Frustrated with BOTs

[Hyfi]

Hey Admins, is there no way to setup membership so that a user name needs to be more than alphabet soup?

This site has more spam and BOTs than any other site I visit. I have never seen a BOT post at AK or many other forums.

No traffic would be better than a daily rash of BOTs.

It would seem some stricter membership criteria could be put in place.

[Mash]

.............................
It would seem some stricter membership criteria could be put in place.

Or at least criteria that only allows BOTS that offer something useful & readable and not pure gibberish................................

[Hyfi]

Or at least criteria that only allows BOTS that offer something useful & readable and not pure gibberish................................

That was what I meant by Alphabet Soup.

It should at least be readable AND they should use the process where you have to enter the text from an almost unreadable example, which BOTs cannot do.

There have been about 4 to 1 BOT posts here today and it's getting to the point where I am gonna just give up after 14 years here.

[markw]

...but it boosts the hit count. The advertisers love those numbers.

[bobsticks]

...but it boosts the hit count. The advertisers love those numbers.

Except that it really doesn't. I spend a fair amount of time suspending BOTs before they ever post---to the tune of 5 to 15 accounts a day, I'd imagine that number is higher for John and Autumn who are around more.

[ForeverAutumn]

I've never suspended an account before it's posted. But I figure I suspended at least two dozen accounts on Sunday alone, plus deleted about four dozen posts since many of the bots posted multiple times.

Bots give my life purpose!

[bobsticks]

I've never suspended an account before it's posted. But I figure I suspended at least two dozen accounts on Sunday alone, plus deleted about four dozen posts since many of the bots posted multiple times.

Bots give my life purpose!

Really? When I see juxtaposed-letter accounts or find accounts with spam in the profie I just suspend them automatically.

---Sticks: cuttin' to the chase

[JohnMichael]

Really? When I see juxtaposed-letter accounts or find accounts with spam in the profie I just suspend them automatically.

---Sticks: cuttin' to the chase

I agree and I ban spammers when I see crap in their profile. If I see anything about Channel, Tory Burch or designer shoes they are gone before the first post. Same for porn since there is no reason to let anyone see it. After a thorough check of course.

[GMichael]

I thought that this thread was going to be about the Big Orange Thing in the sky.

[ForeverAutumn]

Really? When I see juxtaposed-letter accounts or find accounts with spam in the profie I just suspend them automatically.

---Sticks: cuttin' to the chase

Where do you see those new accounts? I look for new posts. I'm obviously missing an important step in my Mod duties.

[JohnMichael]

Where do you see those new accounts? I look for new posts. I'm obviously missing an important step in my Mod duties.

Click on Audio and Video Forums and when you see the different forums go to the bottom of the page. You will see What's Going On and you will see all the registered members currently on-line. Click on the names and in their profiles you might see signatures with spam links or every line of their profile might say channel bags. When I see that in their profile they are banned even if their post count is 0.

Sir Sticks may have a different methods that may be of interest. As a matter of fact I bet he does.

[Hyfi]

What about stopping it before it happens?

I have not rejoined for many years so I have no idea what it looks like and when you sign up but there has to be some intelligence to the process. If any of the methods to stop the bots from creating an account were put into place, you Mods would not have to worry about banning and deleting bogus accounts.

I don't remember any of these BOT issues from before VBuletin or whatever this crappy code is called.

[JohnMichael]

What about stopping it before it happens?

I have not rejoined for many years so I have no idea what it looks like and when you sign up but there has to be some intelligence to the process. If any of the methods to stop the bots from creating an account were put into place, you Mods would not have to worry about banning and deleting bogus accounts.

I don't remember any of these BOT issues from before VBuletin or whatever this crappy code is called.

We mods can only delete and ban along with some basic chores. We can move and close threads or merge multiple legitimate posts. The Admins and IT folks are needed for any sign in changes.

[Hyfi]

We mods can only delete and ban along with some basic chores. We can move and close threads or merge multiple legitimate posts. The Admins and IT folks are needed for any sign in changes.

Cool, get them involved and it will save you lots of wasted time.

My original post was addressed to Admins....and only Mods chimed in.

[bobsticks]

Sir Sticks may have a different methods that may be of interest. As a matter of fact I bet he does.

Yes and no. I take the exact same steps as you outlined John but sometimes I take it further. For instance, I can tell you that our new resident "hottie librarian" maintains an account via a false proxy from Arkansas, U.S. despite clearly being of mid-European origin.

Trace route tools and Google are your friends...

[bobsticks]

I thought that this thread was going to be about the Big Orange Thing in the sky.

I know, right? I assumed as much too...You deserve Greenies for that but, alas, I must pass around "Rep" previous to that...but don't worry, I have a long memory...

[JohnMichael]

I thought that this thread was going to be about the Big Orange Thing in the sky.

Makes me think how much I miss Bernd.

[GMichael]

Makes me think how much I miss Bernd.

Ditto. My first thought was that he was back.

[GMichael]

I know, right? I assumed as much too...You deserve Greenies for that but, alas, I must pass around "Rep" previous to that...but don't worry, I have a long memory...

Why does that sound like it could be sticky?

[Feanor]

So ... I don't think I've heard a precise reason why this site has so many "BOT" or whatever their called, when I basically never see them on other sites.

I'm not blaming our Admin or Mods in the least -- I'm sure they do their best under the circumstances. What is evidently lacking is he secure environment and/or tools for the job. Let those who know 'fess up and tell us the reason

[thekid]

Hey Admins, is there no way to setup membership so that a user name needs to be more than alphabet soup?

This site has more spam and BOTs than any other site I visit. I have never seen a BOT post at AK or many other forums.

No traffic would be better than a daily rash of BOTs.

It would seem some stricter membership criteria could be put in place.

I'd give you a greenie but even after being away from this site for 6-months it appears I still have to even them out more before giving you another one.

I have ranted before about the spam and other issues which is why I stopped hanging out for awhile. However its nice to come back to where I grew up on the audio hobby.

[Hyfi]

This is really starting to get ridiculous.

Admins, please step up and fix this problem before the few old timers left just give up on this dead place.

[atomicAdam]

Hi Folks -

I know, they suck. I've put the forums back in the not auto authorize mode. Now new users have to email me to authorize their registration. We had to do this before, it seemed to work well.

-adam

[Hyfi]

Hi Folks -

I know, they suck. I've put the forums back in the not auto authorize mode. Now new users have to email me to authorize their registration. We had to do this before, it seemed to work well.

-adam

Thanks Adam, that was actually going to be my next suggestion since BOTS usually cannot properly respond to that way of confirmation.

Much appreciated for the fix and the update.

[TheHills44060]

...but it boosts the hit count. The advertisers love those numbers.

Good call markw, that would go hand and hand with all the trackers on this site especially in the forums. I counted 10 on this page alone. Facebook, Crazy Egg, Optify, Quantcast, etc...the most of all the audio sites i visit.