Spammers Attacking Blog entries (again) ...

Comments

• Mike Green Posts: 23,101

  2013-03-16 07:06 edited 2013-03-16 07:06

  This seems to come in waves ... a few days of 15 or so spam posts by some kind of spambot, then it tapers off. Unfortunately, it's much more work to clean up the blog than in the forums ... several separate steps. In the forums, once you delete one posting by a spammer, you get the option for the forum software to delete all other forum entries by the same spammer. Not so in the blogs.
• MacTuxLin Posts: 821

  2013-03-16 07:56 edited 2013-03-16 07:56

  Sigh...these spammers are just wasting our VIPs precious time!
• davejames Posts: 4,047

  2013-03-16 10:19 edited 2013-03-16 10:19

  Mac (and anyone else finding spam), Thanks for the heads up.
  
  The best approach is to report the offending entry as doing so basically raises a flag that the moderators see. From that point, we can speedily take care of the issue.
  
  There are around 5 (I think) active moderators spread out amongst the USA time zones. But there are many more "user eyes" that can notice a spam before we can.
  
  Thanks for remaining watchful!
• kwinn Posts: 8,697

  2013-03-16 13:11 edited 2013-03-16 13:11

  Mike Green wrote: »

  This seems to come in waves ... a few days of 15 or so spam posts by some kind of spambot, then it tapers off. Unfortunately, it's much more work to clean up the blog than in the forums ... several separate steps. In the forums, once you delete one posting by a spammer, you get the option for the forum software to delete all other forum entries by the same spammer. Not so in the blogs.

  
  Time for updated or new blog software?
• prof_braino Posts: 4,313

  2013-03-16 13:54 edited 2013-03-16 13:54

  Can they be located via IP address? If posted, maybe some nice person in the neighborhood would drop by and knee cap them? Figuratively speaking, of course.
• Gadgetman Posts: 2,436

  2013-03-17 12:28 edited 2013-03-17 12:28

  I use IPNetinfo http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/ipnetinfo.html to check the subnet spam comes from, and well...
  
  Blocking some Swedish 'VPN' ranges (iPredator being the most well, known), some Russian/Ukrainian/Latvian and even a couple of US-based ranges cut down drastically on the spam arriving in my rather defunct forum.
• MacTuxLin Posts: 821

  2013-03-18 06:25 edited 2013-03-18 06:25

  Sorry guys. Here they go again ....
• davejames Posts: 4,047

  2013-03-18 08:42 edited 2013-03-18 08:42

  MacTuxLin wrote: »

  Sorry guys. Here they go again ....

  
  Thanks Mac.
  
  FYI - you can flag the moderators by using the "report" button at the bottom of an offending blog entry. This will automatically create a record that can be utilized during the deletion process.
  
  :thumb:
• MacTuxLin Posts: 821

  2013-03-18 16:20 edited 2013-03-18 16:20

  davejames wrote: »

  Thanks Mac.
  
  FYI - you can flag the moderators by using the "report" button at the bottom of an offending blog entry. This will automatically create a record that can be utilized during the deletion process.
  
  :thumb:

  
  Oops, sorry Dave. Just saw a few of them & assumed more were to come. OK, I'll sure to do that the next round...
  
  Cheers
• davejames Posts: 4,047

  2013-03-18 18:18 edited 2013-03-18 18:18

  MacTuxLin wrote: »

  Oops, sorry Dave. Just saw a few of them & assumed more were to come. OK, I'll sure to do that the next round...
  
  Cheers

  
  
  ...no problem. Thanks for keeping watch!
  
  :thumb:
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2013-03-18 19:33 edited 2013-03-18 19:33

  I don't do blogs, and I never look at anyone else's. The forum itself is entirely adequate for my needs. Drilling down to the core premises of this thread, are you sure blogging is even necessary? If no one started blogs, blog spam would be a non-issue. Just because the facility is there doesn't mean it has intrinsic value or that anyone must use it.
  
  -Phil
• davejames Posts: 4,047

  2013-03-18 22:01 edited 2013-03-18 22:01

  Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

  I don't do blogs, and I never look at anyone else's.
  
  -Phil

  
  Well, then I'd say you're missing some interesting information. :cool:
  
  Spam is spam to me no matter where it happens to land in the Forum, and it's destined to feel the crushing blow of my "m-stick"!
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2013-03-18 23:02 edited 2013-03-18 23:02

  I guess my point is that if the blog facility wasn't there to start with, all the good stuff extant in the blogs -- and I'm sure there's much of great value there; I just don't care to make an effort to read it -- would be available to read in the forum. Why have two separate venues for the same material? 'Especially when it's obviously causing managerial distress?
  
  -Phil
• davejames Posts: 4,047

  2013-03-19 00:00 edited 2013-03-19 00:00

  ...point taken.
  
  Why two venues? Dunno.
  
  Tired - time for bed.
  
  Nighty-nite!
• MacTuxLin Posts: 821

  2013-03-19 01:26 edited 2013-03-19 01:26

  Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

  Why have two separate venues for the same material?
  -Phil

  
  OK, I'll make sure not to post the info in my blog in the forum
• Heater. Posts: 21,230

  2013-03-19 02:09 edited 2013-03-19 02:09

  We have blogs?
  
  I guess that's another place where you can never find anything.