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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:30 pm
by Graham

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:36 pm
by reinhard
Got him! Thanks again.

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 8:24 am
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#136565
ieorwdlfds waited 15 days from joining before striking.

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:32 am
by reinhard
Hmmm.. U-boat tactics. Come to think of it, they sometimes even operate in wolf-packs (innocent seeming post that paves the way for a spam post).

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 11:55 pm
by jw
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 785#136785 --

Lorilee, non-sequitur plus book recommendation?

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:00 pm
by reinhard
Hmmm. I think I'm going to wait for further evidence before launching a strike on this one. Definitely suspicious, but I could see this actually being legit. And there's no actual spam link.

Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 1:43 pm
by jw
Alton, most recent entry on the Diet Blog sticky -- non-sequitur plus link?

Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:09 pm
by reinhard
Got it. Thanks, jw!

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 10:16 am
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#137572
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#137570

and these two as well as the message above from sunchangping - is this the first spammer to spam the spam sticky?

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2013 10:26 am
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#137325
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#137324
Is "MartinLDeitch" a spammer? message one hints at a yes, message 2 at least potential turing test failure.

Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:19 pm
by jw
ghofurA7, arrumtalk, jomblolicious and jilid 7 have all posted topics/ads for British kitchen furnishings on the general discussion board.

Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:09 pm
by Graham

Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:52 pm
by reinhard
Thanks, guys! Got all the direct links and that brazen spammer who posted here. Now to go after those British furnishings...

Reinhard

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:19 am
by Graham

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:08 pm
by reinhard
Whew. Got em. That was exhausting. I added some more terms to my crude spam filters. I'm not aware of any effective method of retaliation...

higher quality spam?

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:41 am
by Graham

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:16 pm
by reinhard
Got it! Thanks.

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:39 am
by Graham
here they come again...

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#138147

Now here's odd: goaskalice hasn't put in a link, but sounds like a spambot anyway:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#138132

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:11 pm
by jw

Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 6:00 pm
by reinhard
Thanks! Still on the fence about GoaskAlice but blasted the others.

Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 8:49 am
by Graham
GratianHarris surely another spambot, even without the links? Turing test failure n'est-ce pas?

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... tianHarris

Are "he" and GoaskAlice doing something different, not promoting a product but "themselves"? Is this perhaps a different kind of spamming strategy to build "popularity" or visibility as some sort of preparation where the money stream appears later?

Anyway this "member" posts irrelevant dross, presumably for a purpose not to the benefit of Everyday Systems board members.

Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:05 pm
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... hor=Hart63
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... or=smile99

another 2 non-sequitur postings. No product links yet, is it a two-step process where the link is added later perhaps? Or just inept spammers? Turing fails anyway?

I'm puzzled by this new batch.

Graham

Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:58 pm
by reinhard
Got em! Thanks again, Graham.

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:50 am
by clarebear
never posted a spammer before so not sure if this is right

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9070

its right at the bottom

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:52 am
by clarebear

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:53 am
by clarebear

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:54 am
by clarebear
its fchenaj
apols if you didnt need all 3 posts, never posted on spam bit before!

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:47 am
by jw
fchenaj has also spammed here, last entry: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9070

(Hi Clarebear!)

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:50 am
by clarebear
hahaha that really made me laugh!
spam ,spam, spam 'Hi Clarebear' haha

Hello JW! :D

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:40 pm
by Zoid
username: fchenaj

spam in a few threads, see one below:
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9591

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:55 am
by Graham
Hey guys, (Zoid, jw) you're both re-reporting the same person! (clarebear already reported all his posts). I too am a spam reporting enthusiast, so I'm glad to see this fellow get such a kicking, but before I post about a spammer I read back over the last few posts to see if the person I'm going to report has already been reported.

Happy spam-reporting to you all,

Graham

Spam membership?

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:48 pm
by Graham
I was just wondering, from the point of view of a spammer, does appearing on a members list, with a link to a website you want to promote, "work" for the spammer, by creating greater web visibility?

That would be a stealth spamming strategy we haven't yet looked for, but should we? The web addresses of 2 recent "members" got me wondering. They haven't posted, but have they, by joining with a link to a business web-site they are presumably financially linked to, promoted their websites anyway?

Graham

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:41 pm
by reinhard
Thanks all! And no harm in double reporting. Sorry took me a few days to take action.

