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25th September 10, 03:12 PM
#1
I would imagine that you should be able to minimize the list a little by using a good SQL script.
And now I'm an "Active Member" LOL
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25th September 10, 04:35 PM
#2
Another pound of "special blend coffee" to be delivered next month, Steve. Many thanks.
Rex
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25th September 10, 05:18 PM
#3
Thanks Steve, and the rest of the moderator, for your continued efforts to keep our clan safe.
His Exalted Highness Duke Standard the Pertinacious of Chalmondley by St Peasoup
Member Order of the Dandelion
Per Electum - Non consanguinitam
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26th September 10, 01:31 AM
#4
I thought some of you may be interested in what this "Banned as a spammer" catagory is all about and what gets someone banned as a spammer.
Spam is bacically the electronic equivilant of unsolisited junk mail. Most Spam today is done by computer programs and not real people. The programs are constantly searching the web for large and active forums and sites. They place their spam and leave in just a few moments. They then continue the search for another forum.
They rely on shear bulk. If you put a million pieces of junk mail out there someone will click on it. Even if for no reason than curiosity to find out what it is.
There are several types of spam.
Active Spam - This is where a person will register on a forum and post their junk mail directly to a new or existing thread.
Drop Box Spam - A person will register and place a website link in their signature block or somewhere else in their profile hoping someone clicks on the link. Ads for fake Nike shoes or knockoff jewelry are popular for this type of spam.
Virus, Worm and Trojan Horse Spam - These are just malicious programs designed to disrupt other computes or to take over other computers and use them to spread more spam.
Drug Spam - People advertising Viagra or other drugs to unsuspecting members.
Porn Spam - Spammers trying to get people to click through to their porn site.
Listed Spammers - There are sites that list known spammers by screen name, email address and IP address. We can check suspected spammers against these lists. We also submit spammers we find to help keep these list updated for other forum owners.
Bot Spammers - Spammers program computers to search for large or active forums and place some type of spam on them automatically.
Bot Sleeper Spammers - Spammers set up computers to register on forums with the intent of creating a back door back onto a site if they get caught and banned.
We usually catch spammers when they register. We run all IP address and email address against the lists of known spammers when someone new registers. We also place all new registrations into a Moderation queue until they have made a few posts. This way our Forum Moderators can check for posts made by spammers and hopefully delete it before our members even know it is there.
We also check the IP address of all new members and find out the general location of the person who has registered. For example, China is a hotbed of spammer activity right now, but not much interest in Kilts. So if we find someone from China who registers, never makes a post, and is only on the forum for a few minutes, the chances are pretty good that they are a spammer.
We also rely on our members to report any spam that they find on the forum. The staff can't be on-line all the time. Spammers love to do their work early in the morning when our staff is not on-line.
We can also catch spammers if they give a bogus email address becasue we have the software set up to send out a birthday greeting to everyone on the birthday they list when they register. The software sends an error message to me of undeliverable emails.
We also search out spammers just as I am doing now. By looking through our list of members 1 by1 and trying to spot the telltale signs left by spammers. They will usually have an embedded link somewhere in their profile. Sometimes they will fill in bogus information to their user profile.
With a forum as large and as active as X Marks we attract a lot of spammers. As of today we have caught and banned 3826 spammers.
If you at the profile of someone who has been caught and banned since I took over the forum you will probably find an admin note explaining why the person was banned.
Last edited by Steve Ashton; 26th September 10 at 01:48 AM.
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28th September 10, 06:10 PM
#5
Wow - who knew?? Thanks for all you do, Steve. This forum is a real treasure, and I have gotten enormous pleasure from getting to know electronically so many genuinely nice and interesting people. The forum rules and management make all the difference in keeping this a place that so many of us can feel safe, welcome, and respected. There's a genuine affection and respect on this forum that is priceless. Most of the time, none of us has any idea how much effort it takes to preserve it. Thank you.
Personally, I think spammers should just get a life. I can't figure out why they don't just go and do something interesting and useful...
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29th September 10, 06:29 AM
#6
I echo Barb's post word for word!
Many thanks to Steve and the team.
Take care,
Ham.
[B][I][U]No. of Kilts[/U][/I][/B][I]:[/I] 102.[I] [B]"[U][B]Title[/B]"[/U][/B][/I]: Lord Hamish Bicknell, Laird of Lochaber / [B][U][I]Life Member:[/I][/U][/B] The Scottish Tartans Authority / [B][U][I]Life Member:[/I][/U][/B] The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society / [U][I][B]Member:[/B][/I][/U] The Ardbeg Committee / [I][B][U]My NEW Photo Album[/U]: [/B][/I][COLOR=purple]Sadly, and with great regret, it seems my extensive and comprehensive album may now have been lost forever![/COLOR]/
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6th October 10, 08:38 AM
#7
 Originally Posted by Barb T.
Wow - who knew?? Thanks for all you do, Steve. This forum is a real treasure, and I have gotten enormous pleasure from getting to know electronically so many genuinely nice and interesting people. The forum rules and management make all the difference in keeping this a place that so many of us can feel safe, welcome, and respected. There's a genuine affection and respect on this forum that is priceless. Most of the time, none of us has any idea how much effort it takes to preserve it. Thank you.
Personally, I think spammers should just get a life. I can't figure out why they don't just go and do something interesting and useful...
 Originally Posted by Hamish
I echo Barb's post word for word!
Many thanks to Steve and the team.
Take care,
Ham.
What Barb and Hamish said. Thank you Steve, for keeping this forum safe and sound, and for enabling a community to function. It is well to let us see some of the nuts, bolts and moving parts from time to time, so that we can appreciate the investment of time, resources and caring. Regards, BYU
"Before two notes of the theme were played, Colin knew it was Patrick Mor MacCrimmon's 'Lament for the Children'...Sad seven times--ah, Patrick MacCrimmon of the seven dead sons....'It's a hard tune, that', said old Angus. Hard on the piper; hard on them all; hard on the world." Butcher's Broom, by Neil Gunn, 1994 Walker & Co, NY, p. 397-8.
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6th October 10, 08:46 AM
#8
I once performed this very task on another forum, trolling through thousands of members and twirling my spammers banning hammer like a spanner. It is a LARGE job. Well done, Steve.
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11th October 10, 04:11 PM
#9
Thanks Steve,
I was able to log in and post within the 90 day time span after vacationing from the site for a while. Seriously, you have managed an difficult task fairly.
Cudos
"A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter what his job." John Wayne
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13th October 10, 08:42 PM
#10
Steve, thank you and the moderators who contribute much blood, sweat, tears and cash to allow us this little piece of kilted heaven on earth.
I've found that most relationships work best when no one wears pants.
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