Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Surely there is a better way to allow people to register than what's going on now. There have been a lot of people registering that end up being spammers. I've seen on other sites where you have to post like ten times before a picture is allowed to be posted. Maybe that would weed these guys out.

Admin and mods are really doing a great job getting rid of these turds posts.

Thanks guys.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

A drawback to limits on posting pictures would be a new person wanting to show off their car, or describing a problem with an accompanying picture. Not everyone will want to post X amount of times before being able to post pictures.
However if the spammers get out of control we may have to adopt more restrictive policies if the platforms software cannot address the issue.
We will certainly consider your suggestion.

Thanks
:cheers:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

If you posted 10 times in a minute and nothing was of value to the group, I would think the mods should be able to axe you right then.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Hey John, is it just me, or is your avatar lop-sided?

Jim

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Lop-Sided, maybe, but uh...who would care.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

How about this, we don't let users sign up with a .ru in their email address.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Use the built-in Captcha and Email Verification systems that VBulletin provides? :dontknow:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

That would be great :hello:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

That is a good idea, though restricting every .ru would keep anyone with that common Russian domain from signing up. While the odds of a Russian ZR-1 owner/enthusiast is unlikely, it would be ashame if they could not sign up on the forum. So I think we will temporarily restrict it to help stem the current tide of Russian spammers. Then presumably once we are off this groups radar, we can reinstate it and see if they return.


Believe it or not we do use those vBulletin tools, yet they still continue. Every time a new roadblock is put in their way, they find a way to circumvent it. So it is an ongoing battle between the developers of the platforms and the spammers who are determined to drive everyone insane.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

I think that is a risk we should be willing to take.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

I already put it in place, yet another non .ru registered. Hopefully the .ru block will help but we will have to wait and see.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

How about for anyone new joining, their first 10 posts (just an example) have to be verified by a moderator before actually becoming visible. If it's explained when someone joins I can't see legitimate users having a problem with the slight delay that might occur.

Re: Forum running slow
 

Mom,

Many other forums have admin's "allow" new members to join and if they seem suspect, they don't allow it. I know it is more work, but I'd be happy to help.

:cheers:

David

Re: Forum running slow
 

Me too, the new member delete 20 members a day stuff has to stop.

Re: Forum running slow
 

Typically there is a "profile" that has to be filled out....


There is a question they have to answer like "what is the ZR-1's motor called" LT5.


We can look @ it and figure out if they are bogus or not. Most are posting profiles as "Viagra / Porn" anyway.

:cheers:

David

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Thanks for the offer and suggestions David.
Spammers are like a virus in that every time you come up with a new way to circumvent them, they mutate and find other countermeasures.
Jeff's idea of blocking .ru has helped to reduce the Russian spammers.

I suspect we will go with something like your idea regarding another challenge question as the next step in the war against these pests.

:cheers:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

This will work also....just let the forum run so slow the spammers get bored and leave.

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/forum/...ad.php?t=11008

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

If they don't show they own a ZR-1 in their profile BAN 'EM. Just never tell anyone that and it might work.

They have nothing to offer us.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

The suggestion of the BAN on non ZR1 owners without telling them why they are banned actually would work since ZR1 owners are not the spammers. You would have to keep that banning criteria secret however, from everyone and make it manditory for new members to describe their ZR1 in their profile.

I just do not know what questions you could ask that any new member could not find the answeres to. Some new members might not know any more than the spammers about the ZR1.

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

Keep in mind guys that not everyone who joins the forum owns a ZR-1. Some will be looking to buy one or trying to get advice because they are considering one. Others might be former owners, fans, and/or Corvette enthusiasts.
So while we will continue to find ways to prevent spammers, we do not want to eliminate the good with the bad.

:cheers:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

:cheers:

So how do other forums do it? I belong to several RAPTOR forums (ATVing) and they do not seem to have the spammer issues. Here is a list of domains/IPs which spammers use. http://www.stopforumspam.com/spamdomainsandips

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

The domains that spammers use changes every day (blocking IP addresses will help) but there are more methods to use to minimize automated spamming including CAPTCHA.

CAPTCHA is also mentioned in post #7 by DaveK :thumbsup:
Most spamming is automated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA

Now I am told that BOTS or automated programs that can be used for spamming have difficulty getting through CAPTCHA :mrgreen:

A spambot is an internet bot (as in ROBOT) that attempts to spam large amounts of content on the Internet, usually adding advertising links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_bot

Here is some free CAPTCHA :happy1:
http://recaptcha.net/

I am still thinking :icon_stud

Say....is Hammer a Spammer :sign10: Here I go again off the deep end :redface:

Re: Admin and Mods - Stop the Posters - Spammers
 

I just turn CAPTCHA back on again.

Thanks!
Mom