An idea to stop spammers

elixzer · #1 04-16-2010, 05:45 AM

HI, dont know if you will dig my idea. I was shocked the other day to be emailed about a response to my thread 'ear training' only to find some spammer had posted a LONG list of porno sites!

I am no prude but I felt it So incongruous with this forum and subject, and I was concerned that younger people who use here would be faced with that

But not only that, I keep seeing in threads other spammers saying stupid one sentences pretending they like the forum, but leaving some website address. I have just come from one, and I checkedout his posts and found that he had of course spammed other threads with exactly the same phony sentiments

A WAY this spamming can be beat if I am not mistaken is to ask posters to type some symblos before they post. Soe other forums I am subscribed to do it and it seems to work

This is just my idea, its up to you if you act on it. These people are pests and it'd be great to make sure they cant disrupt the great communications going on here with people who love music!

Bill C · #2 04-16-2010, 07:19 AM

I would personally favour a modest lifetime subscription charge to the site to solve this problem. I have lost count of the number of spam posts I've reported ...

FatJeff · #3 04-16-2010, 07:37 AM

Yes, but they get deleted quickly, and to be honest, I don't think this board is nearly so bad as others. I think we're OK for now. Just MHO.

elixzer · #4 04-16-2010, 07:49 AM

OK cool. I wasn't sure is all

JohnW400 · #5 04-16-2010, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elixzer

OK cool. I wasn't sure is all

Worse than the porn are all the people sdelling footwear. I'll bet it outnumbers porn spam by 10 to one

And I still don't get why. Why footwear on a music site. I understand the guys hawking the audio stuff but not the shoes. (esp the UGG boots)

Scrybe · #6 04-16-2010, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnW400

Worse than the porn are all the people sdelling footwear. I'll bet it outnumbers porn spam by 10 to one

And I still don't get why. Why footwear on a music site. I understand the guys hawking the audio stuff but not the shoes. (esp the UGG boots)

You mean you're trying to play jazz barefoot?!?

I always thought flatted 5th referred to a type of heel for women with small feet...

Maybe set the boards (if possible) so your first few posts have to be checked by an admin before they appear?

elixzer · #7 04-16-2010, 10:05 AM

Good idea!

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #8 04-16-2010, 11:22 AM

These "spammers" are spambots, not people. On other forums I belong to, like the TDPRI, they ask you a "skill testing question" or have a CAPTCHA you have to type in in order to join. This seems to weed out the spambots without creating extra work for the admins.

GuitaRoland · #9 04-16-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatJeff

Yes, but they get deleted quickly, and to be honest, I don't think this board is nearly so bad as others. I think we're OK for now. Just MHO.

I have also reported about spam a number of times and agree with FatJeff - they are deleted very quickly - thanks for that.

/R

elixzer · #10 04-16-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

These "spammers" are spambots, not people. On other forums I belong to, like the TDPRI, they ask you a "skill testing question" or have a CAPTCHA you have to type in in order to join. This seems to weed out the spambots without creating extra work for the admins.

Yeah, thats what I originally meant--a CAPTCHA

JohnRoss · #11 04-16-2010, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

These "spammers" are spambots, not people. On other forums I belong to, like the TDPRI, they ask you a "skill testing question" or have a CAPTCHA you have to type in in order to join. This seems to weed out the spambots without creating extra work for the admins.

I don't know how true it is, but I have been told by forum admins that spambots are no longer as common as real spammers, people in third-world countries earning a few cents per post. A CAPTCHA doesn't keep them out altogether, though it is a deterrent. I use Akismet, myself, works like a charm, filters out nearly 100% of spam (whether human or bot-generated), and I'm pretty sure there is a vbulletin plugin for it.

musicalbodger · #12 04-16-2010, 03:43 PM

I reckon most of these are human spammers on this forum. But, as has been said earlier, there are a bunch of us who report them and they're gone pretty quickly.

Just imagine what a sad life you must lead to want/need to do it

(I mean post it, not report it

)