jeffturner - signature full of spamlinks

Damn Spider pig

So...

Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: SecuredOne
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: draibiaSpeace
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: tedy
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: RamymeesseVax
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: Hovaevoxy
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: dhanu
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: PerStoliTeert
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: Azecywisekyxewim
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: IdordGroutt
Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: lakshmi

...all spam!

"Hoher Sinn liegt oft im kindischen Spiel." (Friedrich Schiller)

Well the recaptcher thing doesn't seem to have worked that well so far. It's been on for the last 5 days, has there been a reduction in spammers?

I might try going back to the random question, but use Discworld questions instead of 4 x 4 = etc... then, if that doesn't work, manually approve everyone and ask them to write why they want to join and ask them to say what their favourite Discworld scene/character is or something?

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

The Discworld question thing sounds nice, but then again, do we want to exclude "starters"? It would have to be a very obvious question.

Do they have to give a valid email-adress, and is it somehow validated?

That said, it could be me, but it does seem to have decreased a little bit. It's just that, when I am in a hurry, I just move spam to the Dungeon Dimensions and later come back to post the profiles here. Hence, the long list of spammers from my post above.

"Hoher Sinn liegt oft im kindischen Spiel." (Friedrich Schiller)

I've tried joining akismet to utilize a new function where new people's posts are scanned for spam' And you can add their IP address to a spam database when you delete posts.

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

You guys are doing a great job in keeping the board clear. Many congratulations for spending the time to do so.

Can I add a couple of points?
One small observation is that in most of the multiple posts I've seen and reported recently that some of the posters are simply copying Pratchett related text from other sources and adding the spam links to their signature line. Would a security question be as easily bypassed with a simple google search?

Most of those people fill in the minimum details - would it be possible to make a few extra deatails (eg. email, which can remain hidden) compulsory on the initial form? It might make the process a bit longer and discourage them.
Or simply have their membership held until approved by the Sweepers.

Does akismet read the signature as part of the post or would it ignore it?

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

Emails are already a requirement, always have been. Most of the spam links are in the posts I think. I'm not sure what akismet does exactly regarding spam posts, it might have done it already?

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

Well whatever happened Mal, it seems to be working. I haven't seen anything to day at all.
Well done that man!

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

Rinku seems to be naughty

() ()
( ' ,') "don't eat green potatoes"
(> >) Last words of Mrs. Bertha Sperling
@( )_ )_

Despite the best efforts of Mal and the Sweepers, we still seem to be getting the persistant 'little tinkers' that are posting threee to six times a day. I find a lot of these posts appear very early morning. Most of them are deleted/moved normally the same day, but the board isn't as busy at it used to be and I notice Rinku's post has been there for over a day with quite a few hits.

I know most people are busy with other commitments so would it be an idea to to promote a couple of the, still regular, members to a level that could be called Watchman and give them limited powers to move these posts to the Dungeon Dimension as soon as they are spotted?

A post could me made in the Temple to tell the Sweepers what thread has been moved and allow them to decide further action.

It's just a thought and it might be a bigger discouragement if the posts were removed in a couple of hours or even as they are being made.

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

I'm happy to help as well. I have more time now that I, erm..., work from home now.

R.

Q. How do you write?
A. One word at a time.

Actually, I'd say it has become a bit less now that the previous weeks. (This as a feedback to Mal, not as a reply to the idea to let more Sweepers sign up.)

"Hoher Sinn liegt oft im kindischen Spiel." (Friedrich Schiller)

And now, consuderably less. I hope I didn't jinx it just now... by mentioning that...

"Hoher Sinn liegt oft im kindischen Spiel." (Friedrich Schiller)

We do seem to have bottomed out lately, but there have been about 40-50 new members who have signed up in the past few weeks using what look like random letters for user names. I've Googled some of these names as I find them and have discovered that a few are, or have been, active as spammers on several other boards.
I'll just keep reporting stuff as it appears unless the sweepers get there first.

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

Igttos. Terry Pratchett Books Unseen Message Board - View Profile: igttos

Mrs G
The Garner who cares.