Spamtastic

[MikeFishcake]

Btw - genuine question - can someone explain to me why somebody replying to a spam thread makes it 'un-deletable'? Can't you just delete the whole thing anyway?

It doesn't make in un-deletable, it just takes longer to delete.

I'm reasonably sure it works in the following way:

Basically, the easiest way to get rid of a load of spam is to delete the user. When you delete the user, you get a chance to automatically delete all their posts as well. If they have made the only post in a thread (i.e. no one has replied), the entire thread gets deleted. However, if people have replied in the thread, that thread still exists, with the first post missing, so it's still cluttering up the forum.

[Fred83]

I've PMed Darran and offered my services, mod over at WOS and as i work from home its easy for me to delete stuff. The current mods are doing a top job but obvously some have travel/work in the morning. Quite happy to delete spam early every morning

Give you this mug then if you get the job

[Megamixer]

Btw - genuine question - can someone explain to me why somebody replying to a spam thread makes it 'un-deletable'? Can't you just delete the whole thing anyway?

It doesn't make in un-deletable, it just takes longer to delete.

I'm reasonably sure it works in the following way:

Basically, the easiest way to get rid of a load of spam is to delete the user. When you delete the user, you get a chance to automatically delete all their posts as well. If they have made the only post in a thread (i.e. no one has replied), the entire thread gets deleted. However, if people have replied in the thread, that thread still exists, with the first post missing, so it's still cluttering up the forum.

So there's no 'delete thread' button? Surely that would be much easier. The job would get done in no time at all.

[SirClive]

Logged in tonight and practically every sub-forum is rammed with bloody spam. F*ck off!

Spammers definitely stepping it up a notch over the last few days.

I said it in another post yesterday that they would strike when the mods are gone to the events

That was a possibility I just thought of (only just remembered that everyone is at Replay).

Wonder when these f*ckers will realise that they gain absolutely nothing from these spam posts. Nobody on here goes "ooh, mobile phones - I'll have ten!". This is a retro forum for pete's sake - we don't know what mobile phones are!

All forums get spam. Most of the spam on this forum you never see as the mods delete it pretty damn quick. Just a shame that all of the mods were at R3PLAY this weekend.

Spam often doesn't have to sell anything, clicking on the link may be enough to infect your machine with malware. But more often than not they are just trying to fool SEO. Getting their links on tons of sites helps their Google Rankings.

[Megamixer]

Also, I've noticed several new users requesting help with questionnaires for media studies etc. I know these could be genuine but I have a paranoid feeling that it could be market research spam.

[Jet Pilot]

So there's no 'delete thread' button? Surely that would be much easier. The job would get done in no time at all.

Except you don't just want to delete the thread...you want to delete the user. If the user gets deleted and there are no replies, the thread disappears. One click and it's done. If there are replies then it becomes a multi-step process.

[Dunjohn]

On the topic of registration questions, I don't know much about what spambots can do but would a question like "How do you spell "Retro Gamer?" work? It would eliminate the need for anybody to know Darren's name (no offense, Darren ).

[FatTrucker]

All forums get spam. Most of the spam on this forum you never see as the mods delete it pretty damn quick. Just a shame that all of the mods were at R3PLAY this weekend.

Spam often doesn't have to sell anything, clicking on the link may be enough to infect your machine with malware. But more often than not they are just trying to fool SEO. Getting their links on tons of sites helps their Google Rankings.

Yep, there's not really been any increase in the amount of spam, just that we were all absent for 3 or 4 days, gives people an idea of what we do in the background without them noticing.
I logged in on Monday morning and spent the best part of an hour removing everything that had been reported and backed up.

If you see spam then please report it using the report button as it flags in our (moderator) control panel which normally gets checked several times daily and please, please, oh lordy please......don't reply, respond to or quote it. The spammer is either long gone or doesn't exist in the first place so all it does is keep it near the top of the board.

[Bub&Bob]

It would eliminate the need for anybody to know Darren's name

Classic - if you were a spambot you would have failed

[SirClive]

[Dunjohn]

Right... I knew it was the spelling I was least familiar with, but then I couldn't remember which one I was least familiar with....

[thevulture]

3 so far including..Gasket Repair! Reported.

[JetSetWilly]

I've noticed there's been more spam on here than on a supermarket shelf. I've reported a couple myself, but it is becoming a bit of a pain. I'd love to find out their sites, join up, and spam them with retro-related stuff

[Kilb]

I see it has returned with xiaoqiang multi posting this morning

[Fred83]

these spam things are coming up more and more