Spam in the General Forum

[constant-content]

So SPAM has been a huge problem in this forum... I'm changing the name to test a theory.... Common Place it now is....

I couldn't think of a better name but feel free to suggest one.

[catnipp333]

Constant,

Good name, but they still got in here. These people really need to get a life!

Catnipp333

[Celeste Stewart]

They really seem to love this particular topic. I have deleted dozens of spams today and most are in this topic. I wonder why? Do they perform some sort of keyword search for susceptible spamable forums? Who knows. . .

[damyanti]

When you zap them, Celeste, do you have the option of banning them from the forum as well? I am a moderator at another forum, and I can send warnings or ban them! Was wondering if CC has the same options?

I might add that since you have been a moderator, spams have reduced, thanks!

[Celeste Stewart]

I think I can just zap them. There's a button for IP but I haven't looked at what that does yet. There are a bunch of spammers that's for sure! Hopefully this will relieve Ed a bit. It's no big deal to zap them when I see them

[constant-content]

It doesn't help they have ways of changing IP's... its software not a real person.

[damyanti]

Well softwares are hard to beat...keep it going Celeste! It is so irritating to see spam, I wish I could zap a few myself!

[mskatmoon]

Maybe it's a good thing to have this forum. At least the junk is all in one place. Or most of it anyway.

I know it's a lot. But perhaps the forums should be moderated a little more. When people sign up, you should make them have to be approved for their first messages. That should take care of software right? Then those who are people that spam could get through. But it wouldn't be worth the effort for most.

Not sure what your options are at this point other than putting the forums on lockdown...

[Dave Panchyk]

I agree it's good to have this stuff in one place.

Perhaps if General could be a "hidden" forum so all the stuff isn't seen? Or let people know "General" is a spam trap?

Without the spammers, I'd never know where to get fake Rolexes.

[mskatmoon]

"Without the spammers, I'd never know where to get fake Rolexes. "

Now that sounds like something you could write.

I suppose you could use spam to get ideas. I use another email account as a spam trap mostly. But I check it for article ideas. There really is a bunch of great article ideas I have gotten from searching through the junk mails.

[catnipp333]

Looks like the spammers have "figured it out" -- more and more leave their "mark" every day - 4 of them today.

Catnipp333

[Thom]

Just a heads up to whom it may concern:

There's one (a spam-scam message; twice as dangerous as regular spam should anyone take the solicitor up on his scam) in the [b]In House Work for Writers[/b] forum posted under the title of "How to find a job?" posted by gualiaShigalS.

[Dave Panchyk]

[quote="mskatmoon"]"Without the spammers, I'd never know where to get fake Rolexes. "

Now that sounds like something you could write.

I suppose you could use spam to get ideas. I use another email account as a spam trap mostly. But I check it for article ideas. There really is a bunch of great article ideas I have gotten from searching through the junk mails.[/quote]

That's a good idea. The 419 scams are especially inventive these days.

I keep a number of spam because the names of the senders are sufficiently normal-sounding to use them in a story or game when I'm reaching for one.

[Celeste Stewart]

What if we just deleted this particular category, Common Place, of the forum? "Author Exchange" pretty much has the same "anything goes" type of format yet doesn't get the same volume of spam as Common Place.

I delete dozens of spam per day in Common Place compared to just a sprinkling in the other categories and I'm sure Ed does as well. This particular section seems to have a bunch of automated subscribers that bombard us over and over. I'm starting to recognize the same spammers by name and subject line message.

If we deleted this category, would they just move on to the next available section or would we fall off their radar? I really don't know how they operate but they love this section for some reason.

[constant-content]

i don't think it will help but we can try... i just think they will end up else where.