these spambot registrations are pointless. i recommend a question-answer challenge, rather than a captcha. just make it ask a random question that can easily be found from the main j2o page. or a script that reads the latest downloads and tells the person signing up to pick the one that is the latest download.

signed

Are the bot registrations really a problem? Most don't seem to know how to post, and they don't show up on the member list until they do.

... enough said

Just out of curiosity, how effective are the math problems that replace normal captchas on some forums?

Captchas can be decoded by bots fairly easily. I haven't ever seen a bot read and understand (and solve) a problem in plaintext.

The [si] website uses this sort of thing, and so far it hasn't leaked any spam posts.

Originally Posted by Hunter

Spam bots kind of help boost activity, really. Have you ever noticed how if they post there always is someone who quotes their posts and tries making a witty comment?

Are you suggesting we promote spammers to boost activity?

Personally I think the best way to avoid spambots is to implement some custom verification algorithm. Although it is difficult to achieve, it should provide the best results. Captchas can be easily broken and since most bulletins and probably other boards use the same system, it's relatively easy to create a generic algorithm to break them all at once. Now imagine if every forum used its own system... the odds would lie heavily against the spambotters as they would have to circumvent the verification separately on each and every board to be able to spam.

Man, this is just like fighting bacterium. I kind of agree with Hunter, though. Spambots are amusing at times.

Originally Posted by Hunter

Spam bots kind of help boost activity, really. Have you ever noticed how if they post there always is someone who quotes their posts and tries making a witty comment?

That's just akin to giving steroids to someone agonizing to put their death a few hours off.

Dude. Lay off the guy. :/ He didn't mean what he said (stupid admin)

wait where do I get one of those J2O Admin titles?

and when do i get J2O admin? i'm getting impatient.

Originally Posted by Ninja

and when do i get J2O admin? i'm getting impatient.

when I get that donation

Originally Posted by Dermo

(stupid admin)

You should be so lucky our administration is so nonchalant that its only being mean to users instead of banning them for saying stuff like that.

really? if you're serious about cashing in on vanity by giving e-status in return, contact me today!

Honestly, I'd pay for a 'Master Foo' custom title. :P

And more on topic, I'd say that the spam bots aren't really a problem. They don't really post all that frequently, and when they do it's never long before an admin catches it.

If, however, we want to get rid of them more permanently, I'd agree with Overlord that a custom algorithm is the only real way to go.

Also, Dermo, there's really no need to criticize c00ba for what he said. I don't really see anything offensive about it to be honest.

I remember when (in the pre-Stijn era) those custom titles weren't allowed. I think that was why the semi-titles were introduced. I feel old.

Okay ive had the last straw with these spambots.....at first it was okay they made a few silly posts nothing big..then theres yesterday

Private messages: 1 new
I think hmm that should be interesting.

Its a member ive never heard of that joined april 2009, which should be suspicious in itself. The title was Hi. Basically all that was inside was weird characters from some foreign language and a link. From the name of the link which i will not mention due to content i thought id be best to ignore it. It bugged me a bit to get spam of that type of content which you can probably asuume pretty well.

Then today i had some access to a computer i dont really care about its state so i thought i might as well see if it mgiht possibly be important though unlikely. Triggered that computers virus scanner for trojans. Good thing i didnt care about that computer.

I think once spambots are sending unappropriate content and virus's the line has ben crossed

Yeah, I got the same message. Would it be possible to make it so people need to make 1 post before sending private messages, just like before creating new threads? That should make it possible to catch spambots before they do anything like this.

I just got an email from the same spambot as well..........

I'm aware of the problem and it's really annoying. I'll bug Frank to see whether he knows any vBulletin plugins against this.

I thought the spambots had been *too* quiet recently.

I also received the same PM. While I don't see that spambots making posts is all that huge of an annoyance, PMing crosses the line.

I just got a second PM from it. Exactly the same. It's name is Sashaulica. Could you please ban this bot at least, while you work on a solution?

It was already banned before you wrote that message.

Stijn: what username was that bot using? I can't find it in the user list.

Sashaulica

I deleted the account

Stijn: ah, that's why I couldn't find it - you use the uberbanhammer

Hunter: no, banned users cannot send PMs to anyone.

Hmm well the problems have seemed to have stopped (for the moment) I guess we'll just have to wait till the next spambot revolution!