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froot
Hazard to Others
Posts: 347
Registered: 23-10-2003
Location: South Africa
Member Is Offline
Mood: refluxed
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Even better would be to have the button in each topic listing in the topic index, 99/100 one can identify spam by the alias and the topic title. This
way a spam report event won't count as a topic view and it will be even less interrupting. You can restrict the button's functionality to users with
less than say 10 posts safeguarding valid members and true contributions.
That will have spammers on the back foot, just a few clicks on the 'today's posts' page and they're dealt with without boasting even a single
pageview.
We salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who remove themselves from it.
Of necessity, this honor is generally bestowed posthumously. - www.darwinawards.com |
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Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
Member Is Offline
Mood: Incommensurately modulated
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What is the goal of these spambots anyway? They're just putting up nonsensical text probably copy and pasted from random sources on the internet. It's
not just link spam.
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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elementcollector1
International Hazard
Posts: 2684
Registered: 28-12-2011
Location: The Known Universe
Member Is Offline
Mood: Molten
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Quote: Originally posted by Brain&Force  | | What is the goal of these spambots anyway? They're just putting up nonsensical text probably copy and pasted from random sources on the internet. It's
not just link spam. |
See earlier in the thread - it's essentially Google-based advertisement exploitation. The more times they're mentioned on various websites, the more
Google bumps them up in related searches. Therefore, spam = marketing. Unfortunately, Google caught wind of this recently, and are undertaking some
anti-spam measures. So, these are now essentially pointless, though not quite as random as you might think.
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
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Texium
Administrator
Posts: 4619
Registered: 11-1-2014
Location: Salt Lake City
Member Is Offline
Mood: PhD candidate!
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Not quite as random as you'd think? Here's my most recent catch:
Seems pretty random to me. Of course, there's links thrown in there too, but for the most part it's incessant babble and broken sentences. Actually
kind of funny if you read it. "Pregnant boy mansion" WTF?
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Mailinmypocket
International Hazard
Posts: 1351
Registered: 12-5-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Weeeeeeeird. Apparently we are suffering from another wave of this spam shit. Hasn't been happening for a while but now? Odd alphanumeric usernames
galore and god awful posts with content so erratic and dumb you would pretty much have to be that erratic and dumb to click on its links!
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Etaoin Shrdlu
National Hazard
Posts: 724
Registered: 25-12-2013
Location: Wisconsin
Member Is Offline
Mood: Insufferable
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They're still not random even though they look so; they're calculated to shift search engine results. I don't understand why coherent text wouldn't
work better, but maybe they're mathematically optimized.
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Texium
Administrator
Posts: 4619
Registered: 11-1-2014
Location: Salt Lake City
Member Is Offline
Mood: PhD candidate!
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Yeah, mathematically optimized to look like insane babbling...
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elementcollector1
International Hazard
Posts: 2684
Registered: 28-12-2011
Location: The Known Universe
Member Is Offline
Mood: Molten
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Okay: Enough is enough.
Nearly every single subforum just got attacked by more of this stupid spam. There has to be a way to stop this. Maybe even implement some
emergency precautionary measures (harking back to some of the earlier posts about simple chemistry questions or even just simple questions)? Maybe use
a Captcha Code on the signup screen? There are way too many measures to prevent anything but humans getting on this board, and we're using none of
them, and the forum looks annoying as a result. 
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
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violet sin
International Hazard
Posts: 1482
Registered: 2-9-2012
Location: Daydreaming of uraninite...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good
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one thing that could be cool, perhaps extend the power to report posts for auto deletion by two or more trusted members, could be extended to even the
newest members, but only good on posts say up to an hour old??? that way no one can get together and report a bunch of older and valuable threads for
termination. but at the same time this stuff wouldn't sit here for days until the right people deleted/reported it? just a though.
I say this because I have noticed some times I have reported things to see them gone when I refreshed to the daily posts, and some times they are
still lingering around for hours. not sure if my reports are of the damning nature and just need another trusted member, or just heads-up msg to mods
ya know. but if it's a recent thread of babbel and gibberish, any one should be able to strike it down as an obvious trash post.
To be clear, I can't say I'm 100% sure how the report --> auto delete feature works, so I am just going from memory. sorry if I am mistaken.
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Polverone
Now celebrating 21 years of madness
Posts: 3186
Registered: 19-5-2002
Location: The Sunny Pacific Northwest
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting for spring
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I have tweaked the reporting process, somewhat inspired by violet sin. Before spam had to be reported by two trusted members or one moderator before
it was auto-deleted. Now it will be auto-deleted if it is reported by one trusted member and one 'semi-trusted' member. Everyone who has been
registered at least 60 days and has at least 50 posts automatically becomes a member of the 'semi-trusted' group. This should reduce the waiting time
for spam deletion, and means that any frequent user of the site can help stamp out spam.
Oh, and elementcollector1, this has been pointed out before, but: the spammers are human. Captchas do not work because these are not bots. IP
banning doesn't work because they use different IP addresses. The only solution that stops the spammers and does not discourage genuine prospective
members is to be vigilant about deleting spam when it appears.
