Accounts <50 posts permissions changes : dealing with spam.

[Off Shore]

Well I know that curiosity supposedly killed the cat but what possible motivation
is there for "profile spam" ? Is it ever seen?
Human nature is inherently interesting but surely Forum users dont spend their time trawling through user profiles ?
As for the forum Staff / Moderators, it seems to be a thankless task but my observataions suggest its one you manage with some determination... Well done.

Is there any assistance a casual user can offer or alternatively is there any resource such as nolinkfollow which may make the forum less of an atrractive host for SPAM?

Keep up the good work anyhow, Im sure one day you will receive a just reward for your efforts.

[haqking]

Well I know that curiosity supposedly killed the cat but what possible motivation
is there for "profile spam" ? Is it ever seen?
Human nature is inherently interesting but surely Forum users dont spend their time trawling through user profiles ?
As for the forum Staff / Moderators, it seems to be a thankless task but my observataions suggest its one you manage with some determination... Well done.

Is there any assistance a casual user can offer or alternatively is there any resource such as nolinkfollow which may make the forum less of an atrractive host for SPAM?

Keep up the good work anyhow, Im sure one day you will receive a just reward for your efforts.

As outlined in this thread, the reason profile priveleges as been revoked is that spammers have been using the profiles to solicit spam such as in signatures and the like.

Which is why its been removed for less than 50 support posts.

As for how to help, everytime you see a post which seems like spam, (links selling stuff etc and general jibber jabber) then use the report abuse button and detail it as SPAM, dont respond to the thread if in doubt. The MODS will look at it and deal with it if it is SPAM in due course.

Peace

[Perfect Storm]

Aye, report it if it looks suspicious. No harm is done if it aren't spam, then we just move on to the next reported post.

Normally you can see a spammer like this.
1) The user have registered the day of the spam post or recently.
2) It contain link or links unrelated to the subject and/or posted unrelated stuff.
3) Or it may be totally gibberish + plus links.
4) Me-too/got-the-same-problem/etc. 'an masse' posts.

Though some Spam bots are smart to copy paste other users posts or just part of it.

Well I know that curiosity supposedly killed the cat but what possible motivation
is there for "profile spam" ? Is it ever seen?

The links are picked up by search engines like Google - That's why it's attractive for spammers to profile spam without posting with the account. And without posting with the spam account they are hard to find.

Are we to understand there has been a measure of abuse relating to Avatars?
It seems a tad strange that removal of "Avatar rights" should be referenced, by the OP, in the context of SPAM.
Perhaps there is another reason?

We have seen that spammers have recently started using avatars for spamming.
My guess is that it can show up in Google pictures, but I'm not sure. Some spammers uses avatar to load up a picture of a human so it looks 'real'. But the funny part is the most of these pictures a nicked from peoples facebook profiles etc.


Also Avatar is part of Profile, so when disabling profile you disable changing avatars as well.

[Paddy Landau]

The links are picked up by search engines like Google

Of course, you could hide signatures from people who are not signed in (so that Google won't pick them up). A number of forums do that.

[bapoumba]

I am very surprised to read that it happened.
EDIT: Now I find that to be very amusing.

Have you also come across spammers reporting posts and filling the reports with spam?

Yes, that always make us lol.
We also have people answer threads in reports.

Are we to understand there has been a measure of abuse relating to Avatars?
It seems a tad strange that removal of "Avatar rights" should be referenced, by the OP, in the context of SPAM.
Perhaps there is another reason?

AI has explained it, please let me add it is not difficult to upload a commercial pics from a brand product, site logo and so on.

Of course, you could hide signatures from people who are not signed in (so that Google won't pick them up). A number of forums do that.

Sigs yes, but profiles fields, unfortunately, cannot he hidden in this vB release without some hacking. We are not very keen at modifying templates, specially when we expect (dream of) a software upgrade.

When (if) we upgrade, we'll look into better solutions if possible.

[haqking]

We also have people answer threads in reports.
.

I know i can own up to doing that the other day...

I went to post and for some reason clicked report then typed everything i was meant to post, clicked send then realised right at that moment...hang on that wasnt what i was supposed to do...LOL

[bapoumba]

I know i can own up to doing that the other day...

I went to post and for some reason clicked report then typed everything i was meant to post, clicked send then realised right at that moment...hang on that wasnt what i was supposed to do...LOL

lol

[_d_]

So what if someone like me wants to change profile details like Ubuntu flavor since I changed versions? I'd also like my DOB removed.

Do I really need to push out 50 posts, when I really only come on these forums for the nice cafe games and other areas where beans aren't counted, or could I just PM an admin and ask them to modify my profile for me?

[lisati]

I know i can own up to doing that the other day...

I went to post and for some reason clicked report then typed everything i was meant to post, clicked send then realised right at that moment...hang on that wasnt what i was supposed to do...LOL

Reading this stirred some vague notion that I might have done that or something similar once or twice. Having different threads open in multiple tabs, as I do from time to time, introduces a risk of responding to something using the wrong tab. Plenty of chances for having to say "ooops, where's the 'undo' button?"

[bapoumba]

So what if someone like me wants to change profile details like Ubuntu flavor since I changed versions? I'd also like my DOB removed.

Do I really need to push out 50 posts, when I really only come on these forums for the nice cafe games and other areas where beans aren't counted, or could I just PM an admin and ask them to modify my profile for me?

Which version are you using ?