Spambot Discussion

GoldMan27

Retired Moderator/Car Enthusiast
Thread has been renamed to discuss Spambots. Talk away.
 
Last edited:
Very well, I've renamed the thread to "Spambot Discussion".

So, we know they arrive during peak hours when the bulk of activity is minimal. We also have the option of making a bot ourselves to hunt down these accounts (however the coding could take a while, and even then it could have tendency to follow its protocol too well, meaning we'd end up banning accounts made by real people alongside spam accounts).

Any other ideas then?
 
As we have discussed beforehand, there is an option of having a new "active" moderator to work out the system. I am probably the one who frequents the forums the most, and I am willing to step up to the position if I receive full approval from the other moderators along with VashX.

I would be able to tend to these bots in a matter of minutes and instead of reporting, I can deal with them the same way as moderators. But then again, it is a just a suggestion.
Hmm, so it all comes back to a 5th/replacement 4th Mod. Well, if anyone has further opinion on the matter, feel free to say your opinion on this.
 
Well, considering the potential for banning non-spamming users if a bot is used to cut down on spam threads, I believe a new moderator would work much better when it comes to decreasing the frequent spam accounts. However, whether these are appropriate decisions or not is up to VashX. Perhaps he should have an idea or two about the situation.
 
This idea is quite basic, but I guess reCAPTCHA is always worth a try, and if that doesn't work, I would agree that a 5th moderator would be a good idea, TheRudeWolf is most likely the most suitable for the job, being probably the most active member on the forums.
 
This idea is quite basic, but I guess reCAPTCHA is always worth a try, and if that doesn't work, I would agree that a 5th moderator would be a good idea, TheRudeWolf is most likely the most suitable for the job, being probably the most active member on the forums.
A captcha would be annoying. Unless, only new members can get it untill said amonut of post's.
 
A captcha would be annoying. Unless, only new members can get it untill said amonut of post's.
Woops, I mean't a captcha when joining, unless we already have that. But your idea seems smarter than mine :3.
 
The idea of spam bots seem pretty decent. Although the idea may be useless and basic it would be helpful. All of the moderators do have their own lives to take care of and rarely have time to ban multiple spam bots. Plus it would have at least a flaw or two but the idea could be added to the forums.
 
Very well, I've renamed the thread to "Spambot Discussion".

So, we know they arrive during peak hours when the bulk of activity is minimal. We also have the option of making a bot ourselves to hunt down these accounts (however the coding could take a while, and even then it could have tendency to follow its protocol too well, meaning we'd end up banning accounts made by real people alongside spam accounts).

Any other ideas then?
Question!
What exactly is a spambot?
 
Someone who makes a account with a name like "Tod Bed" names like that and have links in there profile
Not quite.

Spambots are usually actual "bots" (as in programmed bots, not physical bots) controlled by a user that make accounts on forums in hopes that some fateful user will click their link. Often times if left unattended, these spambots can overwhelm a forum and will usually boost the forum's pagerank in Google searches by posting numerous threads, further advertising their link.

RudeWolf and I tend to spot them quite quickly on the Members section. If they have a full name in all lowercase, and they have a spam link attached to their profile, they are a spambot. Simply give RudeWolf or I a holler, and one of the Mods will hop right over and ban their butts back to the computer they came from! :tongueout:
 
so TRW will Be a Moderator?
Actually, I only threw him in there because he seems to be the main person to report these spambots for me when I am unable to. In a sense, he's moreso a secretary in these matters for me, though if he will become a Moderator, that remains to be seen.
 
Not quite.

Spambots are usually actual "bots" (as in programmed bots, not physical bots) controlled by a user that make accounts on forums in hopes that some fateful user will click their link. Often times if left unattended, these spambots can overwhelm a forum and will usually boost the forum's pagerank in Google searches by posting numerous threads, further advertising their link.

RudeWolf and I tend to spot them quite quickly on the Members section. If they have a full name in all lowercase, and they have a spam link attached to their profile, they are a spambot. Simply give RudeWolf or I a holler, and one of the Mods will hop right over and ban their butts back to the computer they came from! :tongueout:
Ok!:smile:
 
I have noticed that these Spam Bots may hove only come from one source. Seeing as they have the same webpage that they're advertising.
 
I have noticed that these Spam Bots may hove only come from one source. Seeing as they have the same webpage that they're advertising.
I seen them come from mostly 4 or 5 sources
Which one is Maxxnofacts or what ever its called
 
Truth be told, there are programs out there that allow users to setup loads of spambots, linking bogus websites, with bogus IPs, and bogus email addresses.

How do I know this? I had a user on this forum ask twice for some software that could create spambots and send them to a specific domain. After that, I did some more background research on spambots. In short, if you know what to look for, you can find software to create dozens of spambots, and file them out to a specific site. In any case, These spambots are most likely coming from the same user, who just at random happens to put different sites on them.
 
Truth be told, there are programs out there that allow users to setup loads of spambots, linking bogus websites, with bogus IPs, and bogus email addresses.

How do I know this? I had a user on this forum ask twice for some software that could create spambots and send them to a specific domain. After that, I did some more background research on spambots. In short, if you know what to look for, you can find software to create dozens of spambots, and file them out to a specific site. In any case, These spambots are most likely coming from the same user, who just at random happens to put different sites on them.
That's kinda creepy.....
 
Spambots are freaking annoying, I think maybe having to do a simple and quick CAPTCHA (or however you spell it) every time somebody registers/logs in that is hard enough so bots can't pass it, yet easy enough so that it doesn't become annoying/tedious for real people.
 
Four ways to spot a spambot:
1. Full lowercase name
2. Proper name (example: david warne)
3. Have a link to some marketing product (often vitamins) in their bio.
4. Use NO punctuation what-so-ever, apart from a full stop at the end of the post.
Have a nice day.
 
Back
Top