Ubiquitous spam postings as of late.

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

It's been the case that several times a day, lately, a newly registered member with minimal personal information makes a solitary first post as a comment to an existing thread which consists of a totally irrelevant cut-and-paste of random text with a sometimes hidden URL link as the last characters. Wingman, Casey, myself, several others get email notifications of forum posts and take these reply posts down within a short period of time.

In view of the quantity of these URL link-containing spam reply posts, is there any easy administrative fix in posting permissions that would not otherwise infringe on our otherwise open door registration and posting policy ? If there is no obvious easy fix or if such fix would require a less welcoming and easy registration and posting for legitemate newcomers, I propose that we continue to manually delete irrelevant spam as we have been doing lately.

[Kalo]

I just found out for some reason that by default vbulletin allows users to post before their email is verified, I turned that off, hopefully that will help, if not I could set it that new users can't post links or their posts go into a moderation queue.

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

From the methodology I sense being used (create a membership, post a spam URL at the end of some off-topic cut-and-paste text), I feel that email verification thing would do the trick. I will report further developments in this thread. Thanks a bunch.

Also, Papasmurf (from your last flight) typed in Discord that he was having trouble registering. He hailed you for help with a "@Kalo".

Registered an account on msflights.net however once I try to log in.. Nothing happens.. Any info on this or suggestions on a remedy? Would like to log some hours if you're still taking on pilots! @Kalo(edited)
April 22, 2021
@popasurf
Registered an account on msflights.net however once I try to log in.. Nothing happens.. Any info on this or suggestions on a remedy? Would like to log some hours if you're still taking on pilots! @Kalo(edited)

[Wingman]

Thanks Kalo. I think that should do the trick, but if not, I'd be OK with a first-post-requires-moderation/approval feature. Given the speed at which we (someone) addresses SPAM, I think we'd be good about getting first-posts approved in reasonable time.

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

I encountered the first spam posting I have been email notified of in several days. South Korea IP location. Outlook.com email address. IP address reported frequently as spam according to Google. I'm sure other interested admins receive email notifications of posts on which those admins can read the spam post content.

[Travis]

Maybe some sort of question required to answer during registration?

[mm3_miller]

I encountered the first spam posting I have been email notified of in several days. South Korea IP location. Outlook.com email address. IP address reported frequently as spam according to Google. I'm sure other interested admins receive email notifications of posts on which those admins can read the spam post content.

doesn't think that will stop them Travis... Hackers and slackers can easily bypass a question like that in a script... you guys need a bot that says prove you are human and the puzzle thingies... they cant bypass them and there are ways around VPN also for traceroute. (as many qualified and experienced I.T people have proven works...) to get their EXACT location... It can be done... I'd concentrate on securing the servers (if applicable) and securing the data... and banning them immediately if MSFlights.net feels they are a security risk..

--> Don't mess around... you take too long they can do FAR more damage if you don't nip that bullshit in the bud straight away. <--
(AKA don't let them on fully and give them a TRIAL badge of sorts and REALLY scrutinize them... Make sure they are good people...)

i know it is not a good first impression for new people, but it gets the message across (two words) "Zero TOLERANCE..."

And I quote Bob Dunn so often... (on Mr Cats 21's Server)

"If you are going to be a problem child here, take your gamer tag and GET OUT..." - Bob Dunn

(the first time I heard him ever say that to someone on Discord and even way back on TS... it felt like the temperature dropped ten degrees on the server...) LOL

(We all know you are a NICE GUY though Bob, really... They need to learn this zen saying "Don't poke the Bear...or get the claws..." :-) )

Just my two cents being formerly a Computer I.T Pro... A Systems Administrator, Windows Administrator, Linux Engineer, Network Engineer, Computer Security, Helpdesk, ETC... (YES I wore MANY hats in the arena for 20+ years... and mostly though i was Linux... But There is alot of information I utilized on all hats to really dig in against hacker/Slacker Swine...) Better to remove and prevent than have to rebuild...


FA/MM N.A Miller, USN Ret.
(Protected Veteran / Gentleman Writer)