Spammers

[GGJstudios]

I applaud the changes in the forum that now delete new spam threads as soon as they're created! There's just one drawback I see. As is happening at this moment with two spammers, they are creating multiple threads that appear in Forum Spy. If you click on any of them, it shows the thread has already been deleted (automatically, I assume). However, it doesn't stop the spammer from flooding Forum Spy with new threads. Since the posts are deleted instantly, there is no report post icon to click. Is there a way to report a user, rather than a post, other than the Contact Us method? Or is there a way to automatically put a user in Time-Out if they create more than x number of threads in x period of time?

 

[Schtumple]

By reporting a post the user is automatically flagged to mods IIRC, but it's up to a mod to investigate and approve whether the user is banned, or put in time out etc.

Please note though, I haven't been back on here for a while so this may not be 100% accurate.

 

[GGJstudios]

By reporting a post the user is automatically flagged to mods

The point is, there is no post to report, as they're deleted instantly. There's no "report user" icon on the user's profile and there's no way to report a user without a post, other than the Contact Us method, AFAIK.

 

[Schtumple]

The point is, there is no post to report, as they're deleted instantly.

True, but surely as the thread is automatically deleted the user must be automatically flagged? That would be my assumption.

Either way you can message a mod with the username of the spammer and chances are they'll get on it very quickly.

EDIT: Forum Spy is quite an old and custom implementation, so it's bound to have a few problems as it's not "smart". It reminds me of an RSS feed of sorts, it displays EVERYTHING as it comes out, regardless of any changes that occur mere seconds after.

 

[GGJstudios]

True, but surely as the thread is automatically deleted the user must be automatically flagged?

I'm not sure how that works.

Either way you can message a mod with the username of the spammer and chances are they'll get on it very quickly.

The drawback with messaging a mod, rather than the Contact Us form is that particular mod may not be online or may be away, and I'm not sure how quickly the Contact Us report reaches their attention, compared to a post report.

This is annoying when trying to use Forum Spy to look for new legitimate threads:

​

 

[Schtumple]

The drawback with messaging a mod, rather than the Contact Us form is that particular mod may not be online or may be away, and I'm not sure how quickly the Contact Us report reaches their attention, compared to a post report.

True, is there a specific "Contact a mod"? If not, would be nice if that existed, purely from the standpoint that it would really save time.

 

[Hellhammer]

I'm not sure how that works.

The drawback with messaging a mod, rather than the Contact Us form is that particular mod may not be online or may be away, and I'm not sure how quickly the Contact Us report reaches their attention, compared to a post report.

Contact Us is immediate, just like a post report.

 

[GGJstudios]

Contact Us is immediate, just like a post report.

Thanks! That's good to know! Well, now you know there's still a spammer alive and kickin'!

 

[arn]

I applaud the changes in the forum that now delete new spam threads as soon as they're created! There's just one drawback I see. As is happening at this moment with two spammers, they are creating multiple threads that appear in Forum Spy. If you click on any of them, it shows the thread has already been deleted (automatically, I assume). However, it doesn't stop the spammer from flooding Forum Spy with new threads. Since the posts are deleted instantly, there is no report post icon to click. Is there a way to report a user, rather than a post, other than the Contact Us method? Or is there a way to automatically put a user in Time-Out if they create more than x number of threads in x period of time?

I don't think that's what happened. I think a mod deleted all the users posts after he created them.

If you refresh the spy, those threads should disappear.

arn

 

[Schtumple]

I don't think that's what happened. I think a mod deleted all the users posts after he created them.

If you refresh the spy, those threads should disappear.

arn

That's a good point, was going to say I couldn't actually see any of the threads in question on my forum spy.

 

[GGJstudios]

I don't think that's what happened. I think a mod deleted all the users posts after he created them.

If you refresh the spy, those threads should disappear.

arn

The spammer continues to post new threads and as soon as one appears on Forum Spy, I click on it, and it shows the thread is deleted. I'd be amazed if a mod is that fast and would let dozens of these threads be created without banning the spammer. That's why I assumed the thread deletion was automatic. Yes, if I refresh Forum Spy, those deleted threads disappear, but then new ones appear, like this one:

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And the spammer still hasn't been banned, even after all this discussion. Edit: now he has.

 

[Eidorian]

I was going to start a thread on this until I found this one in Forum Spy. (I just got back from work.)

Forum Spy users always suffer the most in massive spam fests like this.

 

[iStudentUK]

This was going on yesterday, two Newbies continually posting links to torrents, just like GGJ said, there was no post to report as they were automatically deleted. However, it clogged up ForumSpy for a good while. The suggestion of an automatic time-out sounds good!

 

[BreakGuy]

Yea I saw the two posting torrents. Loading up the Forum Spy and getting really annoying and I enjoy using the Forum Spy very much, it's nice to have an automatically updated feed.

'Tis a shame we can't report individual members, only their posts. Would like to see a report button on member profiles sometime.

 

[Hellhammer]

This is a glitch in Forum Spy. Knox, the guy who coded FS, is already aware of this.