Spam prevention: Posts from new users will be filtered for spam

ECO · 09-28-2009, 08:21 PM

Hey all,

Due to a continued increase in spam, which has ranged from the most subtle to the most *ahem*...graphic, I just activated a filter for posts from new users.

This will subject new user's first X posts to screening via a stringent third-party spam database, and hopefully weed out the remainder of the spam I can't catch manually.

If for some reason your posts aren't making it through and you think they should, please send me a PM or email. I expect to have to work out some kinks.

Thanks.

ECO · 09-30-2009, 07:28 AM

It's working so far.

westerman · 09-30-2009, 11:22 AM

And a good idea. Yesterday's posts were definitely NSFW (not safe for work). Actually they weren't safe for home either.

It is a shame that our beloved site got hit that way.

ECO · 04-06-2015, 09:12 AM

Bump for not needing to modify this setting for 6 years.

GenoMax · 04-06-2015, 09:21 AM

Perhaps not quite working yet

Not the kind of spam from this morning but still .. just saw one pop up (from an existing spam user).

ECO · 04-06-2015, 09:39 AM

Thanks. Different reasons, but got it too.

dpryan · 04-06-2015, 11:09 AM

There's another one that just popped up. Seems to be largely throttled at least.

dpryan · 04-06-2015, 12:36 PM

This one literally asks to be banned under "instruments".

GenoMax · 04-06-2015, 01:28 PM

Spambots appear to have made a come back .. at a reduced rate though.

ECO · 04-06-2015, 01:31 PM

Some of the first accounts didn't get banned...I'm keeping an eye on my phone from the road...:/

Brian Bushnell · 04-06-2015, 06:57 PM

Still seems to not quite be working. Though, most of the spam posts now show up as "moderated".

dpryan · 04-06-2015, 10:23 PM

Seems to be only one account (slowly) getting through at the moment. Depending on what permissions they get, you might want to just deputize a few more moderators.

Brian Bushnell · 04-07-2015, 12:57 AM

Another possibility, at present, is to prohibit the use of non-ASCII unicode characters in new posts, if you have that kind of flexibility...

GenoMax · 04-07-2015, 04:22 AM

Looks like the bots are working through the new "300 seconds between two posts" limit.

Brian Bushnell · 04-07-2015, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenoMax

Looks like the bots are working through the new "300 seconds between two posts" limit.

It's a lot easier to clean up, though.

vivek_ · 04-07-2015, 10:07 AM

Also slightly more intelligible yet useless spam like this:

http://seqanswers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56416

ECO · 04-07-2015, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpryan

Seems to be only one account (slowly) getting through at the moment. Depending on what permissions they get, you might want to just deputize a few more moderators.

Happy to...volunteers welcome!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Bushnell

Another possibility, at present, is to prohibit the use of non-ASCII unicode characters in new posts, if you have that kind of flexibility...

I am working on installing a totally new spam protection, probably when I upgrade to vBulletin5...

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenoMax

Looks like the bots are working through the new "300 seconds between two posts" limit.

Yeah, this is a stopgap until I have a better system...

Thanks guys for bearing with this...I know it's annoying. We are getting hammered lately...

dpryan · 04-08-2015, 12:57 AM

I guess I'll volunteer, since at least that will spread out the time zone coverage a bit. BTW, the spammer seems to have gotten through somehow.

maubp · 05-29-2015, 06:48 AM

I'm also willing to wield moderator powers for banning the occasional spammer.

In the meaning the 300s rule means 5 minutes between posts, which sadly blocks my usual pattern of scanning the forum periodically and answering a batch of questions. I hope this stopgap can be replaced...

bio_informatics · 06-04-2015, 05:33 AM

Perhaps introducing "captcha" for first 15-10 posts would eliminate bots?

PS: I'm unsure how easy it is for site admins to introduce any new feature based on time, and financial resources.

