Member Cull Required

So did I.

The thing with the spammers, is they are usually 1 hit wonders - they sign up, post, and then never return - they simply trawl the net looking for more forums to sign up to. In the time I have been running a number of forums, I have never seen a spam-bot, nor a human spammer, ever return to continue spamming. So the cull of members won't really make much difference to the spam level - the spam we see here is all new posts from new sign ups.


Did anyone ever stop to consider why they spam? I read a good insight into it some time back.

Basically there are sites out there, be it pharmeceutical, porn or other, that pay 'referrers' a fee for each new/unique person who visits their site (with a referrer ID aqttached to the link). This fee may be as little as 0.01c to 0.10c per 'click' for a random visiter coming from that person's spam links, and if they are really lucky, it could return from $1 up to $5 iif the person "joins" a 'paying site' or buys an order (consider it commission). 0.01c doesn't sound like much, but add up 800 members on one forum, 2000 on another etc - and that 0.01c per 'click' can soon add up to real $$.

So they compile a list of links to these sites that 'pay' them - including their own 'referrer ID' in the link (so the site identifies who got them there) and go forth & spam the web looking for suckers to click on their spam links.
Because it's almost impossible for these lazy mongrels to sit on their butts all day, and make a have reasonable living, they have got smart & devised scripts to automate the process - meaning they can literally sign up to hundreds of forums per hour, and spam the crap out of them.

I don't see what it is about my statement suggests I didn't understand the post?

It's very odd for any forum to even actively encourage avatar use... so it's no wonder people are a bit surprised by this thread.

What the hell is going on in this thread??????

Hey commmodorenut, a while ago i suggested that we use possibly a double opt in sign up for the forum - but i think it might have been too hard. Do spammers usually hit when a system like that is in place?
If avatars were part of the signup process would that stop most of them?

Is there anything that you would suggest with your expeerience with forums? I've stuck a nerve here - seems everyone wants an argument. That is not why i raised the post, but anyway, that's what's happening.

All we mod's want is a site free of spammers. But we also want to assist Homeone with his "duties" and make his life easier.
Is there a happy medium?

Well lets see..

No, they weren't planning that at all. Do honestly think the mods would delete a user with a hundred odd posts or more just because they don't have an avatar. Give the mods some credit.

What is reasonable and what was stated are 2 different things, hence my query. Of course we can all only rely on memory now that the post has been edited, and my memory tells me that my statement was based on the facts. ie that having an avatar was stated to be used as a method for determining 'real' users.

None of this is really relevant now. It seems it was just a matter of miscommunication.

Parker, please note that the title has been edited so as not to cause further confusion and the word Also has been added to the Second paragraph.



If people want to misinterpret this thread and it's intention, then go for it but you are not getting the points. Of which i have stated earlier.

Does anyone have a better idea to reduce spam on this forum?

All i am trying to do is make this forum a better place - is that a bad thing??? Obviously a point that has been lost in translation.

Admin needs to just keep deleting spam users. Keep adding domain names to banned users list, but they will just keep changing domains.

Mods just keep deleting spam threads.

Upgrade forum software to make registering harder.

Unfortunately it will not go away, you close one hole and another opens somewhere else.

Mark

I did read the original post and heading
My thought was that to link the heading "Members cull req" with the comment "Get your Avators In" was a bit naive
I then replied.

People are passionate about this site and I for one love having fun with the avators but dont see any issue if people dont wish to have one

Mark the "Engage brain" comment was an immature comment designed to belittle people. In my opinion you showed the brain power of only one person

DQQ

DQQ, comments like that are just going to encourage more arguments.
Eveyone has had a crack at this one and read what they want to read into it - now let's move on!!!!

You misinterpreted the point of the thread. My comment stands.


Yes, I have the brain of one person.

This thread has run its course I think.

....

Come on cookie, you slacking in your posts....

Apologies for any confusion caused during this thread as I may be in part (or whole) to blame for not clearly encapsulating this information earlier, and in one place for both Moderators and members to clearly absorb.

That being said, I hope the following provides some clarity to all...

• We do like to encourage use of avatars for obvious reasons of personalising your experience at forum.homeone.com.au, and also to announce that we're here to help interested parties upload them - in good time - as there has been some history of difficulty in previous attempts.
• Avatars are NOT mandatory, and will not be made mandatory.
• Whilst we do employ a certain approach of cleaning up spammers from our database, avatar usage is not a measure in this process; however
• Members with '0' posts ARE removed from the database, and only if they are highly suspect SPAMMERS.
• The database is cleaned on average once every 3 - 4 weeks.
• ...and yes, Phoenix is as much annoyed by SPAM posters as I am, and many of you probably are.
  We've tried almost every trick in the book and as '_Al_' stated "you close one hole and another one opens somewhere else".

That being said "Who hasn't as yet uploaded their avatar?" (JOKES)