And yes, Graham, that's spam alright. It bugs me less because it doesn't interfere with discussions, but every once in a while I'll do a purge of such accounts (it's been a rather long while).

I'm dying to find a block of time to upgrade the bulletin board, flip over to https, and invest in more serious automated anti-spam measures, but each time I've tried to give this a shot so far I've run into some issue that make me back off.

Reinhard

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:36 am
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... vidcameron definitely dodgy
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... =martin407
is this a person? why such a generic first-time posting?
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... r=Shae4556
same question as the one above
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... r=merry123
another dubious posting, why would anyone post this?

Collectively they're garbage, but without spam links or web addresses I find myself wondering "Why?". Is the plan to set up "sleeper" postings and then add a link weeks or months later when no-one's looking any more?

I can't see the point of dross for it's own sake. Where's the money? Is it just practice, or mischief, or ineptitude?

A tedious chore to deal with all this, the dark side of hosting a fine web-site. We thought we were too civilised to have to pick lice off each other any more, but here we are, having to do it again.

Thanks for your persistence Reinhard,

Graham

PS here are 5 non-posting "members" who might just be here to give web presence to their businesses:
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8533
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8539
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8541
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8546
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8555

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:28 am
by Graham
When the cat's away, the mice will play:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... ajslsfcxdh

both posts by this rogue.

Also this odd posting looks botty to me: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... MsMillie55

I hope all is well Reinhard,

Graham

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:27 pm
by Graham

Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2013 11:03 am
by Graham

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:49 am
by Graham

Person12 hmmm

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 4:18 am
by la_loser
See the one and only post by "person12" on the bulletin board etiquette board.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... r=person12

Need to cleanse this thread of this post. Considering no comment regarding board manners has been needed since 2009, we don't want this comment which doesn't even apply spoiling the gist of the thread. We are such a civil lot!

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:48 pm
by Graham

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:45 pm
by reinhard
OK, think I got them all! (with one exception for the solitary awesome, which though brief at least makes sense it context).

Thanks Graham and LA_Loser and sorry for my delayed response!

Reinhard

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:57 pm
by jw

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 2:13 pm
by reinhard
Got him.

Thanks, jw!

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 2:49 pm
by la_loser
What about http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 11c#139524
Mods page...at the bottom a post by a "guest" with suspicious links?

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:08 am
by Graham
I noticed this "member" didn't disappear after being reported, though his spam post did. And now he's posted again.
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... ebdesign01

ah, I see, there are two "w"s in his name now. (I assume it's a he)

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 2:10 pm
by reinhard
Thanks LA, Graham! Got em (for real this time!).

Reinhard

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:00 pm
by Graham
here AGAIN!
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... ebdesign01

this is one very persistent so and so - he was first reported back on the 20th of August! He is like one of those horror film characters who keeps getting killed and rising again..

Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:13 am
by reinhard
Alright, I now deleted flowwebdesign and plowed the fields with salt. That particular incarnation of that particular spambot should not trouble us again.

FLOWWEBDESIGN DELENDA EST!

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 12:50 am
by jw

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 2:39 pm
by reinhard
Thanks, jw. psychicsdirectory01 has been banished to the astral plane.

Reinhard

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 4:27 pm
by Graham
this is a shabby one: text is on-topic but the link, also apparently on topic, is to a totally unrelated business.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... carablixen

Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:54 am
by Graham
This is questionable: a Turing test "not proven" with an odd looking string of letters as signature: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... Stefan6874

and here's a strange nonsensical post from gratianharris (guest) http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 839#140839
plus the post following it from Millie404 looks suspiscious to me - oddly enthusiastic first post about an abstruse shovelglove variation. http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... =Millie404

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:58 pm
by reinhard
Got em, Graham. Thanks for your continued vigilance!

Odd looking strings of letters in signatures shall not be tolerated. :-)

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 5:51 pm
by Graham
reinhard wrote:Got em, Graham. Thanks for your continued vigilance!
You're welcome! But there's more! :shock:
jw wrote:http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 785#136785 --

Lorilee, non-sequitur plus book recommendation?
Finally, evidence of the strategy I've been expecting. The above post, reported by jw on August 27th, was spared by you, Reinhard - given the benefit of the doubt at the time as it had no spam links - BUT NOW IT DOES!

