To counter the rising number of spam postings and registrations, we introduced a couple of measurements. For the "average visitor" the following has changed;
- When you try to post a message within 5 seconds after pressing the "new topic", "edit" or "reply" button, you will get an error message. Just use the return button in your browser and try again - and wait a couple of seconds before you hit the submit button.
- When you try to register, you will no longer be able to enter some personal details, like your own website, signature, MSN Messenger and such. You can still enter them after your registration is completed - so after you received the confirmation mail and clicked on the link which is in this mail.
For those interested, below a short explanation on the 'why and how'.
99% of all spam on this Message Board originates from so called "spam bots". Those bots (from 'robots') are automated programs which try to register, reply to the confirmation e-mail and post a message on the board, all without human intervention.
Those bots usually are installed on (thousands and thousands) computers of ignorant users ('trojan horses'), so just blocking IP addresses is not sufficient.
The spam on message boards can generally be divided in two main categories;
- Just register a new account with links to your website. The main purpose of this being getting a higher ranking on search engines like Google who also look at the number of links found at the internet.
To counter this, we disabled those fields when you register. But when a spam bot tries to register itself, it will try to insert those values automatically - triggering a alarm being send to the forum administrator and denying the registration at all. All those personal information can be entered later -after your registration is complete- just by clicking on the 'profile' link in the upper left corner of your screen. - Posting real messages, with links to other sites (mostly porn).
As those postings are also being done automatically, this usually take very little time (in general less than one second). This is now used as a trigger for spam messages: when 'somebody' (bot or human) tries to post a message, with less than 5 seconds between clicking on the "new topic", "reply" or "edit" button and the "submit" button, the Message Board will consider this as an attempt by a bot to post a message. When you try to post a very (very very) short message, which will take you only a couple of seconds to enter, just wait another couple before you hit the "submit" button.
The timing with the number of seconds is still on a trial and error basis, so when you really have problems with it (because you are a really fast typist), please let me know.
Sincere regards,
Hans Hoogers
Dutch Aviation Society / Scramble
---------------------------------------------
Technical support / administrator
---------------------------------------------
Locate a construction number? Find the answer on the Wiki
... just waiting for those f******* spammers to find new ways to spread their irritating posts.....
