Member Count and Zero Post Members

[Earl K]

So you know why. Spending some time looking at the new accounts and looking at the IP adresses. This is an example. All spam accounts, coupled with watching 20 or more a day of the same just waiting to SPAM us like Heather noticed. 21 from a single IP. Giskard is correct this was discussed long before Rolf droped his post up.

I'll suggest ,
(i) Not allowing any new accounts to register for some months ( time-period TBD ) . This coupled with a culling of all inactive ( as well as current spammer ) accounts / should make the site a less attractive target to the spammers .

(ii) Since spammers work on the premise of reaching "reading eyes" / perhaps it's time to close down the site and then reopen it to interested registrants ( under a new banner & URL ). This will shake loose a lot of the detritus that serve only to bloat the numbers "traffic" / helpig to attract the spammers .

[hjames]

You have two basic options when you design a forum.

Either you have to be a member to post,
or, anyone can post

If you have to be a member, you are required to post some contact info to be verified before you can post - usually an email address.

Spammers have an endless stream of email addresses - and and endless stream of patience - most spamming is done by scripted "bots" anyway.

There are major businesses established on the need to separate spammers from genuine human forum members.

Restarting the site will not dump the chumps (spammers) - you'd be surprised how fast they will find you ... about as fast as legimate forum members - and because you HAVE to leave a trail so WE can find the new site - so will they.

I'll suggest ,
(i) Not allowing any new accounts to register for some months ( time-period TBD ) . This coupled with a culling of all inactive ( as well as current spammer ) accounts / should make the site a less attractive target to the spammers .

(ii) Since spammers work on the premise of reaching "reading eyes" / perhaps it's time to close down the site and then reopen it to interested registrants ( under a new banner & URL ). This will shake loose a lot of the detrus that serve only to bloat the numbers "traffic" / attracting the spammers .

[4313B]

I'll suggest ,
(i) Not allowing any new accounts to register for some months ( time-period TBD ) . This coupled with a culling of all inactive ( as well as current spammer ) accounts / should make the site a less attractive target to the spammers .

(ii) Since spammers work on the premise of reaching "reading eyes" / perhaps it's time to close down the site and then reopen it to interested registrants ( under a new banner & URL ). This will shake loose a lot of the detrus that serve only to bloat the numbers "traffic" / attracting the spammers .

Those ideas have been brought up before. We'll see what shakes out. Don has mentioned some potential changes in recent months so we'll see what comes to pass. It all sounds pretty exciting.

There are major businesses established on the need to separate spammers from genuine human forum members.

Restarting the site will not dump the chumps (spammers) - you'd be surprised how fast they will find you ... about as fast as legimate forum members - and because you HAVE to leave a trail so WE can find the new site - so will they.

Yep. I had a boss once that suggested every spammer and hacker should be publicly executed in front of the Washington Memorial on National TV. Maybe we can come up with some kind of punishment that isn't quite as severe but will still have some kind of impact on the onslaught. I personally don't care because the spammers and hackers have put alot of people to work that would otherwise drift over here to this website and blog their days away about who knows what.

[Rolf]

Giskard is correct this was discussed long before Rolf droped his post up.



Rob

So ... why the negative feedback and "farting" from some that obiviously knew? Why could it not have been said in the thread that: "We are already discussing this"? Not just "kill" my question.

[SEAWOLF97]

Maybe we can come up with some kind of punishment that isn't quite as severe but will still have some kind of impact on the onslaught.

Make them buy Bose ?

[4313B]

Make them buy Bose ?

D'oh! Too harsh!

[hjames]

Nah - it's not severe enough - the whole "get rich quick on someone else's back" mentality needs to get flogged out of them 'til they have respect for other people's work.

I like the televised part - although I wouldn't watch it, enough would to make a real impact.
We had a high power UHF station come to town in the 70s - to make an impact, they ran "Live Bullfights from Mexico City" on Saturday night - brutal stuff, but it got the eyeballs. So would spammer (and malware) floggings. And put the virus writers at the end of a firing squad - that'd get some viewers too!

Yep. I had a boss once that suggested every spammer and hacker should be publicly executed in front of the Washington Memorial on National TV. Maybe we can come up with some kind of punishment that isn't quite as severe but will still have some kind of impact on the onslaught.

[boputnam]

Thanks for announcing this in advance and for giving members a chance to do something before being surprised by an unannounced change.

Ouch.

Hit me again...

[JBLnsince1959]

D'oh! Too harsh!

No, not enough.....

Well Rob. I wish you guys all the luck with this and the other changes..It will be interesting to see how it plans out..

[Robh3606]

Looks like we are down to a more realistic number. That is with almost all of the Zero posters gone. Comes out to 2,459 from over 7500. If anyone has any issues please PM me.

Thanks Rob

[4313B]

Outstanding! Thanks Rob.

Now lets start pruning from the other end too shall we? I figure nobody has much to say above maybe 25 posts so delete everyone who has made more than 25. Once that's done we should be good to go.

[Zilch]

Yes, please. Cut my post count to 25.

[Leave the posts, tho.... ]

[Titanium Dome]

Here's the top ten list of the first to go.

Giskard Senior Member 7,961
Mr. Widget Administrator 7,138
Zilch Curve Junkie 6,930
boputnam Moderator / LH Treasurer 4,858
Titanium Dome Inverted Dome Metalhead 4,370
Ian Mackenzie Senior Member 4,058
Robh3606 Senior Member 3,970
scott fitlin Moderator 3,066
johnaec Senior Member 2,796
Earl K Senior Member 2,251

-------------------------------------

Rob, that clean up was a big effort. Thanks and good job.

[Titanium Dome]

Ouch.

Hit me again...

I don't get it. :dont-know

[Mr. Widget]

I don't get it. :dont-know

I guess he took your post as a back handed compliment.


Widget