Fresh Spam Accounts

[Canoe]

Surely there's a way for the forum to automatically identify new accounts and when their posts contain certain key words (supplement, etc.) anywhere in the post, then the forum quarantines those posts and freezes the account.
Yes, no?

I remember when the first "50,000 eplaya member" posted thanking for that distinction, then made a spam post for toys...

[TT120]

This is the only forum I've ever seen those kinds of spam posts on. I'm not even sure what their goal is most of the time. Some are obvious what they want but others are just gibberish.

[AntiM]

It's better than the spambot attacks from years ago.

I'm just a mod, so I don't know if it could be done automatically. I do know we don't have the must authorize new post/users turned on because in the busy season people who want to buy tickets or Post Right This Minute don't want to wait for approval. We may have a mod team, but we do not work 24/7. Having us in different time zones is about as good as it gets.

As for "keywords" have you read eplaya? Seriously?

edit: I am all for a solution and changes, but I haven't a clue how that might be effectively implemented.

[Canoe]

Sure keywords. As mods encounter spam they can add to the keyword list as they feel appropriate, including linking sites that hide the actual link.

No way to have a comprehensive list that blocks all spam, but with the main offending keywords, the worst side effect would to occasionally block new users until a mod was on.

[Traveller in Time]

Even in "the busy season" new accounts should not have to use external websites in their first posting.

[Canoe]

Even in "the busy season" new accounts should not have to use external websites in their first posting.

But possibly.
As a start, just restrict the re-linking sites that hide the actual target site.
And threads that put a link in the subject.

[A-RockLeFrench]

others are just gibberish.

the latest for Testo-Drive male enhancement had me laughing out loud

[Traveller in Time]

Is there a way to get the Robots not to collect first day postings ?

[Sham]

My guess is that these accounts are set up by individuals who make just pennies for each post. I wonder if there could be an email confirmation required before the first post is allowed. Spam posts have their email address banned as well, so it would require a new email account to be set up for each spam account.

Also, THANK YOU to those of you who flag spam or questionable posts. As AntiM said, we are in different time zones, so that helps to swat them, but flagging them makes finding them much easier.

[gaminwench]

I AM A WARRIOR!!!

[AntiM]

others are just gibberish.

the latest for Testo-Drive male enhancement had me laughing out loud

Now and then the spam becomes pure word salad poetry. If I am in the mood, I copy and it ends up on FB. I had a good one the other day, but deleted before saving the You think I was Born yesterday? There is no Easter Bunny! one. It went on about dreams. A gem.

[Sham]

I can take these cheesy diet supplement posts that are showing up, but several years back there was pure underage porn showing up. That was really worrisome.

[some seeing eye]

I have heard that there are phpBB plug-ins to target spam. Beyond that, there would be machine learning tools. Especially easy, because the spammers are simplistic. It would relieve mod time.

[BBadger]

Even maybe just a simple question at the end of the sign-up screen that they have to answer, like "name one of the principles," would probably eliminate a huge percentage of them (unless this is already being done; it's been a long time since I signed up). Might even eliminate some potential "low effort" members too.

[Ratty]

BBadger, If you screen the applicants there would be nothing here. Some days, the spam is the only contributor.

[Traveller in Time]

. . . . Some days . . .

Some WestCoast late night hours the spam is the only contribution.

At least two or three messages each day .

[Ratty]

Yes, from 10 pm till 12:30 am you and I will zap them.

[BBadger]

BBadger, If you screen the applicants there would be nothing here. Some days, the spam is the only contributor.