Spammers

CicatrizedLilAngle · Post by **CicatrizedLilAngle** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:04 pm

IS there some bot that spammers use to join boards like this? it seems hard to believe that a live person would be looking for phpBB boards and then go through the process of registering and all.

I noticed that a new user has a name that sounds a lot like a pill, and that the user's webpage takes you to a site where you can buy medications online.

Nothing really to do with anything, but I was just wondering.

Post by **Spidey** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:04 am

Yeah.

There are a lot of spambots out there, and that's why a lot of sites now require you to do some sort of image verification (where you have to type the letter/number combination in the image) before you can sign up / register.

It really sucks, but as far as I know, there's really no good way to deter them.

Post by **sine nomine** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:42 pm

i've thought about image verification, but i worry about accessibility -- i know we've got a lot of people here with vision problems, and i have some friends who are blind so i know that a lot of the web isn't very friendly for people who rely on screenreaders.

does anyone know of alternatives that deter bots but maintain accessibility?

ChaseThisLight · Post by **ChaseThisLight** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:28 pm

Isn't there a link you can click where it will read the letters to you? I've seen that on several boards.

CicatrizedLilAngle · Post by **CicatrizedLilAngle** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:22 pm

Just wondering how much of an issue it actually is.

I have a hard time seeing the blurred letters in those verification forms, and they do provide an option to listen to what's being read. I can't understand the stuff that comes out of my speakers. Also, I'd wonder about people who are using terminals in public places where the speakers are disabled.

I dunno. I just caught that one name, and thought it might be a spammer. But I don't know if it's a widespread problem. I don't remember if I've even seen spam on this board.

Post by **sine nomine** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:42 pm

yeah, apparently the only alternative is to use a capchar that reads you the text instead of asking you to read it. right now, it's probably not worth doing, because the mods and admins do a great job of squishing the spammers.

the other reason it's not a huge issue is that you have to be added to a usergroup now to post anywhere, so the spambots would have to register, activate, then wait anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours to log back in and post. we did that after the attack of the little boys who thought they'd freak us out by posting porn.

deb

glass angel · Post by **glass angel** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:06 pm

yeah, did anyone ever find out who they were?

Post by **sine nomine** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:20 pm

guys who run a forum. they're very radical; they talk about porn! and have pictures! it's rather dull, which i guess explains why their idea of fun is signing up for boards and posting porn. my basic attitude is "whatever."

deb

CicatrizedLilAngle · Post by **CicatrizedLilAngle** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:13 am

There was porn and I missed it?

I'm very disappointed.

Well, it would depend on what kind of porn, I suppose.

Post by **Jomomma** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:50 am

CicatrizedLilAngle wrote:There was porn and I missed it?

I'm very disappointed.

Well, it would depend on what kind of porn, I suppose.

It was not the kind of porn that anyone would find exciting. Trust me

Post by **sine nomine** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:41 am

jomomma wrote:
CicatrizedLilAngle wrote:There was porn and I missed it?

I'm very disappointed.

Well, it would depend on what kind of porn, I suppose.
It was not the kind of porn that anyone would find exciting. Trust me

to each his own, but ick.

deb

Post by **Jomomma** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:06 am

You have a real knack of using perfect emoticons

Priceless · Post by **Priceless** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:15 pm

<img src="http://www.smileyarchiv.net/durcheinand ... nt0061.gif" alt="Eyes Bulging" />
it was eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww

bus

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