Spam Spam Spam

[ZippyTheChimp]

This forum receives a lot of spam, and while it is annoying, most people who visit here never see the majority of it. The moderators frequently scan new members and remove any objectionable posts or threads.

If a post or thread that violates the rules is encountered, use the "REPORT BAD POST" icon. Emails are generated to the administrator and moderators. If at least one of us agrees with the report, the post or thread is removed without discussion. If the poster questions why it was removed, we explain it via PM.

If the post or thread remains, that indicates that all of us disagree with the contention, and that should be the end of it. That avoids what happened here. The idea is not to treat every post as a potential crime that must be solved, but to keep the forum readable.

This thread (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10179) was also reported as an ad. Is it? I can't tell, so the poster gets the benefit of my doubt. If any other moderator responded to the alert, they agreed with me. Has it disrupted the forum? I don't think so.

Some of the attempts to hide spam and/or avoid deletion are quite funny, and after I LOL, I zap them.

Sorry to deprive others of some comedy.

[ablarc]

When a thread is locked that some think is spam, does that reflect ambivalence?

I know most unequivocal spam is summarily expunged.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Spam is deleted.

Threads are locked for a variety of reasons.

Examples?

[Ninjahedge]

I have been seeing a rash of spam in the last month r two.

It is kind of funny when you see the automatic generators out there trying to do this kind of thing.

Youhave a few basic types of spam:

Political (Juna -> Jula and 'her' rants on china are a good example)
Real Estate
Financial
"general"

Most come from a new member that has very little imagination in a name that looks like a randomly generated Hotmail address (Bob1234). They come on with their first post to tell us about something GREAT in their life that you need to click on to believe.

You would think that some of them would take a bit more time to soften the blow before they go for the sale. Post a link on te 3rd or 4th post, but no, that would not yeild them the results they need.

But whatever. I will keep reporting them any time I see them.

[ablarc]

use the "REPORT BAD POST" icon.
Where can that be found?

[ZippyTheChimp]

Top right of each post.

! inside a white triangle.

Emails will automatically be sent to all moderators.

[ablarc]

^ Thanks.

[ZippyTheChimp]

88 of the last 500 new members (17%) were banned for spamming.

[pianoman11686]

I hear that Hormel (the creator of SPAM, i.e. the spiced-ham product) is looking to sue software companies for copyright infringement because of their use of the word in promoting anti-spam programs.

[Ninjahedge]

At the same time they should have to pay them for all the free advertisement.

Call it even and leave it at that.

[pianoman11686]

Well, I don't know about that. Spam (the internet kind) is looked down upon as a bad thing. And while SPAM isn't exactly the healthiest food at there, that doesn't mean it needs any more negative connotations.

[ZippyTheChimp]

When in Austin, Minnesota, be sure to visit the SPAM Museum (http://media.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?id=9&catitemid=16)

[ZippyTheChimp]

For 40 minutes this morning,
the Internet was all spam

http://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/spam1.png


MG Siegler | January 31st, 2009

We’ve known for a while that there are a lot of bad websites out there that could damage your computer or wish to stealing your personal information. But this morning, it was revealed that 100 percent of all websites wished to do you harm — or at least, according to a little search site called Google that is.

Yes, between 6:30 AM PST and 7:35 AM PST, every single listing for every single search done through Google was flagged with the warning “This site may harm your computer,” Google’s vice president of search product and user experience, Marissa Mayer explained today on the Google Blog (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-site-may-harm-your-computer-on.html). While this was obviously an error — and a bad one — the blame game led to some further confusion.

Initially, Google noted that the site StopBadware.org (http://stopbadware.org/) provided its badware data (a listing of sites that intend to harm visitors), and seemed to indicate that being the root of the error. In fact, StopBadware.org does not provide Google with badware data, but instead simply helps Google come up with the cirteria for maintaining its own list. Google updated its post to clarify that it was in fact Google’s own fault and StopBadware.org wrote it own post (http://blog.stopbadware.org/2009/01/31/google-glitch-causes-confusion) on the matter as well.

Mayer notes that users who saw the erroneously flagged search results only encountered them for about 40 minutes or so. Still, it’s worth repeating that it was every single page that Google indexes on the Internet that was flagged as spam during that time period.

If Google does another round of layoffs (http://venturebeat.com/2009/01/14/google-finally-confirms-real-actual-layoffs-sort-of/), I have a feeling I know where they’ll start.

© 2004-2009(c) Matt Marshall.

[Jasonik]

Yeah, that was a bitch -- especially since the warning page didn't link directly to the "dangerous" page, the url had to be copied and pasted into the browser. :mad:

[Bob]

What IS "spam," as considered by the moderators of this forum? I think new members mess up when they initially join up on Wired New York, because they're excited about the content, and they really don't yet have a feel for the community. I looked up "spam" the other day online, and the explanations left me confused. All this is to say, we could probably ALL use a little more guidance. Would the moderators give us some examples of what they consider spam? This way, we will know what to avoid. Thanks.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Most spam comes from a new member and a post or posts containing any number of links, either blatantly or slipped into otherwise regular conversation.

[ZippyTheChimp]

What IS "spam," as considered by the moderators of this forum?Spam originated as mass-emails (advertising), usually from automated senders to huge address lists. Sometimes, when a website asks you for your email address, they are "harvesting addresses" that are sold to spammers. That's why it's a good idea to have a secondary email to provide to sites. That way, if the filters aren't blocking the spam. you can delete the address and use something else without having to tell everyone that your address has changed.

Spam on a forum like WNY is a little different, in that there's no bulk posting. Spammers usually work off a list of popular and/or related forums, and register on dozens at a time. Then they'll come back to each forum, and paste in a standard post with an advertising link. Sometimes they'll try to hide it in a related thread, but more often it's blatant multiple posts, sometimes one in each sub-forum. All these posts are deleted and the users banned, but they don't really care. The theory is that the more forums they post on, the better the chance that some will remain as free advertising.

Sometimes, I see a banned spammer return and attempt to open a thread, which is blocked. He will either cross off WNY from his list as a waste of time, or re-register a new user ID to start the process all over again.


I think new members mess up when they initially join up on Wired New York, because they're excited about the content, and they really don't yet have a feel for the community.New members with good intent are hardly ever confused with spamming, which is blatant advertising.

See internet trolling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)).

Unlike spamming, trolling is difficult for us to identify, but unless someone has a lot of patience in setting up the troll-identity, veteran members aren't suspect. So if a veteran makes a troll-like post, you might get a argument from another member in the discussion, but it's ignored by moderators.

However, if a newcomer makes the same troll-like post as #1, warning flags go up. Since there's no familiarity with his posting-personality, he is immediately suspect.

So my advice to a newcomer is to first of all, read the rules. Maybe read through several of the threads in Forum Issues. Get to know the place.