Dominion Strategy Forum

Meta => Feedback => Topic started by: Limetime on February 08, 2016, 09:31:51 pm

Title: Spam users
Post by: Limetime on February 08, 2016, 09:31:51 pm
It seems like there is a spam bot making accounts on this forum. If you go to latest members for many new "members" there is a about me text that uses bad English that seems like it is a robot making the account. It is cut off after a certain amount of characters which probably means that the bot isn't very intelligent and is just pasting things/generating them.
There is an example in the attached photo.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: yuma on February 08, 2016, 09:44:27 pm
I was looking at the stats recently and was really impressed with how many we members were signing up on a daily basis but wondered why I wasn't seeing as many new faces. Chalked it up to Goko or something...

Looks like the bot has been pretty active since March 2015. Over 1,000 accounts created would be my rough estimate guess from just looking at the members section.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Limetime on February 09, 2016, 01:00:35 pm
Another amusing Profile:
Quote
Posts: 0 (N/A per day)
Respect: 0
Personal Text: Hello! I am Audrea. I smile that I can unify to the entire globe. I live in France, in the CENTRE region. I dream to go to the various nations, to obtain acquainted with interesting individuals.
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Location:France, Marseille
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on February 09, 2016, 01:15:22 pm
Theory?
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Burning Skull on February 09, 2016, 01:48:30 pm
Theory?

He is one of them.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: theory on February 09, 2016, 06:09:50 pm
Hello! I am theory. I smile that I can unify to the entire globe. I live in New York, in the CENTRE region. I dream to go to the various nations, to obtain acquainted with interesting individuals.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: theory on February 09, 2016, 06:18:07 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: LastFootnote on February 09, 2016, 06:20:38 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: theory on February 09, 2016, 06:22:41 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
Yeah that's part of what I want to look for.  My options are to delete every account with 0 posts (which is aggressive but not terrible), or to find a mod that lets me search more granularly and mass-delete accounts that conform to this pattern.  If I can't find the latter I might just do the former.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: singletee on February 09, 2016, 06:30:27 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
Yeah that's part of what I want to look for.  My options are to delete every account with 0 posts (which is aggressive but not terrible), or to find a mod that lets me search more granularly and mass-delete accounts that conform to this pattern.  If I can't find the latter I might just do the former.

I would go with deleting every account with 0 posts and a link anywhere in the sig or URL field.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: SCSN on February 09, 2016, 06:38:46 pm
I would go with deleting every account with >=0 posts and a link anywhere in the sig or URL field.

FYP.

If you're going to declare a war on spam you might as well apply some rigor.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: WanderingWinder on February 09, 2016, 06:58:23 pm
I would go with deleting every account with >=0 posts and a link anywhere in the sig or URL field.

FYP.

If you're going to declare a war on spam you might as well apply some rigor.

I'm sure I'm missing something here - it looks like you just suggested deleting your account...
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on February 09, 2016, 07:15:36 pm
Can't we do it manually? I have that type of time...
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Limetime on February 09, 2016, 07:22:37 pm
Can't we do it manually? I have that type of time...
What if I change my text to this?

Limetime the place I'm called although it isn't the name on my birth record. I made him made reside in New Shirt. Playing country music exactly what my friends have fun with. Since I was 18 I have been working as a stock control

Will you delete me :o
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on February 09, 2016, 07:25:10 pm
Can't we do it manually? I have that type of time...
What if I change my text to this?

Limetime the place I'm called although it isn't the name on my birth record. I made him made reside in New Shirt. Playing country music exactly what my friends have fun with. Since I was 18 I have been working as a stock control

Will you delete me :o
I'm serious. I have strep throat and I'm unbelievably bored.

@theory I can give you a list of names/take action in some other way.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Limetime on February 09, 2016, 07:37:43 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
Yeah that's part of what I want to look for.  My options are to delete every account with 0 posts (which is aggressive but not terrible), or to find a mod that lets me search more granularly and mass-delete accounts that conform to this pattern.  If I can't find the latter I might just do the former.
What about deleting accounts that haven't spent more than five minutes on this forum. I am sure anyone who hasn't done that doesn't care. Also you could make it so accounts made after you make registering more secure exempt.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on February 09, 2016, 07:38:24 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
What about users who have spent less than 5 minutes on the forum, haven't posted and are at least 30 days old
Yeah that's part of what I want to look for.  My options are to delete every account with 0 posts (which is aggressive but not terrible), or to find a mod that lets me search more granularly and mass-delete accounts that conform to this pattern.  If I can't find the latter I might just do the former.
I saw this, but how long will it take to develop a mod?
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: Limetime on February 09, 2016, 07:43:18 pm
I tightened up security on registration.  I'll see if I can install other mods to help fix the problem.

Any way you/I/we/somebody can delete all these bogus accounts? Luckily they do seem to follow a pretty predictable pattern.

I hate to think what happens when you go to the website that these profiles link.
What about users who have spent less than 5 minutes on the forum, haven't posted and are at least 30 days old
Yeah that's part of what I want to look for.  My options are to delete every account with 0 posts (which is aggressive but not terrible), or to find a mod that lets me search more granularly and mass-delete accounts that conform to this pattern.  If I can't find the latter I might just do the former.
I saw this, but how long will it take to develop a mod?
Well it is certainly easier than getting rid of 1,000 ish accounts manually.
I also messed up when I originally posted and put it in his quote instead of my unquoted post so reread.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: sudgy on February 09, 2016, 08:38:04 pm
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of accounts with no posts by actual people, just wanting to read more on the forum.
Title: Re: Spam users
Post by: theory on February 11, 2016, 02:36:28 pm
I appreciate the offers of help, but I don't want to be convicted of torture under the Geneva Convention.

In any event beefing up the registration hurdle has stopped those spam accounts from signing up ... for now.  Until next time...