Spam in the forum

[admin]

It is with great disapointment that I have decided today to shut down the automated process for new members to register for the forum, for the immediate future at least.

This is due to the relentless bombardment with applications from the spammers. Not a single one has succesfully gotten through the registration process since I tightened things up in December last year but that does not seem to deter them at all. I have been having to manually process (reject) up to 100 applications per day and deal with all the associated email this generates and I am now calling "time".

Only registered users can see this message so I will post something in the support section advising genuine new users how to apply.

I would like to thank all existing members for your ongoing support and use of this facility and I hope you will continue to put it to the best use you can.

[admin]

You may have seen this in our full Christmas & New Year Greeting on the main site, but I thought it was worth posting this bit here too:

If there are any negatives this year, then the overwhelming one has to be SPAM! Not just SPAM in e-mail, which is reaching horrendous proportions, but spammers trying to use the web site's popularity to advertise prescription drugs and much worse. The guest book, which used to inspire us with mostly appreciative comments, has had to be shut down until we can install a spam-proof version because it was being bombarded with hundreds of spoof messages trying to insert addresses of web sites selling extremely dubious wares. The Forum and Noticeboard has suffered similar problems. Earlier this year the settings had to be changed so that unregistered visitors cannot post due to these people. Since then they have been attempting to register in their dozens every day. They are relentless and it seems to make no difference that not a single one of them has been successful in posting one of their messages on the board. It is extremely depressing that the majority of maintenance now comprises removing these rather than reviewing new posts. The daily ratio of fake registrations to genuine posts is around 100:1, so this is a plea for all you genuine users out there to please use it more.

If I inadvertently delete a genuine registration application by mistake, and by that I mean someone who lives in or has a connection with Marple and genuinely wants to join in the discussion here, then please get in touch with me directly so I can put the mistake right.

[admin]

The change to access rights has currently halted the spam postings, thank goodness. Shortly after I did this the board was flooded with new applications for registration. The majority of the email addresses used are Russian based and I have been rejecting them wholesale.

As a result of this I have amended the security so that new members can still register automatically if they use a valid email address but they cannot post until I manually approve them.

It is possible that I may reject genuine new members by mistake when I'm doing this and if you think I've done it to you, please get in touch with me by email with your details.

It is also possible that one or two may disguise themselves well enough to get past my checks. If you see anything that you think shouldn't be here, please let me know.

I've also amended this topic so that only registered users can see it.

[admin]

Well they got to me at last  '>

I've been removing more and more spam over the last few weeks, usually posted overnight so many of you won't often have seen it, but I am weary of having to deal with the trash that is continually being posted by these people.

I have now amended the whole of the forum so that only registered members can post new topics or replies. Sorry about this, but it's the only way I can see to preserve my sanity.

At present you can register without your application being approved. You just have to use a valid email address and reply to the automated message.

If this is abused then I will tighten things up even further and make it so that new member applications have to be manually approved.

[amazon]

If You Have Virus Software Installed On Your Computer You Wont Have Problems . Loads Of Free Software ON the Internet .  '>

[tina]

I agree with Mike.

But as a visitor to this site regularly (I am a registered user), I do find it annoying seeing all the dodgy links, I never click on them in here, but I got a virus the other week, my own stupid fault for clicking on a site ( NOT THIS ONE ) so be warned my PC had to be restarted from scratch!

I enjoy reading the post's and occasionally reply to them, my children also like to look on here, so seeing an ad for Viagra, leaves me    trying to explain the my little darlings!  '>

Good luck Mark, erasing the spammers!

Tina

[Mike in Marple]

While the spam messages are annoying, itwould be a shame to block unregistered people from posting on the forum.

I would have thought it was better to conitue as is, unless the job of removing the spam becomes too time consuming for you.

[admin]

Regular visitors will be aware that there has recently been a spate of 'spamming' of the forum with 'adverts' and links for viagra, drugs, music downloads and worse.

Less frequent visitors may not be aware of this problem because I usually manage to delete them within an hour or two and often I can tell that nobody has seen it.

However, on several occasions some of you have responded to these posting with comments or advised me by email of their presence. Thank you for the latter, although it is not normally necessary. If you do wish to notify me then I am happy for you to continue to do so but please do not reply to these postings.

This message is to explain my present policy towards this abuse, which may have to be changed in the near future.

1. Spam of this kind will not be accepted here and is deleted as soon as it is spotted or brought to my attention.

2. The details of the IP addresses used are noted and blocked.

3. Any additional postings to these topics, whether with good intent or not and by registered users or not, are also be removed.

One of the suggestions made in the replies to these posts is that only registered users should be permitted to post on the forum. This has been debated here in the past and the conclusion then was that it should be a last resort. I am still reluctant to do it, as I do not want to deter legitimate visitors who do not want to sign up from leaving messages.

This policy may have to change if the spamming continues to grow and will probably be determined by how frustrated I get and how time-consuming it becomes to keep removing them.

As I have said already, please do not reply to the spam messages – your postings will be removed too. However, I would welcome your views on this matter in this topic – which CAN only be posted to by registered members.

If you tell me how you feel about this abuse, if you are offended by the content, if you find them annoying, if they effect your enjoyment of the site – all these kind of things – then I will take this into account when deciding how to deal with the problem in the future.