iffy... AKA smeascuselele, DotCospispvom, cerNatassency, etc.
Odd how many people with the identical profile but different usernames have registered on all sorts of forums worldwide recently. :twisted:
PB
Paul Bellamy
|
donaldbyers
8/4/2011 10:08:14 AM | I have deleted about 30 inactive users who tried to gain access just this week. I have also deleted about 10-12 that made it through and some of them had posted on different topics and that could have been a reason for some of the notifications that you received..
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
|
Josie
8/4/2011 10:50:11 AM | WOW, thanks for running front line defense guys...I did not know we had so many hoodlums trying to create havoc on our website!
Josie 🙂
|
donaldbyers
8/4/2011 2:09:45 PM | Thanks Josie, I am always on watch and try to keep them from posting and keeping them off the site.
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
|
Josie
8/6/2011 5:22:25 AM | Good to know Don! Does this mean you sleep with one eye open? 😂
No really, thanks for all you do. You are part of a team of people in our
membership who I truly appreciate!!! 
|
Paul Bellamy
11/17/2012 11:55:43 AM | It appears that many phpBB-based forums have been hit hard in the last day or two by spam registrations, this one included.
They seem to have found a way around most of the common automatic registration safeguards, such as "Question and Answer" and Capcha, etc. if they have been used too often and are therefore Googleable.
It's now being advised to use a simple photo-based question with no text references, which should block the bots at least. i.e. A photo of a daffodil, the question being what colour is this object.
See https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... &t=2165645 for ongoing discussion.
On my own forum I'm fortunate that all applications have to be activated manually, and my blocked list correspondingly grows as required.
This forum gets about the same amount of traffic, so if you need an extra pair of eyes to keep the spammers in check I'd be more than happy to help.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
|