Banned web site / banned topic ?

Usurp · Post by **Usurp** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:02 am

Why are you replacing known spammers with these "banned" strings ?
This forbids anti-spam filters & programs to do their jobs properly.

Post by **dimesio** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:47 am

Usurp wrote:Why are you replacing known spammers with these "banned" strings ?

Some spammers are persistent and just create another forum account and/or post from another IP address after one is banned. This prevents their spam URLs from ever being posted in the first place, regardless of where they're posting from.

This forbids anti-spam filters & programs to do their jobs properly.

Set your spam filter to filter out "banned topic" and "banned web site" for the wine-user's list.

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:03 am

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 2:02 AM, Usurp <[email protected]> wrote:

Why are you replacing known spammers with these "banned" strings ?

Because that is what we do. Some sites lead you to illegal to possess
items (like counterfit drugs and clothes). Certain topics are not to
be discussed here, period. Also, the spammers go away after a while.
We have one that is beginning to become an irritant and that will be
dealt with in another manner. We don't want to upset legitimate Wine
users by bulk blocking IP addresses and such (that is really heavy
handed) but this may be necessary. And no, this is not subject to
discussion.

This forbids anti-spam filters & programs to do their jobs properly.

Set your spam filters to delete "banned topic" and "banned site". I
can even do this in Thunderbird, but I haven't because I'm one of
those chasing these fools (and that is what they are, if you think I'm
interested in a certain brand dress and I'm a hard core gamer??)

James

Post by **dimesio** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:15 am

jjmckenzie wrote: these fools (and that is what they are, if you think I'm
interested in a certain brand dress and I'm a hard core gamer??)

They don't think that. The purpose of such posts is to manipulate search engine rankings, which is why it's worth it to them to keep reposting.

Usurp · Post by **Usurp** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:25 am

dimesio wrote:
Usurp wrote:Why are you replacing known spammers with these "banned" strings ?
Some spammers are persistent and just create another forum account and/or post from another IP address after one is banned. This prevents their spam URLs from ever being posted in the first place, regardless of where they're posting from.
This forbids anti-spam filters & programs to do their jobs properly.
Set your spam filter to filter out "banned topic" and "banned web site" for the wine-user's list.

I am already doing it - but that is not my point.
Many antispam programs try to learn from what they analyse with URL schemes and spam contents. Our current approach blocks that.

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:59 pm

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 9:25 AM, Usurp <[email protected]> wrote:

dimesio wrote:
Usurp wrote:
Why are you replacing known spammers with these "banned" strings ?

Some spammers are persistent and just create another forum account and/or post from another IP address after one is banned. This prevents their spam URLs from ever being posted in the first place, regardless of where they're posting from.

This forbids anti-spam filters & programs to do their jobs properly.
Set your spam filter to filter out "banned topic" and "banned web site" for the wine-user's list.
I am already doing it - but that is not my point.
Many antispam programs try to learn from what they analyse with URL schemes and spam contents. Our current
approach blocks that.

The ultimate solution has already been discussed and that is to
upgrade the Forum software to a version that can 'learn' URL useage
and automatically delete/block offensive materials so they never
appear. However, that 'horse' has been beaten/flogged/whipped/stomped
"to death". There is no available software that will allow
maintaining the current mailing list <-> forum bridge (which in itself
is not a bad thing.)

James

Post by **dimesio** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:19 pm

Usurp wrote: Many antispam programs try to learn from what they analyse with URL schemes and spam contents. Our current approach blocks that.

Then use the forum. As James has pointed out, it is the existence of the mailing list that is standing in the way of upgrading the forum to software with much better spam controls.

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 10:18 am

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 11:19 AM, dimesio <[email protected]> wrote:

Usurp wrote:
Many antispam programs try to learn from what they analyse with URL schemes and spam contents. Our current
approach blocks that.

Then use the forum. As James has pointed out, it is the existence of the mailing list that is standing in the way of
upgrading the forum to software with much better spam controls.

One item to note, the latest spammer is using the forum to spread
his/her junk about a certain dress company. Blocking the mailing list
would not have a major effect as the spam is not coming from there but
being sent out.

James

Post by **dimesio** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:32 pm

jjmckenzie wrote: Blocking the mailing list
would not have a major effect as the spam is not coming from there but
being sent out.

I never said it would. We all know the spam is coming from the forum. The point is that if the mailing list were dropped, the forum software could be upgraded to a version that will enable us to force moderation on new users.

david.hagood · Post by **david.hagood** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:47 pm

As a reader of the mail list, I have to ask:

If we can flag these forum posts as banned, why not just NOT forward them
to the mailing list?

Post by **dimesio** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 1:24 pm

david.hagood wrote:As a reader of the mail list, I have to ask:

If we can flag these forum posts as banned, why not just NOT forward them
to the mailing list?

That's a wonderful idea. Contact the webmaster about it.

perryh · Post by **perryh** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:13 am

"dimesio" <[email protected]> wrote:

david.hagood wrote:
As a reader of the mail list, I have to ask:

If we can flag these forum posts as banned, why not just
NOT forward them to the mailing list?
That's a wonderful idea. Contact the webmaster about it.

Even better, if the software will support it, would be to divert
such posts into a moderation queue rather than posting them
immediately. That way only the moderators would have to bother
with them (and it would still be possible for legitimate posts
that happened to mention a banned topic to appear with moderator's
approval).

Post by **dimesio** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:41 am

perryh wrote: Even better, if the software will support it, would be to divert
such posts into a moderation queue rather than posting them
immediately.

Obviously you haven't been paying attention.

Topic closed.