[Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
[Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I think it would be a good idea to have clear rules on how to deal with spam threads. Like whether to post snarky comments in the spambot-created thread and such.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I will delete spam threads as soon as I see them. It doesn't matter to me whether people post in them first.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I like to adresse the issus of the spam bots who seem to be increasing. I know that manual selection is kind of an overwork for you but am sure there other simple solution to prevent automated registering
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I have the anti-spambot features enabled, which requires both email verification and asks the registering user to read a graphic and decipher a series of letters and numbers. The graphic is a pretty good countermeasure against automated registrations.
The spammers who are posting here are probably registering manually, and then posting spam either using a bot or manually.
I don't think requiring moderator verification is a good idea at this stage. I don't want to end up in the same situation as the Digital Webbign forums (where people couldn't get verified)... for now, if I can't get into the forums for a few days I'd much rather have a spam message undeleted for a few days than have someone who wants to participate in the discussion wait for a few days to get validated.
If the situation gets worse, I will investigate other options, but for now it's just a nuisance.
The spammers who are posting here are probably registering manually, and then posting spam either using a bot or manually.
I don't think requiring moderator verification is a good idea at this stage. I don't want to end up in the same situation as the Digital Webbign forums (where people couldn't get verified)... for now, if I can't get into the forums for a few days I'd much rather have a spam message undeleted for a few days than have someone who wants to participate in the discussion wait for a few days to get validated.
If the situation gets worse, I will investigate other options, but for now it's just a nuisance.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
Suggestion: Is it possible to limit topic creation? For example, setting a barrier which prohibits a user from creating new topics if they have under a certain number of posts.
OUTSIDER UPDATE => HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED?
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
Could be interesting but am not sure of it efficiency, those bots sometime do their spam in any open post, so they would quickly fill that limit.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I've never seen a bot go past five posts, though assuming that individuals are registering they might just program a work around (though I doubt they read anything here and they just do some automated process and fill in the blanks for registering. If they did read here they would notice that they are targeting an audience of 2 dozen people
)
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
OUTSIDER UPDATE => HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED?
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
That's an interesting idea, but I don't see a way to implement it within phpBB's scheme.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
I believe it's possible to make it so that new user registrations are placed in the Newly Registered Users group. Then you can just edit the permissions for that group so they can't post without approval and can't start new threads. Add an intro forum (hide all other forums from them), with one thread that's basically a simple terms of use and make the new person post "I agree" or something and bam, you have a filter of sorts.
Also might want to change the CAPTCHA, default phpbb3 captcha got busted a year or two ago, and reCAPTCHA was cracked recently as well (though I did notice some changes in how it does things recently, it requires an API key to use, not difficult to acquire). Doing the 'fill in these special profile fields' countermeasure doesn't really work either.
The Question/Answer setup actually works well, but you need to be careful with the options. Can't be a simple math question, or what color is the sky/grass question, as bots can answer those. Make it something like "Who writes the science fiction comic Outsider?" with Arioch of Jim Francis as acceptable answers. Things people can find out if they don't know, but can't be easily solved by word matching.
Also might want to change the CAPTCHA, default phpbb3 captcha got busted a year or two ago, and reCAPTCHA was cracked recently as well (though I did notice some changes in how it does things recently, it requires an API key to use, not difficult to acquire). Doing the 'fill in these special profile fields' countermeasure doesn't really work either.
The Question/Answer setup actually works well, but you need to be careful with the options. Can't be a simple math question, or what color is the sky/grass question, as bots can answer those. Make it something like "Who writes the science fiction comic Outsider?" with Arioch of Jim Francis as acceptable answers. Things people can find out if they don't know, but can't be easily solved by word matching.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
Wonder how any company hope to accomplish something by annoying his potential customer with spam?
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
what language is that?
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
Try Google Translator until it makes sense.Michael wrote:what language is that?
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
sapere aude.
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
well, on the problem of spam bots....KILL IT, KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!!....or a Loroi WMD of some kind
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
how about we turn their own weapon against them?Michael wrote:well, on the problem of spam bots....KILL IT, KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!!....or a Loroi WMD of some kind
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
so long as WMDs are included i don't mind
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
Loroi WMD? Women of Mass Desire?Michael wrote:so long as WMDs are included i don't mind
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
that'll work, fry their circuits ![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Re: [Suggestion] Spambot handling rules
That a spambot is posting in this thread is.... wonderful....yami12 wrote:[link to an alleged jobapplicationguide removed]
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)