Why Do Spammers Like This Forum So Much?

[Erin Potter]

Hi All,

As staff at BikeArlington, I’m definitely interested in conversations on how to improve the forum for users and reduce spammers. We’ve been having issues more frequently, and the notifications when you all flag something usually come right to my email so I can deal with them, but something in an update seems to have broken that, so you’re seeing spam posts up for longer.

Near term, I’m definitely game to work with some frequent volunteer users who might be interested in assisting with spam moderation. I’ll ask our tech help if there are other implementation steps, like those mentioned by Vicegrip and seconded by a few folks on this thread and report back to you all.

If you’re interested in assisting with spam moderation, shoot me an email at erin.potter@bikearlington.com.

Definitely want to give huge thanks to all of you who do flag spam, and all of you on this thread thinking about how to make things better. We’re open to longer-term solutions, too.

[cvcalhoun]

@Erin Potter 167569 wrote:

Hi All,

As staff at BikeArlington, I’m definitely interested in conversations on how to improve the forum for users and reduce spammers. We’ve been having issues more frequently, and the notifications when you all flag something usually come right to my email so I can deal with them, but something in an update seems to have broken that, so you’re seeing spam posts up for longer.

Near term, I’m definitely game to work with some frequent volunteer users who might be interested in assisting with spam moderation. I’ll ask our tech help if there are other implementation steps, like those mentioned by Vicegrip and seconded by a few folks on this thread and report back to you all.

If you’re interested in assisting with spam moderation, shoot me an email at erin.potter@bikearlington.com.

Definitely want to give huge thanks to all of you who do flag spam, and all of you on this thread thinking about how to make things better. We’re open to longer-term solutions, too.

Is there any way to update the forum software, and incorporate the anti-spam measures I mentioned? Having an army of volunteers to get rid of the spam after it’s posted seems rather inefficient.

[bentbike33]

@Judd 167546 wrote:

It’s time for me to come clean…. I’ve been a spambot this entire time.

As I always suspected. No actual human being could possibly ride so many Hains Point laps without going insane.

[n18]

@Vicegrip 167536 wrote:

One of them got me to waste some time and answer a question it asked. 😡

I have learned to look at the poster’s location on the top right to see if it’s spam or not.

[n18]

While in the subject of forum software, for guests only; this forum follows central time during summer time. It’s on eastern time now for them.

[huskerdont]

@bentbike33 167584 wrote:

No actual human being could possibly ride so many Hains Point laps without going insane.

Who said he isn’t?

[mstone]

@cvcalhoun 167571 wrote:

Is there any way to update the forum software, and incorporate the anti-spam measures I mentioned? Having an army of volunteers to get rid of the spam after it’s posted seems rather inefficient.

You always need moderators, there’s not an anti-spam measure in the world that hasn’t been defeated.

[Erin Potter]

So for the past few months, Henry and I have been reviewing every new registrant to the forum before they are able to post. Most of the time, the spam bots are pretty boring and predictable– links to stream sports events, sell bootleg phones, and the like, with very little profile content filled out.

But, you guys, there is one spambot that I really do love. It seems to generate amazingly absurd “interests” to add to their profile of the dummy registrations.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]18208[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]18209[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]18210[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]18211[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]18212[/ATTACH]

Just wanted to share the joy, and give you a heads up that “Chainmail making” seems to be on the rise as a forum interest.

[dkel]

@Erin Potter 180139 wrote:

Just wanted to share the joy, and give you a heads up that “Chainmail making” seems to be on the rise as a forum interest.

It’s like knitting, but awesomer!

[n18]

Usually for new comers the first thing I look at is “Location” before I respond. But there is one that says “Arlington”, but I think is a spammer. Here is post 1 with a link to a generic site. Another post promoting a company in China.

[streetsmarts]

I love these! Bamboo Creek? Licata? Are these yet more Arlington ‘hoods I’ve not heard of! Love chainmail making. I have some relatives who were/are into that

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Judd]

@streetsmarts 180152 wrote:

I love these! Bamboo Creek? Licata? Are these yet more Arlington ‘hoods I’ve not heard of! Love chainmail making. I have some relatives who were/are into that

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Bamboo Creek is near Shirlington on the Four Mile Run Trail.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[huskerdont]

I was most fascinated by the Bboying … until I looked it up and found it’s not what I thought it was.

[Steve O]

@huskerdont 180156 wrote:

I was most fascinated by the Bboying … until I looked it up and found it’s not what I thought it was.

I thought it was an onomatopoeia

[Erin Potter]

@huskerdont 180156 wrote:

I was most fascinated by the Bboying … until I looked it up and found it’s not what I thought it was.

I thought the combination of “dog sport” and “Bboying” made that spammer very well-rounded for being an early 90s sitcom antihero.

But really, what is “element collecting”? A fancy name for rock collecting? Something Captain Planet might indulge in during his free time?

[Author]

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