You may recall I have speculated on the oddity of bot postings without spam, and wondered if it was a two step process to avoid detection. Now I have my first example. (plus lorilee's other posting: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#136737)

Finding this one was a lucky accident - but how to track down all the others present and future? Where the signature has been added or modified sometime after joining, maybe weeks/months later? Sleeper spam!
reinhard wrote:Odd looking strings of letters in signatures shall not be tolerated. :-)
Most of my "suspects" have odd-looking strings of characters for signatures. Could it be part of the strategy? Some automated program will modify that signature to a paying URL at some later date?

Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:10 pm
by Graham

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:13 am
by Graham
Hackman471 - either a foreign member using translation software or a bot http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... Hackman471

and how about this nicely crafted generic contribution? can you think of a thread to which it doesn't apply? http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... Arabelle55

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:04 pm
by reinhard
Got em.

I like your 2 step theory...

The current anti-spam checks only get members that look like spambots when they register. Probably the solution is to write a script that periodically checks posts and member profiles and deletes or at least flags suspicious posts and profiles, including updates. A sort of anti-spam bot. I don't actually think this would be too hard... the trick would be avoiding innocent casualties. Would be nice if phpbb had a "quarantine" where suspected spam could be immediately removed from public view, but easily reviewed by the administrator, and restored if a false positive.

Reinhard

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:35 am
by Graham
latest candidate: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... or=jacfeed - French spam.

and if we did have a quarantine list, http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... =Shenika65 would be on it.

I was thinking of how else to spot the sleepers: I thought "spot checks" and turned up this contributor from July. http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... hor=Magg45 Generic posts + advertising links

and here's a probable website advertiser: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8322

And here's a probable spammer who got thanked! (for bumping up a good article) http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... =beacon450

I'm wondering if there's a way to search for spammers using a profile? The easiest would be a list of all who've posted say 4 or less times. Then if the list included every post with a URL in it, and does it have a signature of any sort, that would probably make finding the most likely suspects much quicker. And for tidying up, being able to pick out every posting by "guest" would identify orphan spam.

There is an odd pleasure in this, a bit like weeding. Still, other matters press, on with the day.

Red alert!

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:15 pm
by la_loser
Yikes...don't know what it says but it's got a link with the word shoes in it...so my guess is RED ALERT!!!

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 307#141307
New member...first post...

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:10 pm
by reinhard
Thanks, Graham, LA_Loser -- blasted them all except Shenika65, who remains within my sights...

Reinhard

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:54 pm
by jw
Another post from jacfeed, this one under shovelglove, seems to be pushing cellphones in French. I preferred the one in Spanish that offered us tips on clothes to disguise how fat we are . . .
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 229#141229

Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:23 am
by jw

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 8:59 pm
by Graham

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:03 pm
by reinhard
Got em. Thanks, jw, Graham!

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:01 am
by Graham
Belongs on the watch list, or the hit list? http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... r=cowden66
and how about these from the archives: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=6540
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=7176

A surprise payoff for hunting down bad people is finding good people! with nice web-sites! No S is a cultured community.

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:06 am
by jw
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... 5081292e71 -- eleanoral. Joke plus spam links.

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:03 pm
by Graham

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:35 pm
by la_loser
Graham wrote:
A surprise payoff for hunting down bad people is finding good people! with nice web-sites! No S is a cultured community.
Isn't that the truth? For one thing, I suspect that nearly every question that new members create a new post to ask, there's at least one if not more response to that same question SOMEWHERE in these roughly 140,000 posts! (Oh, my, that's a lot of posts!) I've tried to make it a point to do a search for keywords when I'm curious about something-you find what you're looking for . . . and bonus insights as well!

It's such a tribute to our fearless leader and his loyal followers that the "etiquette" sticky has not needed a new "post" since 2009! I'm not sure I've come across any other board which is as civil and positive as this one-even some that are based on various "religious" tenets. . . since occasionally their members are so focused on their beliefs that sometimes a bit (or maybe a lot!) of "I'm right and you're not" sneaks in to those.

Kudos to Reinhard and Festivus to the rest of us who manage to remain gracious as well!

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:20 pm
by jw
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8667

non sequitur, signature that looks like it might later turn into a live link.

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:33 pm
by reinhard
OK, blasted that last batch. Thanks again!

Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:32 am
by jw
Bot? http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8673

one all purpose post, with a suspect signature line

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 2:49 am
by oolala53

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:00 am
by Graham

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:58 am
by Graham
straightforward advertising copy: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 237#142237
and what about this, is this advertising too? http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 223#141223

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:28 pm
by reinhard
Thanks again! Blasted them all except the habit RPG thing, which I guess is somewhat spammy but looks kind of cool (and relevant).

