Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Spam reporting idea

RogueRose - 3-10-2018 at 21:29

IDK if this has been considered but would it be possible to copy all the usernames for the spam posts that are listed under the New posts and then submit a single U2U with them?

Something like this:

Jackass1
Jackass2
Jackass3
Jackass4
etc

Or if formatting is a problem maybe one of the following:

Jackass1, Jackass2, Jackass3, Jackass4

If a script could be written that picks up CSV's then the above would work well, with each comma indicating a new entry/user

The U2U could be sent by the report function or via the U2U system, maybe with a username like SPAM, that sends the message to all mods/admin's. Then the body would be of the users who are spamming. then the mod can just copy the list and then enter it into a script that scrubs the current postings.

Just an idea, sorry if this has been thought of, just trying to figure out more efficient ways than openeing each message and maybe doing it in one fell-swoop.

RR











j_sum1 - 3-10-2018 at 22:31

If we are witing and running scripts then there are a few ideas around that will deal with the spam automatically. Then reporting will not be a burden at all.

What you are proposing will not ease things much from the moderators' end.

RogueRose - 3-10-2018 at 22:47

Would it be possible to create a user "Spammod" where all the spam reports go. If any message goes to that account then it pulls the posters name of the thread who was reported.

So if Spammod got a U2U from the Report function, then the username of the thread starter automatically gets purged.

IDK if that would be a possibility.

I don't want to come off as being a PITA about this, I'm just trying to figure out the easiest way to take care of the issue and it is impossible to know what all the ideas have been run through by mods and members.

Melgar - 3-10-2018 at 23:32

How about we enable user registrations by appointment only? Have a Reddit or Twitter username to contact if you want to register, and mods will open registration temporarily for you. Then slam the door shut on the spammers. I'd say to put an email address, and that might work too. Just make sure you have a good spam filter! :D

fusso - 4-10-2018 at 04:20

Quote: Originally posted by Melgar  
How about we enable user registrations by appointment only? Have a Reddit or Twitter username to contact if you want to register, and mods will open registration temporarily for you. Then slam the door shut on the spammers. I'd say to put an email address, and that might work too. Just make sure you have a good spam filter! :D
But I don't have reddit and I won't bother opening a reddit just register on SM. I would choose twitter though. But what if spammers do the same thing and pretend to be human?
Btw don't you think putting these ideas in publicly accessible sites make spammers to also evolve with us?

[Edited on 04/10/18 by fusso]

MrHomeScientist - 4-10-2018 at 05:56

Any system like that will discourage new users. I know I wouldn't have signed up if I had to go through several other websites, none of which I have accounts for.

Sure spam is annoying but it's not something we need to drastically change the forum over. Just report it and move on. It gets taken down automatically within a few hours in most cases.

highpower48 - 4-10-2018 at 08:29

I belong to a lot of groups. Most of them moderate and need to approve new member posts for a say the first 10 posts just for this reason to keep out spammers.

RogueRose - 4-10-2018 at 10:22

Quote: Originally posted by highpower48  
I belong to a lot of groups. Most of them moderate and need to approve new member posts for a say the first 10 posts just for this reason to keep out spammers.

agreed!

Melgar - 4-10-2018 at 11:21

What about something like "Due to the high volume of spam we've been receiving, forum staff must approve new registrations manually. Click here to request a new account. Most accounts are approved in a few hours." Then have a link to a third-party mass-messaging tool that we actually have the ability to configure. Allow users to be notified by email, Reddit, or Twitter when their account is approved. We'd set it up for them based on data they enter in the form. I feel like that would be easier than leaving the floodgates open and manually mopping up all the spam, and it wouldn't actually make it any harder to register. Presumably this would only be a temporary solution, until we came up with a better solution. But even a temporary solution would be better than nothing.

It's frustrating coming back here over and over and having it look like there have been new posts, just to find out it's more spam. Forum spam is the internet equivalent of dust and spiderwebs. If you see it, it's often a sign of neglect, although perhaps not always. And I'd heard this site described as a "ghost town" elsewhere on the internet before, although that's certainly not a term that I'd use to describe it.

The trouble with most of these suggestions is that the forum software here does not permit administrators to implement the types of fixes that are being suggested. If anyone actually has the capacity to make automatic rules that can ban people, then I would suggest posting in more than three forums within six times the flood limit.

[Edited on 10/4/18 by Melgar]

MrHomeScientist - 4-10-2018 at 11:31

Or just auto-ban anyone that uses the words "unencumbered", "plat", "mature", or "galleries" in the subject line :D

fusso - 4-10-2018 at 14:17

We also need mods patrolling in the specific time period that has the most spams.

mayko - 4-10-2018 at 14:27

BRING BACK BFESSER

macckone - 4-10-2018 at 15:12

Moderating the first 10 posts that a user posts might be effective, if enough moderators are available around the clock to approve the posts. I have been around a good bit lately as I am between gigs. I think a trusted spam patrol might be effective as well.

You can't really tell who is a spammer and who isn't by moderating sign ups with some exceptions that are probably already automated. And even at 10 posts some might slip through.

Limiting to one new thread per day for the first 10 posts would cut out some of the newbs from posting silly stuff. At the very least it would consolidate their posts. Some newbs actually ask insightful questions but I am not sure if that is an exception or not.

We occasionally get experienced chemist joining and some method of vetting those to bypass the controls might be helpful as well.

j_sum1 - 4-10-2018 at 15:23

I think that once we eliminate the bot spamming the job is mostly done.
Any human spamming will stand right out and can be eliminated quickly.

Trolling and kewlish behaviour generally gets very little traction -- such is the culture of this board. Idiots are treated for what they are. Mod intervention is usually pretty minimal.