Spam account notification thread

[pebble]

Thought it might be useful to have a place to post notification of spam accounts so they can be removed. I'm meaning accounts whose sole purpose is to post commercial links unrelated to permaculture.

Here's one from today http://forums.permaculture.org.au/se...searchid=63470

[milifestyle]

The report function is also a good idea.

I guess the downside of posting spammers links is in the end the account will be deleted and the link will be a broken link. Otherwise its a positive move, good one Pebble.

[ppp]

user Ianpeterson is clearly a spam account

[9anda1f]

Thanks ppp, got him. I've been looking at as many new user's accounts as I can for links in their sig line like that. There's lots, and lots I miss.

Good thread Pebble, thanks.

[pebble]

Glad we can be of help. I hate seeing spam not being able to do anything. Thank-you mods

[pebble]

Here's another one:

http://forums.permaculture.org.au/se...searchid=63656


btw, did anyone find out if it's possible to make newbie's first post conditional on their being no links in the post or signature? Or newbies needing their first post approved before it shows? I don't know if that's more work for the mods or not though.

[Michaelangelica]

Lesley W Thanks for bringing this to our attention
Craig is organising a major purge
However it may mean that people who have never posted here but have registered might go
So newbies "post or die"

[Michaelangelica]

We have just had to put limits on personal messaging; lots of spammers sneaking in on that one of late.
it should not interfere with regular members/ users
Let us know if there are problems

[pebble]

I see what you mean Marko, good point.

How cool that there are 200 guests online right now!

[9anda1f]

Mark,
You are correct ... there are nearly 100 new members signing up daily. However, many/most of them are spammers of one sort or another, and the spammers are now using every forum resource possible to either post a message or get their links picked up by the search engines (which elevates their position on searches). The forum allows them all to register and thusly, their username shows up as a "new user". However, we now get an email for each new user and, although it's not instantaneous, we do comb through each registration to eliminate spammers.

Spam messages are easy to spot, but the links in signatures, visitor messages, biographies, and such are much more difficult to find without extensive mouse clicking, and with such a volume, many still get through the sieve. Your (all members) help in identifying spammers is greatly appreciated. As Michael mentioned, the "visitor messages" function has been altered so that first time posters don't have this feature, but there are still many ways for spammers to post links.

So, keep up your vigilance! Any help we can get to identify spammers is needed (and we thank you!).

Bill Kearns