Spam Alert

[vicki]

We seem to be under a spammer attack today. I've had to toss out four spammer registrations since lunchtime, and one of them actually got some lurid spam posted on the forum while I was taking the kids to a birthday party. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: I'll try to keep a close eye on it today. Sorry, folks!

[vicki]

We've had another two spammer registrations and a possible third that I have on screening mode. <Sigh> At least I've caught these before they can post. Grrr.

[kriddle]

Sorry to be the bearer of unwelcome news, but I've run across two already this morning in Introduce Yourself. One of them with spam of the 'lurid' type. Is it a full moon or something?

[vicki]

Eeek. Sorry--more lurid spam, plus some propecia spam overnight--five new spammer registrations in the last five hours. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

All new registrations are now in a moderation queue and have to be approved before privileges are granted. I hate to do that, but this is getting out of hand. :(

[Bachi]

Vicki,
Like you have nothing better to be doing, so sorry for this annoyance, for us it’s an irritation, for you it is work! We appreciate your efforts!

Regards,
Bachi

[vicki]

It's no problem--spam combat (spambat?) is just part of online life. We've been dodging that bullet pretty well for a while, and it was only a matter of time before a gaggle of spammers found us. <Sigh> Fortunately, this is good forum software with a number of nice anti-spam features. But these often result in some delay for new members. Not ideal, but with some good communication practices and quick registration approval, we shouldn't lose too many legitimate registrants. Thanks to everyone here for bearing with us during our spambat efforts! :D

[noBel]

One of them with spam of the 'lurid' type. Is it a full moon or something?

Sorry, but that made me giggle, since a "full moon" could be pretty lurid!

Thanks Vicki for all your hard work keeping us spam free.

[vicki]

No problemo!

Ahhh--just nuked my first spammer in registrant-moderation. :p Bring it on, Propecianna!

[Strawberry Curls]

No problemo!

Ahhh--just nuked my first spammer in registrant-moderation. :p Bring it on, Propecianna!Super-Vicki, a force to be dealt with!! Spammers beware. Go get 'um, girl.

Yes, thanks for all your hard work, Vicki.

Alice

[Jennifer]

Is a spammer someone who just likes to get on a site and create havoc? I get spam but I always thought it was just garbage and I delete it. Should I be doing more?
Jen D.

[vicki]

Someone who comes into a forum and just generally stirs up trouble for the fun of it is a troll. The software provides various mechanisms for dealing with them, too.

In the forum context, a spammer is someone who enters the community only to post commercial messages and direct traffic to a money-making site. They can do this with advertising posts or with general greeting messages with the commercial url as a tagline.

We've had something of a deluge of spammer registrations the last two days, so I've raised a screen in the registration process and have also banned registrations from various email and IP addresses that are notorious for spamming. I hate to do that, as we may lose a few people who are legitimately interested, but we'll likely lose more than that if newcomers surf in only to see sporn plastered all over the welcoming threads in the interval before I can nuke it. Grrrr!

There's a major new version of vBulletin that's just come out, and it has a lot of new anti-spam features that may be helpful. I'm hoping we can get it installed in the next couple of weeks. It has a lot of other new social networking features too, which should be fun to explore. :D

[vicki]

Well, the email/IP address ban is too aggressive. To see first-hand how the screen works, I registered a test account under one of my gmail addresses, and it bounced me for having a banned address (it was merely similar to a banned address). Waaah! :..(

We'll have to get by with my manual screening, which I'm hoping will catch most of the clowns before they get on board. :)

[Roxanne]

Thank you for doing this, Vicki--all of this. The VBC site. Monitoring it. Maintaining it. Policing it. Protecting it.

I can't imagine where you find all of the time.

So, really, thank-you-thank-you-thank-you for doing this.

Roxanne:)

[SaraB]

I also thank you for all of your efforts on our behalf.:)

[KarenB]

Okay - who's in on getting Vicki a shirt with a big red S on it? :D

[Bachi]

Okay - who's in on getting Vicki a shirt with a big red S on it? :D

I’m in, but I think it should be a picture of Dian “Protector of our Community”.

It’s been eye opening in the past couple of days, a couple of time I could not get onto the website and then when I did, seeing an unwelcome post, really made me think of what a safe haven the VBC has become for me and how much I look forward to checking in at least once a day-whenever possible.
Again Thank You Vicki and Thank You ALL for making this such a great place to be.

[kriddle]

Is there room on the wagon for me, too?

Thanks, Vicki, for working so hard to provide a safe haven for all us bookworms to wallow in (am I mixing metaphors?). All your hard work and vigilance is greatly appreciated!

[vicki]

<Blush> Thanks for all the kind words! To even be mentioned in the same sentence as the formidable Dian is great honor indeed. :)


who's in on getting Vicki a shirt with a big red S on it?


Just remember--NO CAPES (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68ndaZSKa8&feature=related)! :D </Edna Mode fan>

[KarenB]

Just remember--NO CAPES!

Gotta watch out for those jet engines!

[vicki]

That was such a great montage! I love Brad Bird.

Sheri, I'm so sorry to hear about the bullying. :( Is the school being at all helpful? I think one of the few advantages to DS's being so small for his age is that the bullies tend to overlook him as a physical target. I hope your son is doing okay. I will be thinking about y'all.

[annie]

Me too - I really appreciate this forum, and want to thank Vicki (and send bad thought to those who want to spoil things)