Reinhard

Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:44 am
by Graham
a dodgy url link gives the game away: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8699

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:34 pm
by jw
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 750e12fee2

Connwishington offers a hot link to personal money network embedded in the word obesity in a logical text. Not a bot, but still spam.

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:39 am
by oolala53
Wow, I am getting old. I could not have written that sentence!

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:35 pm
by jw
I am older than you are, oolala! It is a terrible sentence, though, isn't it. I am not even a techie!

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:51 pm
by oolala53
Not terrible at all, if you're in the know. It just scares me a little to see how much of our lives are entwined in this now. And a lot of it I wouldn't have learned about if I hadn't become a teacher in middle age, though I would have paid a price. I never had the money to invest in it all back then. I just think young people have no sense of how capital intensive it is.

It was hard enough for my grandmother, whom I did not grow up around, and I to relate to each other when I was a teen. She had my mom and her sons to help her navigate the world as she got older. I don't have kids and am not close to the rest of my family. But I guess there will be factions of single female baby boomers in similar situations. We'll probably form tech support groups. Or languish in our little rooms.

Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:27 pm
by reinhard
Connwishington is no more. Though I'm sure the confusing phenomenon he/she/it exemplifies has not ceased to trouble us.

Thanks again!

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:33 am
by Graham

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:01 am
by reinhard
Got him. Thanks again!

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:57 pm
by Graham
and today we have http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... or=Baileyc definite spammer, and this suspect: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... chrisjacob with the commercial url disguised as a link to a windows xp service pack and then I noticed the post before it, which looks even more spammy: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... =altonsuny

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:59 pm
by Graham
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/search.ph ... or=Silas_9
steroid spam in one post, the other spam free but generic bot text.

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:29 pm
by reinhard
Got em all. Thanks again!

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:59 am
by jw
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 2c1dee8488

Philip's first post at the bottom of the page contains a live link to a supplement drink.

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:13 am
by Graham
And philip09's other post is a generic Turing fail - perhaps bots now add posts without spam in them as camouflage? http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#144181

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:08 pm
by reinhard
Got em. Thanks again!

I love it that "nice post!" is enough to get you deleted these days. We're pretty on top of this!

Reinahrd

Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:42 am
by Graham

Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:53 am
by reinhard
Got him! Bitcoin etc. craze gives me some new terms to add to my spam detectors...

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:08 am
by Graham
I thought I'd reported these guys ages ago, but anyway:
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... highlight=# 140378 I see it is listed as edited @ 1 1/2 months after the original posting, perhaps that's when the spam url was added, but the text was already botty.
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#140015 posted Nov 11th - how did he get through the net?
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#139128 October 23rd? Missed it? how?
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... ht=#139108 I do remember posting this guy before, I think he got through on the basis of an appealing comment. Spam URL puts him beyond the pale now, surely? It seems to be a 2 step process: post spam, add URL a month or more later and plagiarism is the new kitchens.

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:02 pm
by reinhard
Got em!

Thanks, Graham.
plagiarism is the new kitchens
What on earth will it be next? I'm on the edge of my seat.

Remember back in the innocent early days of the internet when spam was all about porn and virility enhancements? :-)

Reinhard

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:16 pm
by jw
This is not spam -- but it's another example of internet nefariousness. ehow is publishing modifications on No S and attributing the diet to "librarian Michael Pollan." Here's the link: www.ehow.com/how_7822035_modify-diet-work.html
When I tried to publish a comment to correct, I learned it would cost me $9.95 to do so!
Something you might want to look into . . .

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:18 pm
by reinhard
Wow, thanks! I'll see if I can get to a human there.

Shocking! I guess I'll have to stop blindly trusting everything I read on the internet...

Reinhard

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:56 pm
by jw
Well, I won't ever click on ehow again, that's for sure . . .!

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 8:16 am
by Graham
I was beginning to think they'd gone..
All 3 postings by annienili http://everydaysystems.com/bb/profile.p ... ile&u=8869

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:35 pm
by reinhard
Well, at least this one had a sense of humor! Haven't seen a jokebot before...

Reminds me of "funny once" in Heinlein's the Moon is a Harsh Mistress...

(funny three times gets you deleted here :-))

Thanks again!

Reinhard

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:56 am
by oolala53

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:07 am
by osoniye