SPAM!! its becoming a serious problem, please help
- Thread starter NOSfusion
- Start date
CyberFreak
Legendary Typer
If you have ftp access install one of the many anti-bot mods around like - http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=570929
If you are on a free host, bug your free host to install anti spam protection for all the forums they host and you can personally set up a few custom profile fields that need to be filled in on the registration page and also set it to admin verification.
If you are on a free host, bug your free host to install anti spam protection for all the forums they host and you can personally set up a few custom profile fields that need to be filled in on the registration page and also set it to admin verification.
Spamming is a awfull thing. When It first happened to me, I was extremely shocked and didnt know what to do. My moderators supported me and we deleted all the spam bots posts, and banned the bots too. When I thought it was over, I recognised that the bot kept on making more accounts. I deleted the accounts immediately and was forced to make new members have to have admin approval before entering. It is still on that today.
Anyway, when that had gone, this spammer (who had previously called himself PANIK) spammed other forums and said that I had ordered the attack. People on Proboards support got on to me asking why i had ordered attacks on their forums. This got me worried, but I sorted that out. Apparently i had payed this PANIK $100 to spam forums. Well guess what, Im not American so i dont use $, I use £!
So that proved it even more that it wasnt me who had ordered the attack.
Just as I thought it was over, this PANIK then went around other forums calling himself Lewtendo (name of me on Proboards support and name of my forum) and spammed saying to join Lewtendo as all other forums are crap and Lewtendo is great. I was beggining to get hated online. Anyway, a moderator of Proboards support helped me out and helped everyone recognise that I am not the spammer. I had to have someone help me because I had like 3 PM complaints a week about "Why the hell have you spammed my forum?"
Anyway, now it is all over, and Panik has left me and Proboards alone. Thank goodness for that.
Sorry if I have bored you and sorry if this is the innapropiet place to post this, but I just wanted to show how bad spam can be, and why something must be done.
Anyway, when that had gone, this spammer (who had previously called himself PANIK) spammed other forums and said that I had ordered the attack. People on Proboards support got on to me asking why i had ordered attacks on their forums. This got me worried, but I sorted that out. Apparently i had payed this PANIK $100 to spam forums. Well guess what, Im not American so i dont use $, I use £!
So that proved it even more that it wasnt me who had ordered the attack.
Just as I thought it was over, this PANIK then went around other forums calling himself Lewtendo (name of me on Proboards support and name of my forum) and spammed saying to join Lewtendo as all other forums are crap and Lewtendo is great. I was beggining to get hated online. Anyway, a moderator of Proboards support helped me out and helped everyone recognise that I am not the spammer. I had to have someone help me because I had like 3 PM complaints a week about "Why the hell have you spammed my forum?"
Anyway, now it is all over, and Panik has left me and Proboards alone. Thank goodness for that.
Sorry if I have bored you and sorry if this is the innapropiet place to post this, but I just wanted to show how bad spam can be, and why something must be done.
Watch Me Sink
Madly Diligent
Though I don't know if it is for phpBB also I use this MOD:
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=999
No spam bots since.
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=999
No spam bots since.
CyberFreak
Legendary Typer
That is one of the horrible downsides to running a forum. With bots you can atleast do something to stop them most of the time but with humans it can be hard to stop as adding a custom profile field or a question can't stop humans from signing up and with admin validation it can be hard to tell real member from human spammer. We did quite a few months ago (probably getting on for a year ago) have a massive human spam problem for a couple of nights in a row where someone would set up loads of accounts and then spam us with hundreds of posts with quite offensive material. Luckily it was only for a couple of nights until the person got bored but unfortunately there is nothing that can stop humans. There are endless amounts of temporary email sites and proxies people can use and you just have to make it as hard as you can and then they will get bored and move on.lewis95 said:
hmm.... ok well Ive changed my site so you have to be approved to post.
And the mods, Im going to install tmr after work, again thanks for the help.
PS. Its sad that people spend time messing up someones personal work (such as a website) just because they are bored. -n-
And the mods, Im going to install tmr after work, again thanks for the help.
PS. Its sad that people spend time messing up someones personal work (such as a website) just because they are bored. -n-
CyberFreak
Legendary Typer
The spam bots do it most of the time to promote their own sites and get loads of backlinks to their site and improve their search ranking.
Or you can just do it the simple way.
Find a pattern in the way spam bots join, then block it.
Example: They always use GMT-12 because they can only select the first choice in a drop down menu. Simply block users from join with that time zone. Installed it on BlueHumor.org and have yet to have another spambot join, no other anti-spam stuff is turned on either.
Simple things work better than adavanced things, keep it simple guys.
Find a pattern in the way spam bots join, then block it.
Example: They always use GMT-12 because they can only select the first choice in a drop down menu. Simply block users from join with that time zone. Installed it on BlueHumor.org and have yet to have another spambot join, no other anti-spam stuff is turned on either.
Simple things work better than adavanced things, keep it simple guys.
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