13 replies to this topic

[ScottS]

We're under attack by spam bots at the moment. I've banned about 10 in the last 24 hours, and I see another 20-30 that have attempted to register in the last couple days.The mod bots are fighting back by requiring new users to be approved by a mod before they can post. I'm hoping we don't need to make this permanent, but if that's what is required to stop the spam, we will.

[positiveContact]

We're under attack by spam bots at the moment. I've banned about 10 in the last 24 hours, and I see another 20-30 that have attempted to register in the last couple days.The mod bots are fighting back by requiring new users to be approved by a mod before they can post. I'm hoping we don't need to make this permanent, but if that's what is required to stop the spam, we will.

fight the power scott. this is common on a lot of other forums so you wouldn't be alone.

[Tankard]

We're under attack by spam bots at the moment. I've banned about 10 in the last 24 hours, and I see another 20-30 that have attempted to register in the last couple days.The mod bots are fighting back by requiring new users to be approved by a mod before they can post. I'm hoping we don't need to make this permanent, but if that's what is required to stop the spam, we will.

This seems to be happening all over. I've been told that the homebrewing site I used to belong to recently deleted 75% of the membership because of the spam problems. The small brewing site that my friend set up put the site on admin approval for new members. It's a good way of dealing with it. Not sure why the spam bots all of a sudden got set to level 11, but they've definitely become even more of a problem, recently.

Edited by Tankard, 16 January 2011 - 10:04 PM.

[ScottS]

Not sure why the spam bots all of a sudden got set to level 11, but they've definitely become even more of a problem, recently.

I've heard rumors that some of the major email spammers have discovered that referral spam on forums and blogs is more profitable. I haven't paid much attention to the volume of email spam I'm getting to see if it has decreased, but I've heard other people say it has.

[MtnBrewer]

We've now disabled this feature and implemented a new policy that we hope will be more effective. Now when new users attempt to validate, they have to answer a challenge question correctly. We'll see how this goes but hopefully the bots won't be able to anticipate the question.

[Tankard]

We've now disabled this feature and implemented a new policy that we hope will be more effective. Now when new users attempt to validate, they have to answer a challenge question correctly. We'll see how this goes but hopefully the bots won't be able to anticipate the question.

Are these actually bots? On my friends brew site, he has a registration question, and they still get through. He thinks that someone is manually adding one or two, and then automating the rest. I don't see how else they could beat the Captchas.

[MtnBrewer]

Are these actually bots? On my friends brew site, he has a registration question, and they still get through. He thinks that someone is manually adding one or two, and then automating the rest. I don't see how else they could beat the Captchas.

That's what I'm wondering too. We've had a handful that are obviously spammers validate after adding the question. If this doesn't work then the only thing left to do is to create a new user group. Members of this group will require mod approval of posts and when some number (probably 1) of their posts are approved, then they automatically get promoted to the Members group.

[RommelMagic]

KILL THE BOTS, KILL THE BOTS!!!

[MtnBrewer]

Death is too good for those.....polar bears.

[positiveContact]

Death is too good for those.....bolar pears.

I think you mean bolar pears.

[Connie]

That's what I'm wondering too. We've had a handful that are obviously spammers validate after adding the question. If this doesn't work then the only thing left to do is to create a new user group. Members of this group will require mod approval of posts and when some number (probably 1) of their posts are approved, then they automatically get promoted to the Members group.

This isn't going to change my status or mess with my Birthday Princess classification is it? I mean I'm ok if it does, I'm just going to need a little warning.So ok, what are the questions? Beer related? Cause THAT'S hardly fair. You could wipe out most of us with one of those.

[MtnBrewer]

This isn't going to change my status or mess with my Birthday Princess classification is it? I mean I'm ok if it does, I'm just going to need a little warning.

Are you a new user?

So ok, what are the questions? Beer related? Cause THAT'S hardly fair. You could wipe out most of us with one of those.

The thought occurred to me.

[Big Nake]

This really is happening all over the place. Just the other day, I was offered Viagra and a penis enlarger on the Northern Brewer forum. Oh my goodness... is it wrong if I say I don't need either one?

[Connie]

This really is happening all over the place. Just the other day, I was offered Viagra and a penis enlarger on the Northern Brewer forum. Oh my goodness... is it wrong if I say I don't need either one?

The greenboard had ads back when we were all there. I remember because of course when it happened, everyone complained. But I thought Keith set it up where it blocked everything except ads relevant to beer brewing or drinking.I mean like the Kevin Bacon thing, I can swing it around to see why penis enlargement is on a beer brewing site, but it's a pretty wide curve.