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news about changes and fixes to the board, and a place to post any technical queries.

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jaded melody
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Spam

Post by jaded melody » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:13 am

Loads of it, on most of the boards. All by toby398.
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Re: Spam

Post by kiwi33 » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:42 am

Thanks jaded melody.

I have moved as much as I can and have flagged toby398 to be zapped by the admins.
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Re: Spam

Post by LKinney » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:25 am

This seems to be a really bad lately.

Thanks mods and admins for you hard work to battle these buggers!

Is bus able to add a human test to new members? I have seen more and more forums adding various tests to prove human being...ness. :olol:

Personally, I'm pro locking the boards - no posting unless you prove you are real.

I just find spam in place so extremely upsetting. I feel violated. Like someone make ads pop out of my journal, you know?
**We have DID.**

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Re: Spam

Post by kiwi33 » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:50 am

Thanks LKinney - we do our best. The thread on the staff board where the mods flag spammers to be zapped by the admins is 134 pages long and is growing by the day :roll: .

I am sorry about (and can sympathise with) your sense of violation when spammers post in your place.

Something that is under consideration is to make place "by request only", (the same as PBH).

But, it would be a big job given how popular place is with genuine members - giving real members retrospective permission to post there would not be a trivial task.
Alone we are born
And die alone
Yet see the red-gold cirrus
Over snow-mountain shine.


From High Country Weather, James K Baxter

You walk with an intelligence
That informs a clear bright eye
There are unexpected revelations
In the company of ravens.


From In The Company Of Ravens, Maddy Prior

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LKinney
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Re: Spam

Post by LKinney » Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:08 am

134 pages! Zounds.... :o

You all have my utmost respect. Moderating is not fun. I moderate an EXTREMELY SMALL mailing list, and spammers were the death of me. Granted, it was easy for me to set a dozen "Prove you're human!" tests as this did not affect current members, and I don't much care if new people join or not. Obviously bus doesn't have that same ease.

I wish I had easy answers. I wish you did for yourselves. :olol:

Regardless, you guys rock. Seriously. You ROCK! 8)
**We have DID.**

"The first thing you learn is how to be alone. You learn, or suffer. It is an easy lesson. You suffer more when people are around. People make you feel alone. And loneliness is a quiet wound." - Laura Kinney (aka: X-23, Wolverine)

"That is the one trick I never quite figured out: how to let someone in without it ending badly." – Jessica Jones

"This is what happens when you give a shit; the world flings it back at you." – Jessica Jones

"Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god." - Aristotle

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Re: Spam

Post by demolition_lover » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:02 pm

I'm curious about the implementation of one of those captcha things...I know some of the other boards I post on use it for new members and the amount of spam they have is significantly less. I'm sure you guys have considered this though, just a thought. :)

I appreciate all the work you put into getting rid of all the spam!! :1flwrs:
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Re: Spam

Post by splitimage » Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:50 pm

I can comment on the captcha function. There still is a captcha function for new registrants but the setting is really low, so it basically doesn't stop anyone. A couple of years ago, when we switched to the new board software, we did have a much higher level of security captcha that was so difficult to read that Admins were getting frequent e-mails from new users having difficulty registering, or from existing members who couldn't change their passwords. It was really frustrating for us, as really there wasn't a whole lot we could do about it. So we opted for easier access. Unfortunately this means an increase in spam.

The admin team really appreciates all the Busser's who take the time to report Spam to us, as once a spammer has been identified it's really quite simple for us to zap them.

--splitimage
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Re: Spam

Post by LKinney » Thu Jun 23, 2011 5:09 am

splitimage wrote:I can comment on the captcha function. There still is a captcha function for new registrants but the setting is really low, so it basically doesn't stop anyone. A couple of years ago, when we switched to the new board software, we did have a much higher level of security captcha that was so difficult to read that Admins were getting frequent e-mails from new users having difficulty registering, or from existing members who couldn't change their passwords. It was really frustrating for us, as really there wasn't a whole lot we could do about it. So we opted for easier access. Unfortunately this means an increase in spam.

The admin team really appreciates all the Busser's who take the time to report Spam to us, as once a spammer has been identified it's really quite simple for us to zap them.

--splitimage

Now I'm just curious from a tech point of view, cause I honestly don't really get how captchas work. I always thought that computer programs simply couldn't read them as they are images. Is that not the case? Can they read 'easy' ones? :o That SUCKS if so. Gods know I HATE captchas as generally they are IMPOSSIBLE to read and make out. They drive me BONKERS cause I sure can't make out what those letters and numbers are most of the time - and, indeed, that's no good for SIers looking to join bus.

I agree. It's better to have spammers than have new bussers unable to join. That's a very fair sacrifice. But damn you spammers! *shakes fist at spammers*

What about limiting how many posts are person can do in a day when brand new? That's another feature I have seen on other boards. I don't know. Man, spammers really suck. They are bad enough in email, and other forums, but to violate a place like bus........it truly enrages me. Just one of the many things I hate about our consumerism culture. :tongue:

But, again, props to the admins. Your job isn't an easy one, and you're invaluable to bus. *SALUTE!*
**We have DID.**

"The first thing you learn is how to be alone. You learn, or suffer. It is an easy lesson. You suffer more when people are around. People make you feel alone. And loneliness is a quiet wound." - Laura Kinney (aka: X-23, Wolverine)

"That is the one trick I never quite figured out: how to let someone in without it ending badly." – Jessica Jones

"This is what happens when you give a shit; the world flings it back at you." – Jessica Jones

"Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god." - Aristotle

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Re: Spam

Post by xXelmoscaresmeXx » Thu Jun 23, 2011 3:58 pm

LKinney wrote:What about limiting how many posts are person can do in a day when brand new?
I feel that this would limit the ability of new users to create their place, or feel like they are part of the community. I mean, when I got here I was already overwhelmed, but if you only had x number of post on your first few days, like what if they'd used them, and then they found a thread that they really had something to say in. It might make them feel unimportant, y'know?
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