A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

esimbuys · 2024-09-08 5:37 pm

But they're still all there. Now that I've found your site we can block the IP's using the lists you provide. Looking at "what members are doing" this a.m. I found more than half a dozen guests registering for an account. All from sites listed by you as potential spammers. Thanks to our robust registration <redacted> process we've had only one get through in the last 6 months, but like every forum, we're constantly under attack. Thanks to you guys we have another weapon in our armory.

Big thank you for collating and presenting the information and also to the folks who supply it.

Alex Kemp · 2024-09-08 10:03 pm

When you put your URL into a post that makes you a spammer. Do it again & you join all the other spammers in the DB.

(added later): They did not put a full URL in the post, else it would have been an insta-ban. However, it was an attempt to put a partial url there.

Thanks to Obsidian, they are now banned here from further posting (but no entry into the spammer DB).

pedigree · 2024-09-09 1:45 am

strictly no links for first posters

Oblivian · 2024-09-09 6:03 am

That's the only reason they did it. See all the other forums joined and URL posted on in last few days. Yet another SEO goof.

Original text stolen from here https://www.stopforumspam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=44051#p44051

Last edited by Oblivian (2024-09-09 6:08 am)

pedigree · 2024-09-09 8:35 pm

nicely spotted... added to the db

bluesurviver · 2024-11-11 1:16 am

Thank you Stop Forum Spam !

We're checking and rejecting the known spammers trying to create accounts on our site for more than a year now.
Today we implemented and tested a customized feature which is reporting automatically to you any attempt of the spammers you already have in database to create an account on our site. The details we submit automatically about their new activity: IP, user name, email and geo-location.
This is our way to contribute to your project and our way to say thank you.
Regards and keep the good work !

pedigree · 2024-11-11 4:04 am

@bluesurviver please don't do this. Whilst I appreciate the effort, this is not allowed.... let me tell a story

if a person "john" attempts to signup, or someone with a very commonly abused username, then you'll be automatically submitting their legitimate email and IP address. This pollutes the database, upsets a real person who then complains to me. Whilst I waste a lot of time cleaning things up, "john" could be at a k12 school district which shares an IP. before I know it, a school can't browse many sites. In the end, I've spent too much time cleaning things up, got out of bed on the wrong side, and eventually block your API key and IP addresses.

This said, I'm not open to privately talking about efforts as automation is great, it just needs to be done the right way

Automatic submission of data without confirmation of spam is not permitted.

I'll drop you a line in an email

bluesurviver · 2024-11-11 8:49 am

Hi @pedigree,

What our automated transmission system is adding to the database is new activity of real spammers which are already in your database.
Let me explain the algorithm:

1. Someone is trying to create an account on our site;
2. Before creating the account we search through your API by email OR IP, not by user name;
3. If the email or IP is found in your database we deny the creation of the account;
4. We call your API for adding the activity of the known spammer and the info we send is the IP, user name and geo-location info of the known spammer.

So we don't check your database by user name and we only report new activity on our site for real spammers already existing in your database.
Please let me know what you think but in my opinion the integrity of the database is not affected and what our site is sending is real data of already known spammers.

Regards

Alex Kemp · 2024-11-11 6:57 pm

bluesurviver wrote:

what our site is sending is real data of already known spammers

No you are not. You are sending details of someone that tried to create an account on your site. If they do not get an account how on earth are they able to spam your site?

If someone spams your site then you can report them to us as a spammer. That is the only situation that applies.

Naturally, you can do what you want regarding your own site. Your place, your rules. But send us the evidence that they spammed you before you report them.

bluesurviver · 2024-11-12 2:02 am

@ Alex Kemp, so you want us to allow known spammers (according to your database) to create accounts on our site then start posting spam then to report them to you manually ? Then what's the point of using you API at all, how can it help us to stop spammers to create accounts on our site and to post spam ? Where is the logic in what you're saying ?

The idea is to not allow a known spammer to create an account and to report to you "look, this spammer (which already exists in your database) is still active today, tried to create an account on our site so we're sending to you new intel about its activity.".

pedigree · 2024-11-12 3:58 am

You can block them from joining, you don't have to let them post but until they post spam, they can't be submitted here.
This has all been resolved in emails, so please, no more in this thread

#176 2024-09-08 5:37 pm

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#177 2024-09-08 10:03 pm

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#178 2024-09-09 1:45 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#179 2024-09-09 6:03 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#180 2024-09-09 8:35 pm

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#181 2024-11-11 1:16 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#182 2024-11-11 4:04 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#183 2024-11-11 8:49 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#184 2024-11-11 6:57 pm

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#185 2024-11-12 2:02 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

#186 2024-11-12 3:58 am

Re: A Thanks to Stop Forum Spam!!

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