Author Topic: Forum Attacks  (Read 40385 times)

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Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #20 on: September 29, 2011, 07:52:24 pm »
Maybe I should be yet another moderator that would help in cleaning spam posts and spam user accounts.
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #21 on: September 29, 2011, 10:40:54 pm »
We may need to make all three active users moderators. ;D

Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #22 on: October 02, 2011, 01:13:15 am »
These numbers tell an interesting story...

     March
     March
         Sept
     2010
     2011
     2011
New accounts         
100
307
3,347
Deleted
-5
-198
-2,153
Remaining
95
109
1,194
No activity
-65
-89
-1,190
Used
30
20
4
Lurkers
-17
-17
  ?
- unknown—included in "no activity"
Posters
13
3
4

If the creation of spam accounts cannot be controlled, then there is no practical means by which we can identify and delete them. This is why I suggested simply deleting all accounts for which there were no posts (spam posts would already be deleted, so the accounts from which they were posted would have no posts). Doing so, however, would also delete the legitimate accounts of "lurkers"—real people who have gone to the trouble to register, but have not yet had occasion to post. These accounts, however, can be identified as those having a Last Active date greater than their Date Registered. Spammers do not browse and leave. When they return after registering, it's to post spam. At the same time, real people do not go to the trouble to register and then never return. If they do return after 30 days, it's unlikely they would even remember registering the first time. Besides, the numbers prove the vast majority of these inactive accounts were created by spammers anyway.

So if spam accounts cannot be prevented, this is what I suggest:

  • Clean-up the existing accounts by deleting all those for which there has been no activity since registration.
  • Moderators delete spam and the accounts that post them as they are posted.
  • Periodically (but at least monthly) delete accounts
    • that can be identified as spam by their links and contact info.
    • created more than 30 days prior for which there has been no activity since registration.

I don't know if moderators can be given the permissions required to do the deletions of steps 1 and 3. This post (from the SMF 1.x support board) suggests how those can be done.

The only other way might be to make sure you have moderation checkboxes selected in your profile and then set your page length to a large number. Go to the memberlist from the Admin area and click on Last Online until the sort is showing the oldest date. Click the checkboxes of the ones you want to delete, depending on the page size you set, you can click the box at the top of the page to select all the members on the page. The select the action at the bottom of the page.

Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #23 on: October 02, 2011, 06:50:14 am »
These numbers tell an interesting story...

    March
    March
       Sept
    2010
    2011
    2011
New accounts          
100
307
3,347
Deleted
-5
-198
-2,153
Remaining
95
109
1,194
No activity
-65
-89
-1,190
Used
30
20
4
Lurkers
-17
-17
 ?
- unknown—included in "no activity"
Posters
13
3
4


Very interesting and alarming statistics.

So if spam accounts cannot be prevented, this is what I suggest:

  • Clean-up the existing accounts by deleting all those for which there has been no activity since registration.
  • Moderators delete spam and the accounts that post them as they are posted.
  • Periodically (but at least monthly) delete accounts
    • that can be identified as spam by their links and contact info.
    • created more than 30 days prior for which there has been no activity since registration.

I don't know if moderators can be given the permissions required to do the deletions of steps 1 and 3.


Exactly should be done.
It would be necessary to delete all user accounts, which have never been active    (Last active:        Never). Now it is around 5900 or more accounts, after all deletions (cleaning) accounts then it would be user accounts and user only between 1000 and 2000, which would be a real number of users of this forum.

« Last Edit: October 02, 2011, 11:41:17 am by Ivek23 »
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Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #24 on: October 05, 2011, 07:52:05 am »
I disagree completely with this,
There is no point in creating an account and not posting anything, but I assume people could register to become a "better" part of the community or they could have planned to post some time later...
but more on that here.
At the same time, real people do not go to the trouble to register and then never return. If they do return after 30 days, it's unlikely they would even remember registering the first time.
There are many such users, when registered, then not more active.

Maybe I should be yet another moderator that would help in cleaning spam posts and spam user accounts.
We may need to make all three active users moderators. ;D

If I had moderator status, established a permit or authorization to edit (delete) user accounts and posts, would be happy to assist in the regulation of the current mess on the forum.
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #25 on: October 08, 2011, 09:51:59 pm »
The rate at which accounts are being created and spam posted is too great for me to keep up with. So I did little over the past week, in part to see what the result would be. Unfortunately, the spam posts that were in Version 1 [Testing] were deleted before I could count them. But there were lots—pages of new topics, I believe. Only a few were posted to other boards, which I deleted as they happened.

I've reviewed the new memberships over this period, and what I find is the same as before. New accounts are being added at about 70 per day. About 3 of these are legitimate users (as indicated by activity after registration) and maybe one of them will post.

My conclusion is the same as before. We could really use something more effective in preventing spam accounts from being created. And unless that's highly effective, moderators need the ability to identify and mass delete accounts with no activity. If nothing can be done to stop the accounts from being created, deleting them all regularly (i.e., daily) would keep the membership clean and greatly reduce the number of spam posts (most spammers first create an account, then return later to add links and/or post spam).

Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #26 on: October 09, 2011, 10:12:54 am »
The rate at which accounts are being created and spam posted is too great for me to keep up with. So I did little over the past week, in part to see what the result would be. Unfortunately, the spam posts that were in Version 1 [Testing] were deleted before I could count them. But there were lots—pages of new topics, I believe. Only a few were posted to other boards, which I deleted as they happened.

If my memory sun is cheating, it was new spam topics about for two full pages.

I've reviewed the new memberships over this period, and what I find is the same as before. New accounts are being added at about 70 per day. About 3 of these are legitimate users (as indicated by activity after registration) and maybe one of them will post.

This is true, as has been said.
Or return later with spam posts or not active or not at all be more active.

My conclusion is the same as before. We could really use something more effective in preventing spam accounts from being created. And unless that's highly effective, moderators need the ability to identify and mass delete accounts with no activity. If nothing can be done to stop the accounts from being created, deleting them all regularly (i.e., daily) would keep the membership clean and greatly reduce the number of spam posts (most spammers first create an account, then return later to add links and/or post spam).

Excellent expressed a final opinion.

As I've mentioned here

Maybe I should be yet another moderator that would help in cleaning spam posts and spam user accounts.
We may need to make all three active users moderators. ;D

If I had moderator status, established a permit or authorization to edit (delete) user accounts and posts, would be happy to assist in the regulation of the current mess on the forum.

would take time and patience for this, to clear the spam accounts and the accounts of all those users,
Quote
would also delete the legitimate accounts of "lurkers"—real people who have gone to the trouble to register
which until now has never been active (for example - in their account writes the following: (Last active:        Never)).
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #27 on: October 09, 2011, 12:16:54 pm »
Quote
would take time and patience for this, to clear the spam accounts and the accounts of all those users,

I don't believe anyone has the patience to delete to delete 60-70 accounts a day, one-at-a-time. It seems there is the ability to select and delete in bulk, but the power to do so may only be available to administrators. I've only commented on what needs to be done, not on whether the tools necessary can be granted to moderators.

Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #28 on: October 09, 2011, 12:53:47 pm »
Quote
would take time and patience for this, to clear the spam accounts and the accounts of all those users,

I don't believe anyone has the patience to delete to delete 60-70 accounts a day, one-at-a-time. It seems there is the ability to select and delete in bulk, but the power to do so may only be available to administrators. I've only commented on what needs to be done, not on whether the tools necessary can be granted to moderators.

OK, thanks for the clarification.
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Offline nostra

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #29 on: October 11, 2011, 12:03:39 am »
I have installed some more addons to prevent spam attacks. Let's how it goes now...

I could not find a way to allow moderators to delete multiple accounts at once :(
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #30 on: October 11, 2011, 12:41:20 am »
Quote
I could not find a way to allow moderators to delete multiple accounts at once

I see you've deleted the obvious spam accounts. But thousands remain, as indicated by there being no activity since registration. Can you, as administrator, identify and mass delete those? I think you'll find many of those (mainly the ones created in recent weeks) will return and post spam. Also, just being rid of all those should make it easier to identify and deal with whatever gets by the new controls.

Offline nostra

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #31 on: October 11, 2011, 12:48:33 am »
Yeah, I am on it
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #32 on: October 11, 2011, 01:13:21 am »
Quote
Yeah, I am on it

So I see...We lost half our members! :o ;D

And new spam accounts are still being added. :(

Offline nostra

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #33 on: October 11, 2011, 01:24:42 am »
The new addons report 14 blocked attacks within the last hour, so I hope that the amount of successful attacks will at least drop...
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #34 on: October 11, 2011, 02:08:37 am »
Quote
The new addons report 14 blocked attacks within the last hour, so I hope that the amount of successful attacks will at least drop...

That is promising.

Quote
But thousands remain, as indicated by there being no activity since registration.

It's much better with those gone. If you could isolate those with last activity within a few minutes of registration, many more could be deleted. Some of those would be real people, but if they registered, browsed for a few minutes, then never returned, the account may as well be deleted.

Also, if you can isolate accounts with signatures but no posts, those are very likely spam accounts (with links in the signatures).

Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #35 on: October 11, 2011, 03:59:38 pm »
This is now more conducive to see and more realistic number of real users on the forum. Now the mere sight on the forum is really is more beautiful and the easier it is to see if there is anything new on it (at least for me is this a joy).
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Offline rick.ca

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #36 on: October 16, 2011, 10:05:07 pm »
The new addons report 14 blocked attacks within the last hour, so I hope that the amount of successful attacks will at least drop...

It seemed to work for a time, but now new spam accounts are being added at almost the same rate they were before. 25-30 have been added in the last 12 hours. :'(

Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #37 on: November 16, 2011, 03:55:17 pm »
New forum layout is visually interesting (the old look more appealing and pleasing, at least for me it was so), seems to be no longer spam posts, at the same time, the question I have, whether it is now possible to see Personal Video Database - Statistics Center.
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Offline Ivek23

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #38 on: November 16, 2011, 06:24:45 pm »
Quote
Personal Video Database - Statistics Center

Nostra,  Thank you very much.
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Offline nostra

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Re: Forum Attacks
« Reply #39 on: November 16, 2011, 07:00:27 pm »
You are welcome
Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!

 

anything