Watch the Millers and other ugh.

[Morgarion]

There is some sort of spambot that just keeps posting links to free websites for watching movies that haven't had home releases yet. I don't know if they work or how well they do, because I don't want to get a virus and ruin my computer, but they're really annoying. I reported a few but they are like hydra's heads. I don't see anyone else responding to them or anything. They're really annoying, but the fact that they're so ubiquitous and that they don't go away leads me to wonder if they are supposed to be here.

If they aren't, should I flag them or just let the tech people figure out how to deal with it?

[The Rose Dragon]

The usual answer is report them, and move on. There isn't really much else you can do.

But while we're at it, I have a question regarding the same spam threads. When such threads are moved away to where we can't see them, sometimes there is a "Moved" link left behind that can clutter up the forums. Since I've seen threads disappear without leaving such a link before, is there a reason why not all spam threads are disappeared without a trace?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Don't reply to any of those threads, as it just pulls it back up to the top, and will earn you an infraction. Just click on the little warning triangle at the bottom, and post Spam in the text box, then click send report.

The mods will get to the spam as quickly as they can. While several suggestions have been made, such as a minimum number of posts before being allowed to add links, the mods here have decided against using that technique.

This is a well known problem, and at the moment this is the only solution.

[AttilaTheGeek]

But while we're at it, I have a question regarding the same spam threads. When such threads are moved away to where we can't see them, sometimes there is a "Moved" link left behind that can clutter up the forums. Since I've seen threads disappear without leaving such a link before, is there a reason why not all spam threads are disappeared without a trace?

I have theorized that there is an additional forum that only moderators can see, and the spam is moved there instead of deleted. Perhaps it's because moving is easier or something, but there's nowhere (we can see) that the spam is being moved to.

[Rawhide]

Please, whatever you do, do not respond to them. It makes our job of cleaning up harder, it draws more attention to it, and it brings it back to the first post of page one. Doing so will earn you a warning (not an infraction, as has been claimed, unless you continue to do it after multiple warnings).

Spam threads are moved to a temporary spam dump for accounting/housekeeping purposes, before being cleaned out periodically. Markers for moved threads are left by default, but standard practice is not to leave a marker for spam threads. If a marker has been left, it's because the moderator forgot to change that option. Honestly, I don't blame them for forgetting. It's a long, tedious task to clean out the spam bots after an infestation.

[Rockphed]

Please, whatever you do, do not respond to them. It makes our job of cleaning up harder, it draws more attention to it, and it brings it back to the first post of page one. Doing so will earn you a warning (not an infraction, as has been claimed, unless you continue to do it after multiple warnings).

Spam threads are moved to a temporary spam dump for accounting/housekeeping purposes, before being cleaned out periodically. Markers for moved threads are left by default, but standard practice is not to leave a marker for spam threads. If a marker has been left, it's because the moderator forgot to change that option. Honestly, I don't blame them for forgetting. It's a long, tedious task to clean out the spam bots after an infestation.

So when we see a bunch of ex-spam threads, it is a sign that we should be nice to the mods? Good to know.

[theangelJean]

Just wanted to note one thing:


I don't see anyone else responding to them or anything.

Just because a thread has no responses, doesn't mean nobody has reported it. Other people have given the reasons for not replying to spam threads above, but for the same reason, when a thread is reported nothing is visible publicly (only to the mods).

I also noticed that if, when you open a spam thread, the only thing you do is report the post, then even the page views for the thread don't go up. (Might be a time--spent-reading thing, no idea.) I'm guessing it's all for the same purpose: The thread looks less interesting, less people look at it, it drops off the front page faster, so the spammers don't get what they want.

So feel free to report the posts as it doesn't hurt, but if a thread is hanging around, it doesn't necessarily mean nobody else has noticed, just that the mods are busy and haven't got to it yet.

[The_Snark]

I also noticed that if, when you open a spam thread, the only thing you do is report the post, then even the page views for the thread don't go up. (Might be a time--spent-reading thing, no idea.) I'm guessing it's all for the same purpose: The thread looks less interesting, less people look at it, it drops off the front page faster, so the spammers don't get what they want.

