# Spambots



## Noitora (Feb 5, 2009)

The past weeks gbatemp has been full of spambots, some time before gbatemp was spambot free, how come the place is full of them now? New spambots register almost daily...what the heck?


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## Hadrian (Feb 5, 2009)

Its always been like this, can't remember when it wasn't.


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## p1ngpong (Feb 5, 2009)

Yeah I know, Ive reported a load of spambots to dice this week myself. Theres got to be some way to block them surely.


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## kobykaan (Feb 5, 2009)

UNFORTUNATELY image recognition is not good enough now as most automated bots can bypass these quite easily 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





the coders of these tools are getting clever lately 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




A forum I administrate on got pretty bad at one point we had to restrict everyone to first post moderated we had to approve each post before letting it out onto the forum to slow the surge!


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## science (Feb 5, 2009)

I want them to post in one of the Magazine forums so I can get rid of them


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## Minox (Feb 5, 2009)

science said:
			
		

> I want them to post in one of the Magazine forums so I can get rid of them


I've already been able to do that 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Remember that lingerie spambot?
Guess not seeing as I flagged it as a spambot after it was dumb enough to post in the Magazine area.


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## Jax (Feb 5, 2009)

How about only allow real posts once the user has made a proper introduction topic?


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## da_head (Feb 5, 2009)

or like another forum i go to, u can't create a thread until you've been registered for 10 days or something


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## UltraMagnus (Feb 6, 2009)

a lot of forums now have multiple authentication checks, usually asking the user to do basic arithmetic, possibly from an image.  another one is just asking a really simple question for a human, like "what is the name of this site"



			
				Jax said:
			
		

> How about only allow real posts once the user has made a proper introduction topic?



heh, I just realised I never created one....


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## OSW (Feb 6, 2009)

Jax said:
			
		

> How about only allow real posts once the user has made a proper introduction topic?


That seems like a pretty damn fine idea!


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## p1ngpong (Feb 6, 2009)

OSW said:
			
		

> Jax said:
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As long as the introduction section doesn't get filled with spambot threads that is.


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## WildWon (Feb 6, 2009)

Jax said:
			
		

> How about only allow real posts once the user has made a proper introduction topic?
> 
> That would be a fantastic idea. I dunno about the coding needed for that though. It might be more trouble than its worth. Also, with as little as a newb reads the rules (GIMME R0Mz0rz!! lol) any mod/admin around here will be FLOODED with "WHY CAN'T I POST!!!OMGZZ!?!?!!?"
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That might be good there, but with us being such a huge site, and the "embracing of newbs" that we have going on here, new people wouldn't stick around as long if they can't post for 10 days.

I mean, hell, i dunno if i'd have stuck around if i couldn't post for 10 days.

This place is growing like mad, and we are going to see more and more spambots and random ne're-do-wellers running around this joint. Its all part of a growing site.


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## Raestloz (Feb 7, 2009)

Jax said:
			
		

> How about only allow real posts once the user has made a proper introduction topic?



Agreed 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




And we need one mod (or someone) to watch over introductions area for that.

I have extended idea for that:

1. The new member HAVE TO post an introduction topic

2: The moderator (or some one, or some rabndom member) should post in the topic

3. The new member HAVE TO reply accordingly.

4. the moderator (or someone with the same job) should verify the reply (whether it is human or not)

5. If we use moderator, s/he can give the permission to post right away

5.b. if we use staffs, s/he can report to moderators right away about the verification

6 Only then the new member can post in areas other than Introductions

How does this help?

Well, based on Jax's idea, a proper introduction topic is something good, but bots can easily type those things too, something as easy as saying who he is, what's he doing and such can be typed with random things as the variables

That's why another secure method is needed, which is a reply to a human post! Like i said above, someone should post in its topic about something (a question, like why do you join? What flashcart do you use? or something trivial and human), by doing this, we can be sure s/he is a human, or at least until that point. Since a spambot can only post topics, the can't reply to questions


We don't need some code or other things, what we need is a human to verify a human 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




how about it?


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## Canonbeat234 (Feb 7, 2009)

Spambots our mortal enemy. This is becoming such a nuisance that we must nuke this website. To get rid of all the infected; we must sterilize the internet.


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## Hadrian (Feb 7, 2009)

da_head said:
			
		

> or like another forum i go to, u can't create a thread until you've been registered for 10 days or something


There has been a couple of spambots posting for the first time after two weeks of signing up.


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## Narin (Feb 7, 2009)

Also many of these aren't spam bots, but actual people paid to post advertising spam as well. Also the spam bots we see are targeted spam bots to spam on GBAtemp alone, not some random spam bot. Remember folks, before you can register, you have to type in "There are no ROMs here" and such which means the spam bots we see were specifically programmed to enter that phrase when they register. At any rate, the Spam bot problem should be fixed soon.


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## Golfman560 (Feb 7, 2009)

One quick question: Has anyone here ever seen a spambot PM someone?

