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#253470 08/24/2013 6:14 PM
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We have had an increase in applicants wanting to be users on the board that have bad IPs or Emails or both. The SFS? software has been awesome. It's interesting because more and more of them are using usernames and display names if they get by that are:

urewr84345w

which seems obvious it isn't legit.

1. Do you know why there are more spammers that know they will be less likely to be successful with those weird usernames?

2. Once they get by the other 58 admins, lol, and I see the name and go to their profile, click on check email and it comes up bad, should I just ban them?

If I decline them in the beginning, they can always try to reapply, but if I ban them, it seems harsher, and I don't want to make a mistake.


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Bert #253472 08/24/2013 6:19 PM
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I guess that is your decision.
It is your board.
The spammers don't care,But legit members do.
I would just be a little careful in getting over zealous in banning.


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Bert #253473 08/24/2013 6:24 PM
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Thanks. I was reading the shout box (we just added one -- users love it) and it was talking about the 58 spams, etc. I have only had one user email the company wondering why they were banned. They shouldn't have been. I am not sure if I misread you shout box, but I used to ban spammers and delete their obviously ridiculous posts. But, now I leave one or two in case they email the company so I have proof they were spammers.

Overall, I have only banned around five to eight users in ten years, so I think I am restraining myself. smile Just seems to be more and more spammers.


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Bert #253476 08/24/2013 6:31 PM
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At this board we have a hidden forum called "The BoneYard."
This is accessible to all Moderators and Admins only.
We use it to move spam posts to.
Then of course edit the user for ban/etc.

Not sure if it applies in your case but whatever.
You could make one public and just state in the description it is all spam and not allow replies.


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Bert #253477 08/24/2013 6:32 PM
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That is a great idea.


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Bert #253482 08/24/2013 7:21 PM
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I ended up modding my Stop Forum Spam install from the stock to restore the ability to trigger on IP signups and eliminated just about any one of them that got through


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Bert #253513 08/28/2013 1:26 AM
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uh.... could you say that again in English? crazy

I'm getting the same 3 or 4 spammers each week. Since I totally ban them and their IP, they show up with a new one of each. And when I check SFS, usually the new IP is bad and the email address is new (good).


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Bert #253514 08/28/2013 1:32 AM
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The initial mod of Stop Forum Spam checked the users IP against the database before it would even load the registration screen; whereas the current implementation in the stock product does not check against the database on registration except for the email address.


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Bert #253522 08/28/2013 6:57 PM
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I wish I had the former. Question: Now that I have SFS and I see six out of ten applicants have either a bad IP, email or both, which seems like a lot more than before.

Is this because there are more spammers now or was I letting a lot more through?


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Bert #253523 08/28/2013 6:59 PM
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It could be either case. Depending on what you allowed before.


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Bert #253534 08/30/2013 1:48 AM
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I really hate to activate a New-User queue since it causes more work for me. And I am sympathetic of any new user who has to wait for more than a day for their new account to be approved.

I guess I might follow up with an earlier suggestion which is to assign all new users to a different Group, and then only allow that Group to post to a single forum until after they have added 4 or 5 postings. At least that would capture all Spams in the same forum.


--BIll B
Bert #253544 08/30/2013 1:20 PM
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I would but I would have to figure that out. I don't know how long of a lag there is between my approving them and their getting notified. In ten years, I have never heard a user say, "Wow, that was quick."


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Bert #253751 09/29/2013 6:22 PM
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Well, I activated a new GROUP - and forced all newbies to be in that, instead of USERS. Then I added 4 more Moderators to that group.

In less than an HOUR we caught our first SPAMMER. Banned his account and his posting never made it to the Board. Hooray.

But --- I'd sure like to have STOP SPAM ban them by IP address too. In every recent case, the email was good and the IP was bad.


--BIll B
Bert #253752 09/29/2013 6:33 PM
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Thanks. The strange thing is it seems like we have way more spammers probably because we are catching them at the "gate."

But, most of the usernames are f7ryn98jhygt. So, I would have those would have been caught. At least we do have the "Newest Members" box on the right column where you can see those with the usernames above.


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Bill B #253755 09/30/2013 12:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Bill B
But --- I'd sure like to have STOP SPAM ban them by IP address too. In every recent case, the email was good and the IP was bad.
A little birdie may have told me to go ahead and post this tonight...


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