User suggestions for dealing with latest plague of spam

[Popcorn Sutton]

If you guys need help with the spam bots, I might be able to write a program for you. But to prevent it entirely is probably going to need user name detection of spammers which could accidentally ban innocent people.

[hypervalent_iodine]

Our filter normally catches most of them, but we're having a little trouble with it at the moment for some reason. Supposedly this is the new and improved version. Cap'n is or will be looking into it, at any rate.

[Popcorn Sutton]

They put the word "that" right after the word "the". That is statistically insignificant. I guess you guys probably use something like that? They might be scanning the forums, but I doubt it. I don't know how to implement the program for early detection though, but I can create a program like that to detect it at least. Say, if several sequences have never been used on these forums, then flag it. It happens often in the spam.

[krash661]

i have no clue if this modification is compatible with your platform

but this works really great.

 

Stop Forum Spam

http://www.stopforumspam.com/

[John Cuthber]

Not sure if this is the right place and I guess it would depend on how many new posters we get in a day, but is it possible to only let new users make one post initially, then have that vetted and only if it's legitimate, permit further posting?

It won't work if there are many new posters because there wouldn't be the capacity to check the posts but it would stop someone signing up and spreading ads across the whole site.

[CaptainPanic]

It is pretty clear that we suffer from a very standard type of spammers, and I am sure that this issue will be resolved soon. We should have some software to kill spam, but it seems it is not working properly at the moment. We kindly ask for a little patience.

 

And keep reporting the spam posts if you think a moderator has missed it. (You don't have to report the newest ones yet, which only a few minutes old).

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

i have no clue if this modification is compatible with your platformbut this works really great.

 

Stop Forum Spam

http://www.stopforumspam.com/

The software's built-in filter is supposed to use this automatically, along with Project Honeypot data. It's not working very well right now, but I'm away on a trip until tomorrow night and won't be able to find out why.

[Popcorn Sutton]

i have no clue if this modification is compatible with your platform

but this works really great.

 

Stop Forum Spam

http://www.stopforumspam.com/

Is that the method you guys are currently using? I'd need to do some research for implementing python into html, but I need to figure that out anyway. I could also learn java or some other programming language, that is also on my to do list. But I do natural language processing, so it would be a simple program that runs on all posts before they get posted. I wish I could help but I would need to research a bit first.

 

Unless you guys want a peek at what I can do and see if you can find a way to implement it.

 

I didn't work too hard on this for the moment, but I think you guys might be able to see the gist of what needs to be done here. It's written in Python 2.7

 

>>> spam = ['michael kors']

>>> for u in spam:

poi = u

npoi = ''

while len(poi + npoi) != 0:

while poi in spam:

poi = poi + npoi[0]

npoi = npoi[1:]

while poi not in spam:

spam.append(poi)

npoi = poi[1:]

poi = poi[0]

 

(The above part will need some work, not much.)

 

>>> while 0 == 0:

poi = raw_input('Inspect Post:')

npoi = ''

while len(poi + npoi) != 0:

while poi not in spam:

npoi = poi[1:]

poi = poi[0]

while poi in spam:

poi = poi + npoi[0]

npoi = npoi[1:]

print poi, '-spam'

 

(This part will also need some work.)

 

The algorithm I intend on using was originally implemented for sound detection, but theres no reason that it wouldn't work for spam as well. It would probably take less than a second to run.

[Daedalus]

Perhaps you can deputize some of us to help in the removal of such spam when it occurs. At least until a suitable solution can be found ; )

[Phi for All]

Thanks. Using the Report Post button really is the best solution. I've been on the road a bit more lately, but I get reported posts sent by email, and I try to get to them when I reach my computer.

 

We broke something strange, because this new filter is letting the Vi@g@r@ and Goochiebag crap through. Something isn't set correctly, and it will get fixed, and it's overdue and we will rejoice when it happens.

 

Summer, busy, sorry, patience, thanks.

[Moontanman]

My inbox has been a bit more full than usual lately but the spam isn't exactly stealthy and the delete button is easy to access, no problem guys...

[Popcorn Sutton]

If you guys do use my solution, make sure your not appending everything to spam, that would be bad.

 

Disregard the above comment.