Cleanup on Aisle 7

[BigJon@Work]

Hello, is anyone there? Can you clean up these damn spammers from the board?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

I was never even in Aisle 7! Honest!

Seriously, we are suffering an infestation of automated salesbots. Or maybe they're linkdroids. I'm not sure. It's a dratted nuisance and some unscrupulous programmer/marketer is collecting negative karma points from this, bigtime. Meanwhile, we suffer. :cranky:

[Shapley]

Chris is usually on the ball in getting rid of these things, and blocking the users from further posts. I can only guess that he has been out of the office for the past few days. I've clicked on the "!" button on every one of those posts I've found, but they're still there, as are the 'members' that post them.

Hopefully, Chris can knock 'em out today. Maybe we need Sarge to tackle 'em. A former Marine ought to have no problem tackling a couple of spam-bots...

[jamiebk]

Chris is usually on the ball in getting rid of these things, and blocking the users from further posts. I can only guess that he has been out of the office for the past few days. I've clicked on the "!" button on every one of those posts I've found, but they're still there, as are the 'members' that post them.

Hopefully, Chris can knock 'em out today. Maybe we need Sarge to tackle 'em. A former Marine ought to have no problem tackling a couple of spam-bots...

I like Analog's idea...search out their IP and email addresses and get them signed up for every spam generating website you can think of

[piqaboo]

if you are really feeling narsty, get their phone no if you can and sign them up for something like lendingtree. Some putz did that to us. I felt sorry for the lenders. they thought they had a legitimate call and we thought we were being cold called (for the first few days).
It went on for MONTHS.

[Shapley]

I like Analog's idea...search out their IP and email addresses and get them signed up for every spam generating website you can think of

I find it hard to fling dung without getting some on you. I'm afraid that, in the process of wading into the swamp of Viagra sellers and Kiddie-Porn peddlers, I'll find my own mailbox contaminated with the filth they peddle.

Besides, he's in the business. He probably knows, or is, the originator of the stuff we try to bombard him with. Professional courtesy will protect him.

[BigJon@Work]

Those spam messages are still out there. You help them when you don't clean them up. Chris? Sarge? Any moderators?

[analog]

this handful of vermin subhumanoids is aggravating the whole civilized world. And we've not figured out how to stop it.

you know those dreadful Charles Bronson movies hang on for a reason. When somebody figures out how to publicize physical addresses for these recta the problem will get taken care of.

might be a less drastic solution though.....

Remember when they forced automakers to interlock car ignition switch with seat belts fastened? 1971-ish..
Lasted about a week after Congresspeople got their new cars.

i think the fix is to sign up our representatives.

[Shapley]

Looking at the member list, it appears we have an influx of lawyers from Austria and Accountants from Jordan, all with peculiar handles and even more peculiar links in their profiles.

[Shapley]

We have added 11 new members since quitting time yesterday, including another accountant from Jordan. Only one of these looks like it may not be a bot.

It seems there should be a way to spot these automatically. Certainly any member whose name or website is called "Cheap <whatever> Online" should be suspect. We need a bot zapper...

[barfle]

We have added 11 new members since quitting time yesterday, including another accountant from Jordan. Only one of these looks like it may not be a bot.

It seems there should be a way to spot these automatically. Certainly any member whose name or website is called "Cheap <whatever> Online" should be suspect. We need a bot zapper...

That sounds like a new signature!

Cheap lust, sloth, gluttony, greed online.

[Shapley]

Looks like we added a lot of bots, er... members over the weekend, including large groups of Austrian lawyers and Canadian construction workers.

We need to find some kind of programme which acts like rat poison for bots, we could call it Bot-Tox...

[jamiebk]

Looks like we added a lot of bots, er... members over the weekend, including large groups of Austrian lawyers and Canadian construction workers.

We need to find some kind of programme which acts like rat poison for bots, we could call it Bot-Tox...

Good one...and all the bots can, indeed, kiss our Bot-Tox

[BigJon@Work]

Yes, there is a solution. We are implementing it on the board I administer. Sarge, Chris? Send me a PM and I will send you the info on what we did.

[Nicole Marie]

We are on it.... they are popping up fast on us. The Chris's are on it and hope to have them nailed down today.

[Shapley]

Thanks. Mostly, they appear to be merely annoying, not dangerous. Then again, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts and minds of bots?...

[Nicole Marie]

OK we think we got them all. We also launched several new security measures so they can not sign up and post as easily as they did before. Let us know if you find more and we'll zap them!

[Shapley]

May the force be with you.

[Shapley]

Thanks, Chris and whoever else was involved in cleaning up the mess that was the bulletin board last night.

Looks like one slipped under the radar. What a nightmare! My hat is off to you guys. I know there are lots of those that we never see, due to your vigilence.

V/R
Shapley

[Nicole Marie]

Thank Trumpetmaster! He tipped me off Tuesday morning. And thanks to Larsen for waking up so early and doing the cleaning. We did take the board down while but all should be OK now. Damn spammers