PGP Key and corresponding e-mail address
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elementcollector1
International Hazard
Posts: 2684
Registered: 28-12-2011
Location: The Known Universe
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Mood: Molten
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Ah. That would tend to put a damper on things.
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
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Texium
Administrator
Posts: 4619
Registered: 11-1-2014
Location: Salt Lake City
Member Is Offline
Mood: PhD candidate!
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Just filed seven spam reports, although it appears that the spammer that posted them made 20 in one sitting… Sooner or later these spammers are
going to start being credited with Hazard to Self.
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Brain&Force
Hazard to Lanthanides
Posts: 1302
Registered: 13-11-2013
Location: UW-Madison
Member Is Offline
Mood: Incommensurately modulated
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If you make a "spam" button, can you place it somewhere away from the "report" button? I always hit the "quote" button instead.
At the end of the day, simulating atoms doesn't beat working with the real things...
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The Volatile Chemist
International Hazard
Posts: 1981
Registered: 22-3-2014
Location: 'Stil' in the lab...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Copious
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And we DON'T want to be quoting spammers 
I've noticed that most spam takes place at (my) nighttime. Messed up.
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Stortulling
Harmless
Posts: 8
Registered: 24-6-2014
Location: North Pole
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Real spam!! http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=31258
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The Volatile Chemist
International Hazard
Posts: 1981
Registered: 22-3-2014
Location: 'Stil' in the lab...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Copious
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The Ad-Hoc Commitee for the betterment of the sciencemadness forum and protection from spam attacks is now in session.....
If you see spam, report it. No matter what. It only takes 5 seconds.
Am I a trusted member? I've reported a lot of spam recently...?
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violet sin
International Hazard
Posts: 1482
Registered: 2-9-2012
Location: Daydreaming of uraninite...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good
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I have been reporting the $hit outta spam lately. even used my ipod touch to do so while the computer was in use. they have been brazen lately not
even waiting for late night to post it. I did notice however, they have moved away from the annoying -throw it at the end of an old thread- mentality
to starting a new one each time. makes it easier to find at least
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Gearhead_Shem_Tov
Hazard to Others
Posts: 167
Registered: 22-8-2008
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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I've reported dozens just today. One bloke sent something like seventeen messages—all in Chinese—in about as many minutes.
Seems to me it would be helpful if first time posters weren't allowed more than one post, say, an hour for their first few posts. Or maybe just one
post per 24 hour interval. That would discourage the more persistant spammers.
-Bobby
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hyfalcon
International Hazard
Posts: 1003
Registered: 29-3-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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Now it's Russian. I'm beginning to wear the letters the s,p,a and m keys.
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Burner
Hazard to Others
Posts: 100
Registered: 28-3-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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| Quote: Originally posted by Gearhead_Shem_Tov | | Seems to me it would be helpful if first time posters weren't allowed more than one post, say, an hour for their first few posts. Or maybe just one
post per 24 hour interval. That would discourage the more persistant spammers. |
That is a clever idea that would probably not impact legitimate new users.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding
its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your
knowledge.”
- Isaac Asimov
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The Volatile Chemist
International Hazard
Posts: 1981
Registered: 22-3-2014
Location: 'Stil' in the lab...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Copious
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| Quote: Originally posted by Burner | | Quote: Originally posted by Gearhead_Shem_Tov | | Seems to me it would be helpful if first time posters weren't allowed more than one post, say, an hour for their first few posts. Or maybe just one
post per 24 hour interval. That would discourage the more persistant spammers. |
That is a clever idea that would probably not impact legitimate new users. |
So, they only get 1 post per username, that's all. They'll just make more accounts.
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Texium
Administrator
Posts: 4619
Registered: 11-1-2014
Location: Salt Lake City
Member Is Offline
Mood: PhD candidate!
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It makes it take a lot longer for them though. It's well worth it. I saw one one time that had posted in every sub-forum during the first ten minutes
since it registered. That would be essentially impossible with this, and they would likely be caught and banned after their first post.
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Töilet Plünger
Hazard to Self
Posts: 66
Registered: 27-2-2014
Location: /root/
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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This is the most aggressive spammer I have ever seen.
Thank you, Bert, for killing the thing.
[Edited on 2014-7-9 by Töilet Plünger]
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Bert
Super Administrator
Posts: 2821
Registered: 12-3-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
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I think we need a more pro-active method. Reacting to spammers? Screw that. Let's HUNT these varmints... To extinction.
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
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The Volatile Chemist
International Hazard
Posts: 1981
Registered: 22-3-2014
Location: 'Stil' in the lab...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Copious
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bert | | I think we need a more pro-active method. Reacting to spammers? Screw that. Let's HUNT these varmints... To extinction. |
Indeed! We need a spam squad with ranks You can be our leader and admiral for
killing the thing above 
[Edited on 7-9-2014 by The Volatile Chemist]
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