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Author Topic: Spam Prevention  (Read 17562 times)

Lynch

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Spam Prevention
« on: July 04, 2010, 06:38:25 AM »
Everyone, I have installed some extra spam prevention into the forum to try to stop bots and known spammers from polluting our little corner of the interweb.  These measures are pretty well-known and tested so I don't foresee many issues but with anything new there is the risk of false positives etc.  So, while we hope it will keep out the bad people, if there is any legitimate accounts or IPs that are blocked then please let us know.  On the blocking page there will be an email to use to contact us if there has been an error.  We may also setup a dedicated address for this purpose in the future.

Obviously, in a perfect world these measures are not necessary but lately spam has increased and this is a step that we are taking to protect the forum.

Lynch

¡Keith!

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2010, 01:34:45 PM »
Tried to get on at lunch from a Panera Bread and I got the blocking page.

Clovis8

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2010, 06:40:49 PM »
Tried to get on at lunch from a Panera Bread and I got the blocking page.

ya I cant access via my iphone anymore either :(

saltine

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2010, 09:17:56 PM »
We're working to resolve the iPhone ap problem.
Texan Down Under

saltine

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2010, 09:54:34 PM »
Tried to get on at lunch from a Panera Bread and I got the blocking page.

Couldn't that problem lie with Panera Bread blocking your access?  Lots of abuse of free WiFi out there...
Texan Down Under

Lynch

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2010, 10:12:38 PM »
Tried to get on at lunch from a Panera Bread and I got the blocking page.

The spam mods we use reference two databases of known and active spam IP addresses.  So the fact that a public wifi access point IP address is blocked, does not surprise me at all.  All that needs to happen is someone sends a bunch of spam or does something malicious while using the hotspot and that IP will go into the database.  Then all the users who login later using that address are tarred with the same brush.  Unfortunately, the mods are probably working correctly but there's really no way to filter it out just for you and not the other users of that Panera Bread store (who have done the wrong thing).


¡Keith!

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2010, 11:24:35 PM »
gotta say, that sounds like a really bad filter.  i use public access points all the time - restaurants, coffee shops, Barnes & Nobel, airports, hotels, convention centers, free public wi-fi they have in some cities, ect - and if anyone at anypoint used that to do something in the past its nixed forever?

saltine

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2010, 11:37:25 PM »
Keith, discussion of this problem took place in the mod thread (which is not available to you) between Lynch and Clovis8.  Sorry.

Maybe Clovis8 can expand on it here.  gotta admit...it was over my head and beyond my interest level.  Lynch did determine that the ap which is paid for and offered by Filmspotting is not compromised by the spam software he added here.
Texan Down Under

Bondo

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2010, 12:08:40 AM »
I didn't realize there was a spam problem going on, so I guess credit goes to the moderators who were doing a good job cleaning it up, though I imagine it was a bit more time-consuming than one would like, thus the desire for the filter.

Maybe not the place to ask, but how does the iPhone app relate to the forum? Does it offer functionality with the forum better than just going through Safari? That would certainly be worth the price right there.

Lynch

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Re: Spam Prevention
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2010, 12:30:46 AM »
gotta say, that sounds like a really bad filter.  i use public access points all the time - restaurants, coffee shops, Barnes & Nobel, airports, hotels, convention centers, free public wi-fi they have in some cities, ect - and if anyone at anypoint used that to do something in the past its nixed forever?

I don't think that it's banned forever.  I think there is sliding time scale, where no malicious activity for a certain period of time allows the address to be dropped off the list.  But I will check it out and post it here. 

The real benefit of a filter like this is the speed with which can be updated for all participating users.  The list is constantly updated and changes - allowing us to block the problem before they can get in. 

If there is a lot of issues with this new system then of course we will look at better ways to address the problem.  It's only just been turned on and we are still testing it out.

 

 

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