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09-28-2009, 08:21 PM	#1
ECO --Site Admin-- Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,358	Spam prevention: Posts from new users will be filtered for spam Hey all, Due to a continued increase in spam, which has ranged from the most subtle to the most ahem...graphic, I just activated a filter for posts from new users. This will subject new user's first X posts to screening via a stringent third-party spam database, and hopefully weed out the remainder of the spam I can't catch manually. If for some reason your posts aren't making it through and you think they should, please send me a PM or email. I expect to have to work out some kinks. Thanks.

09-30-2009, 07:28 AM	#2
ECO --Site Admin-- Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,358	It's working so far.

09-30-2009, 11:22 AM	#3
westerman Rick Westerman Location: Purdue University, Indiana, USA Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,104	And a good idea. Yesterday's posts were definitely NSFW (not safe for work). Actually they weren't safe for home either. It is a shame that our beloved site got hit that way.

04-06-2015, 09:12 AM	#4
ECO --Site Admin-- Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,358	Bump for not needing to modify this setting for 6 years.

04-06-2015, 09:21 AM	#5
GenoMax Senior Member Location: East Coast USA Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 7,143	Perhaps not quite working yet Not the kind of spam from this morning but still .. just saw one pop up (from an existing spam user).

04-06-2015, 09:39 AM	#6
ECO --Site Admin-- Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,358	Thanks. Different reasons, but got it too.

04-06-2015, 11:09 AM	#7
dpryan Devon Ryan Location: Freiburg, Germany Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3,480	There's another one that just popped up. Seems to be largely throttled at least.

04-06-2015, 12:36 PM	#8
dpryan Devon Ryan Location: Freiburg, Germany Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3,480	This one literally asks to be banned under "instruments".

04-06-2015, 01:28 PM	#9
GenoMax Senior Member Location: East Coast USA Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 7,143	Spambots appear to have made a come back .. at a reduced rate though.

04-06-2015, 01:31 PM	#10
ECO --Site Admin-- Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,358	Some of the first accounts didn't get banned...I'm keeping an eye on my phone from the road...:/

04-06-2015, 06:57 PM	#11
Brian Bushnell Super Moderator Location: Walnut Creek, CA Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,707	Still seems to not quite be working. Though, most of the spam posts now show up as "moderated".

04-06-2015, 10:23 PM	#12
dpryan Devon Ryan Location: Freiburg, Germany Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3,480	Seems to be only one account (slowly) getting through at the moment. Depending on what permissions they get, you might want to just deputize a few more moderators.

04-07-2015, 12:57 AM	#13
Brian Bushnell Super Moderator Location: Walnut Creek, CA Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,707	Another possibility, at present, is to prohibit the use of non-ASCII unicode characters in new posts, if you have that kind of flexibility...

04-07-2015, 04:22 AM	#14
GenoMax Senior Member Location: East Coast USA Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 7,143	Looks like the bots are working through the new "300 seconds between two posts" limit.

04-07-2015, 10:07 AM	#16
vivek_ PhD Student Location: Denmark Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 164	Also slightly more intelligible yet useless spam like this: http://seqanswers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56416

04-08-2015, 12:57 AM	#18
dpryan Devon Ryan Location: Freiburg, Germany Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3,480	I guess I'll volunteer, since at least that will spread out the time zone coverage a bit. BTW, the spammer seems to have gotten through somehow.

05-29-2015, 06:48 AM	#19
maubp Peter (Biopython etc) Location: Dundee, Scotland, UK Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,543	I'm also willing to wield moderator powers for banning the occasional spammer. In the meaning the 300s rule means 5 minutes between posts, which sadly blocks my usual pattern of scanning the forum periodically and answering a batch of questions. I hope this stopgap can be replaced...

06-04-2015, 05:33 AM	#20
bio_informatics Senior Member Location: USA Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 182	Perhaps introducing "captcha" for first 15-10 posts would eliminate bots? PS: I'm unsure how easy it is for site admins to introduce any new feature based on time, and financial resources.