What be real easy if after joining they have to PM a set moderator that's really just a bot that activates posting abilities. In the PM they'd have to type some phrase they got in their email.


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## p1ngpong (Feb 7, 2009)

Hadrian Uranium said:
			
		

> da_head said:
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Yeah I noticed theres a lot of dormant bots who sign up and dont post anything. Then two weeks or a month later they start spamming.


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## PettingZoo (Feb 7, 2009)

p1ngpong said:
			
		

> Hadrian Uranium said:
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I think for problems like having bots that post little to none for around a month should be transfered into a group which prevents them from posting and need to apply for their privileges to post again if they aren't a bot. Another forum I used to go onto had the same thing but it dealed with people leeching off the site.


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## Jdbye (Feb 7, 2009)

That would just be gay, for example if you go on a vacation.
Just add captchas for posting - that would help a lot.


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## Noitora (Feb 5, 2009)

The past weeks gbatemp has been full of spambots, some time before gbatemp was spambot free, how come the place is full of them now? New spambots register almost daily...what the heck?


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## PettingZoo (Feb 7, 2009)

jdbye said:
			
		

> That would just be gay, for example if you go on a vacation.
> Just add captchas for posting - that would help a lot.


I meant if they have little posts, haven't said something about a vacation or absense, and they would just apply to get their permissions back. Also what is captchas?


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## UltraMagnus (Feb 7, 2009)

Narin said:
			
		

> Also many of these aren't spam bots, but actual people paid to post advertising spam as well. Also the spam bots we see are targeted spam bots to spam on GBAtemp alone, not some random spam bot. Remember folks, before you can register, you have to type in "There are no ROMs here" and such which means the spam bots we see were specifically programmed to enter that phrase when they register. At any rate, the Spam bot problem should be fixed soon.



narin has a point, these "bots" are probably not bots at all, but Chinese/Mexican/[insert other place where wage is low] people paid to spam


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## iamtheWalrus (Feb 8, 2009)

Golfman560 said:
			
		

> One quick question: Has anyone here ever seen a spambot PM someone?
> 
> What be real easy if after joining they have to PM a set moderator that's really just a bot that activates posting abilities. In the PM they'd have to type some phrase they got in their email.


I agree with that one.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




Anyone else?


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## p1ngpong (Feb 8, 2009)

Thing is its like Narin said, many of these bots are real people and bots specifically made to target the forum, so if thats the case theres no way to stop them really.


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## Tozarian (Feb 14, 2009)

I agree with the proper introduction idea, If the introduction obviously doesnt have anything to do with GBA, DS, etc. then the user should be banned. Another question, how do you ban these bots? Do you just ban the username? Or do you ban the I.P? Or both?

Off topic: Hadrian Uranium has over 9000 posts.


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## UltraMagnus (Feb 14, 2009)

nah, we should just require all new users to compose a haiku about how they won't request roms and PM it to a moderator before being allowed to post.  maybe it will stop n00bs requesting roms too....


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## alex (Feb 14, 2009)

UltraMagnus said:
			
		

> nah, we should just require all new users to compose a haiku about how they won't request roms and PM it to a moderator before being allowed to post.  maybe it will stop n00bs requesting roms too....
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That wouldn't really be a good idea. Some people are simple and just say "Hi!" in their introduction topics.(And some don't even make one until their 1000th post. *raises hand*)

Maybe a certain amount of posts before you can post a link? They won't be able to link to their website, and not advertising. Maybe even no signature until that amount of posts. It should be small though, like 5 posts. That may cause SPAM, but then of course someone could report it, and the person could be targeted. Banning their IP.


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## Psyfira (Feb 15, 2009)

PettingZoo said:
			
		

> Also what is captchas?


It's something that requires you to copy a few randomly generated letters into a box before it will let you proceed. You've probably had to use one on other sites without knowing what they're called. They often come as a generated picture with letters hidden in it, designed to be difficult for a computer to interpret. 

And it's a rather good idea, if it's possible to use it on this forum software. People may find it annoying at first, but they'll get used to it.


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## strata8 (Feb 15, 2009)

What about reCaptcha? Is it more secure than normal verification methods/captchas?


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## Firedrake1 (Feb 22, 2009)

There is no system that will completely stop "bots" if its actually a person sitting and spamming. Maybe we should just be happy that all our security is giving jobs to people instead of letting them be automated. kidding, but just trying to bring some chuckles to a board issue that is starting to really annoy me too.


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## mcjones92 (Feb 22, 2009)

They could do what the Nintendo forums used to do, make a forum for new members and they can only post in that specific forum until they have been a member for 3 days and have a few posts. Then after that they can wonder around the other forums.


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## Overlord Nadrian (May 24, 2009)

mcjones92 said:
			
		

> They could do what the Nintendo forums used to do, make a forum for new members and they can only post in that specific forum until they have been a member for 3 days and have a few posts. Then after that they can wonder around the other forums.


Oh, those good old days... I'd really want to have their forums back.


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