| Author | Message | ||
     Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 898 Registered: 5-2012 |
I think we have an unwanted visitor. He can keep his false documents. Geoff | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1590 Registered: 6-2009 |
What's with this (admittedly small) sort of thing getting past the moderator and posted? I presume it's actually the result of hacking, but I'd love to have that stated explicitly. Brian | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 389 Registered: 5-2015 |
False documents bloody cheeky git. This is obviously illegal He or she should be reported. The moderators do a good job they fend off most of the spam but this one got through. Can't win them all. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1720 Registered: 4-2003 |
Post deleted The poster was devious and registered as a forum member to take advantage of member's privileges which include immediate posting without prior review. I have deleted the post and referred the poster to our Administrator for banning. Just proves one malevolent person can adversely affect the majority who do the right thing. | ||
| RR Forums Administrator Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 91 Registered: 10-2002 |
The two recent incidents of spammers posting on this forum are not the result of hacking. It's the result of them successfully misrepresenting themselves as legitimate users and acquiring unrestricted posting privileges. It can be difficult to detect these impostors when approving applications and in doing so I must always err on the side of giving applicants the benefit of the doubt. Better to risk one spammer getting in than to unfairly block a true enthusiast from the forum. Luckily impostors invariably reveal their true intent with their first post, upon which they are swiftly and summarily suspended and their offending post deleted. Sadly it isn't possible to impose moderation on new members without an administrative overhead. Thus these incidents (which I expect will become more and more frequent as spammers become increasingly desperate to find ways to reach their victims) are an unavoidable risk with the existing forum software. | ||
| michael vass New User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 6 Registered: 7-2015 |
Lucky them I can't find how to post an new thread anywhere! How do you start a new thread please? Mike | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1592 Registered: 6-2009 |
Mike, Go to the "Topics" link. Click on the forum in which you wish to post a new thread (probably the Technical forums, Spirit Series) and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. There at the bottom left, under the last thread, is the "Start New Thread" link for that forum. Brian | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1593 Registered: 6-2009 |
Just curious, but it is possible to do the same thing instituted at rollsroyceforums.com in response to so many first posts starting to come from spammers? They created a "New Member Introduction" forum. A new registrant cannot post elsewhere until they post to the "New Member Introduction" forum. I believe that the moderator then turns on full posting privileges. It has worked like a charm to eliminate these sorts of posts. I admit the current numbers have been very low, but I have yet to see them remain that way. I've actually been shocked at how few we actually have had. Brian | ||
| Bob Reynolds Grand Master Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 315 Registered: 8-2012 |
I moderate 3 internet forums, and all new members are moderated until they have made one legitimate post. (This number can be changed, but one is usually enough). The software lets them in automatically after one post has been made. All I have to do is to inspect any new member's post and either approve or disapprove it. I would of course read the post anyway, so there's no administrative overhead! This is how modern forum software works, but probably not how this board works! I don't like the idea of forcing people to introduce themselves if they don't want to. Any legitimate post should be sufficient to identify a genuine member. | ||
| michael vass New User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2015 |
Thanks Brian , found it now lol | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1721 Registered: 4-2003 |
Brian and Bob, Re the moderated first post for new members - I have grave doubts about it stopping spammers as they will simply submit a benign post to gain open access then let rip with their spam. To paraphrase a well-known quotation - "The price of spam-free forums is vigilant active moderators/administrators." | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1594 Registered: 6-2009 |
David, All I can tell you is that it reduced what had been a virtual flood of "registrations to spam" to zero almost instantly. The reason a "New Member Introduction" forum was chosen was for moderator convenience so they only had to look at one post in one place. Often these posts amount to a single line post, but that seems to be enough to ward off the spammers. It's just a suggestion to keep in mind should our volumes rise. As it stands this forum is quite spam free, which is nothing short of a small miracle. My guess is that it's because we have old software that isn't what spambots can easily target. A lot of this stuff is fully automated behind the scenes. Brian | ||
| Bob Reynolds Grand Master Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 316 Registered: 8-2012 |
"Re the moderated first post for new members - I have grave doubts about it stopping spammers as they will simply submit a benign post to gain open access then let rip with their spam. " Your grave doubts are completely unfounded. Having just one moderated post stops spam almost 100%. I guess the spammers just can't be bothered to make up a post that looks genuine, they just go somewhere else. Of course, they don't know how many of their posts are going to be moderated. It could be one or it could be 10 before they can post freely. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 403 Registered: 5-2015 |