I'm pretty sure page views do go up, even if you only view the thread for a second and report; it's just that the board doesn't update those page view statistics instantly. I suspect the numbers are updated every ten minutes, or half-an-hour, or some other regular interval - not sure exactly how long.

I could be wrong on the first point (the delay makes it hard to be certain), but the delay is definitely there.

[theangelJean]

Ahh, that would make sense. Thanks, hadn't thought of that.

[Rawhide]

Please, go ahead and report the thread even if you think others might have. It can help us out immensely even if others have, and greatly helps out when they haven't, without causing any extra work for us (the system collates multiple reports in a single location).

Thread view counts are only updated once per hour.

[Ikialev]

It doesn't work, by the way.

[Renegade Paladin]

Please, whatever you do, do not respond to them. It makes our job of cleaning up harder, it draws more attention to it, and it brings it back to the first post of page one. Doing so will earn you a warning (not an infraction, as has been claimed, unless you continue to do it after multiple warnings).
Hey, remember that time you banned me instead of the spambot when I did that? Good times. :smalltongue:

[KillianHawkeye]

It doesn't work, by the way.

What does not work, exactly? Can you be more specific? :smallconfused:

[Renegade Paladin]

What does not work, exactly? Can you be more specific? :smallconfused:
I presume he means the links the spambots advertise, since the OP mentioned that he doesn't know if they work.

[Rawhide]

Hey, remember that time you banned me instead of the spambot when I did that? Good times. :smalltongue:

Yeah. That'll learn you about responding to spam. :smalltongue:

As I recall, though, I spotted it very quickly and unbanned you immediately.

[Brother Oni]

Honestly, I don't blame them for forgetting. It's a long, tedious task to clean out the spam bots after an infestation.

A question regarding this - is it due to the sheer number of posts they generate or is it because the forum administration interface is a bit clunky?

In the event of the latter, have you considered introducing a more streamlined procedure exclusively for spambots? I know specifics won't be answered, just wondering if this is possible with the current software.

[Rawhide]

A question regarding this - is it due to the sheer number of posts they generate or is it because the forum administration interface is a bit clunky?

Sheer number. The interface is designed to deal with people, not spambots. It's not clunky, but it is designed with keeping people from violating the rules in mind rather than the clean up of spammers. First you have to infract them, provide a banning reason, then tidy up all of the posts (without search, currently). It's manageable when there's only one or two, but when you get heaps, that's a lot of steps.


In the event of the latter, have you considered introducing a more streamlined procedure exclusively for spambots? I know specifics won't be answered, just wondering if this is possible with the current software.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15728984&postcount=666

[Silverraptor]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15728984&postcount=666

Why haven't you yet?:smalltongue:

[Rockphed]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15728984&postcount=666

Have you spoken with Rich about getting a "Give Rawhide a big, red, instaban button" reward on the next kickstarter? I am, of course, imagining one of those "Vote for Me" style shirt buttons...

[TuggyNE]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15728984&postcount=666

The best part of that post is the post number. Really adds that special little touch of home.

[PirateMonk]

then tidy up all of the posts (without search, currently).

Why can't you make search mods-only? Does the software make it difficult? Is search turned off for some reason more fundamental than server load?

[Amidus Drexel]

Why can't you make search mods-only? Does the software make it difficult? Is search turned off for some reason more fundamental than server load?

The problem is, as I understand it, the indexing for the search feature (in the update where they dropped it) that made them drop it for reasons of time - which means that it'd be impossible to have a mod-only search option.

[bluewind95]

Why can't you make search mods-only? Does the software make it difficult? Is search turned off for some reason more fundamental than server load?

The search feature requires a database table that was kind of eaten (dropped) in an update. It doesn't work for anyone and bringing it back would require the forums to go down an insane amount of time. Like weeks if I recall. So search is down for everyone, including the mods.