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Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:55 pm
by jont-
Please don't reply to threads with multiple spam posts - it's easier to tidy up if there aren't replies I need to worry about losing.
/although I think akirk/ Mr C-W have a larger ban hammer they can use to delete all of a users posts.

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:27 pm
by Strangely Brown
AFAICR phpBB allows deleting all of a user's posts when an account is deleted. If not as standard then certainly as part of add-on admin tools.

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:37 pm
by akirk
right - dealing with it - my apologies for this...
have locked down registration to admin approval ponly for now
currently switched off private messages in case they spam those before I can wipe the users
am working through the users to remove them - will update shortly

Alasdair

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:01 pm
by WhoseGeneration
akirk wrote:right - dealing with it - my apologies for this...
have locked down registration to admin approval ponly for now
currently switched off private messages in case they spam those before I can wipe the users
am working through the users to remove them - will update shortly

Alasdair


Don't worry about it, it tends to happen with a new 'site, until those who admin get a handle on setup.
Of interest, of course, is how the spammers find the new 'sites. Gotta be bots "searching" the Web?

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:46 pm
by akirk
Apologies all for the spam attack and a huge thank you to jont- for dealing with it...
All spammers are now deleted
We have changed the registration to require a Q&A related to this website
All registered users (for now) will require Admin approval - will recind when we are happy with lack of attempts
I have also disallowed signatures to have links (apparently this puts the bots off!) - on trial for now, so if you need a link in your signature, let me know - those who already have one it will continue working!
I have put private messages back on - please let me know by posting here if that causes any issues
hopefully back to serene waters now...

and I have upgraded jont- to Admin, not just mod, so he now has even more tools at his disposal :D

Alasdair

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:16 pm
by jont-
akirk wrote:and I have upgraded jont- to Admin, not just mod, so he now has even more tools at his disposal :D

The equivalent of moving from lump hammer to angle grinder :mrgreen:

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:56 pm
by Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
Careful with that axe, Eugene! :D

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:18 pm
by chriskay
Strangely Brown wrote:It needs an english language maths question on signup. Somthing like:

"What is six times seven? Answer in digits."

That stopped bot signups completely on the phpBB installation that I ran.


Or alternatively "What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?"

Re: Spam

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:20 pm
by akirk
chriskay wrote:
Strangely Brown wrote:It needs an english language maths question on signup. Somthing like:

"What is six times seven? Answer in digits."

That stopped bot signups completely on the phpBB installation that I ran.


Or alternatively "What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?"


Push-pull steering and BGOL being the acceptable answers? :D
Alasdair

Re: Spam

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 10:30 am
by chriskay
akirk wrote:
chriskay wrote:
Strangely Brown wrote:It needs an english language maths question on signup. Somthing like:

"What is six times seven? Answer in digits."

That stopped bot signups completely on the phpBB installation that I ran.


Or alternatively "What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?"


Push-pull steering and BGOL being the acceptable answers? :D
Alasdair


Possibly, although I prefer 42 :D