Have spammers got nothing better to do other than register on forums so they can irritate people. Junk mail. You have won the Spannish National lottery send 100 quid to process your winnings. Before one can win the lottery one must enter and buy a ticket. Using the prepaid envelope send them the double glazing adverts that turned up at the same time. That way the con men have to pay extra postage and they take you off the sucker list. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Grand Master Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 317 Registered: 8-2012 |
Foolproof method for stopping addressed junk mail: Rip the contents of the envelope into tiny pieces, except for the page with your name and address on, leave that intact. Stuff the lot into the prepaid envelope, if it doesn't all fit, fold it up until it does. Add pieces of shredded newspaper until the letter is overweight! Seal it down and post it. You'll never hear from them again.  | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 406 Registered: 5-2015 |
My bro in law is a retired postman and he used to deliver this junk mail he pointed out to his bosses that the Royal Mail note the Royal bit shouldn't be delivering scam mail. He was told if he didn't want to do the job then there's plenty that will. Our goverment has allowed thus to happen by wreaking the trade unions. The trade union would have said no we don't handle scam letters. Bro in law came across an old lady that started to get lots of scam letters so he told her son. Fortunately the scammers didn't get much money out of her. Bro in law point if view is that he was a public servant entrusted with her Majesties mail so being a party to fraud is simply not on. He also checked on all old people on his round. Anything not right and he would get the beat cop to have a look. What this particular spammer hopes to gain is mystery Rolls-Royce owners don't commit fraud. I had a guy in a white van offer me a Plasma TV he said he was fitting out a hotel and this ones spare. Oh yeah regular occurrence someone ordered to many tellies do this one not being stored for the next job or returned because they only cost £3000. Nobody worries about a mere 3k. The TV is nicked because he went down to 500 quid. I noted his reg no mentally and he went off with his stolen property. I don't buy stolen stuff because I have empathy for the original owner having had stuff stolen, like a 18 month old Yamaha motor bike. At least 3 push bikes have been nicked. Insurance paid out but everyones premiums go up to cover the cost. Criminals leech off the rest of society. Rant over I feel better now. Maybe the spammer is reading this and smiling because maybe his aim is to get us well adjusted adults ranting. The moderators have actually fended the spam off by deleting it with days of appearance. So job done. Can't say fairer than that can you. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 905 Registered: 5-2012 |
Actually, the message was deleted the same day. The reason he got air time was he posted very early, at around 4am (Australian Eastern Standard time). Geoff | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1723 Registered: 4-2003 |
"Actually, the message was deleted the same day. The reason he got air time was he posted very early, at around 4am (Australian Eastern Standard time)." I deleted it approximately 5 hours after it was posted and referred the spammer to our Administrator after posting the message confirming the content had been deleted - I regularly check the forum several times a day with no set pattern. Amazing intelligence displayed by the spammer - posting in German on an English language forum always guarantees a high level of readership................. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Grand Master Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 318 Registered: 8-2012 |
I very much doubt the spammer ever comes back again, or even reads any posts on the forum, and probably doesn't even know what the forum's about. They're not interested. They just dump their crap and move on. Probably spamming hundreds of web sites a day. The Royal Mail is duty bound to deliver all mail that is posted and paid for. Surely that is no less than you'd expect? They cant be responsible for deciding whether the recipient wants the mail or not! | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 851 Registered: 1-2008 |
Some time ago I made the same offer on a couple of forums which I'd been a member of for 2 years or more. It was to tell them that a new, cross forum, group had been set up so that all affiliated members could take advantage of cheap camping for long weekend meets. It was a specialty of one of the original club/forums to meet up all around the UK for Friday to Sunday or even Thursday to Wednesday pi$$ ups (yup, we still called that a long weekend!). At least one forum bounced it and I got a warning from the mods for 'cut & paste spamming'. So what? Was I supposed to write all out again for each forum? Wouldn't you rather have a couple of full days to appreciate the company of like minded people rather than having to drive for 2 or more hours, wander around for a few more and then spend 2+ hours getting home again? No good deed goes unpunished! | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 416 Registered: 5-2015 |
Jan, I think some forum moderators get carried away and start rejecting stuff because they disagree with what the post says. Not this forum though. Also I read posts that are written in slang which needs translation. Some are so bad I lose interest. The firewall of sitting remotely behind a keyboard also makes some people be rude. They wouldn't talk like that to your face. |
