what is it about this forum

mhardy6647
mhardy6647 Posts: 33,769
edited September 2011 in The Clubhouse
...that attracts such vigorous attacks from spammers and hackers?

I just don't see the frequency of such at (ahem) certain other forums that I frequent.

Not meant to be a complaint (spam is easily overlooked, just irritating)... just musing here.
Post edited by mhardy6647 on
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  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited September 2011
    Its not just this one. I frequent the PC Gamer magazine forum and they were getting hundreds of spam posts a day! It got so bad that they had to start using that captcha thing for every reply. So now you have to decipher that damn thing every time you want to post.

    HardOCP is the forum I'm on the most and they were recently hacked and this is a forum ran by computer gurus and they had a hell of a time getting it under control.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited September 2011
    MacLeod wrote: »
    Its not just this one. I frequent the PC Gamer magazine forum and they were getting hundreds of spam posts a day! It got so bad that they had to start using that captcha thing for every reply. So now you have to decipher that damn thing every time you want to post.

    HardOCP is the forum I'm on the most and they were recently hacked and this is a forum ran by computer gurus and they had a hell of a time getting it under control.

    Didnt know HardOCP was hacked. I am also on there and concur it shows the complexity some of these hacks use.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited September 2011
    [H] got hit several months back. Shut down the forum a couple times and crapped up other things as well. About the time Kyle and the boys got things squared away, they'd get in again. They got deep into it and they recommended everybody change their passwords! The guys at [H] are as sharp as they get so it's pretty impressive to get over on them.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited September 2011
    Here's the lowdown from a web developer (me) :smile:

    - - - Spammers type keywords/keyphrases into google that would benefit their businesses.
    - - - They study the top pages that google returns for those keywords/keyphrases.
    - - - If any of those top ranked pages are forums that allow people to post their own content to that page, they post their stuff on that highly ranked page
    - - - Now when consumers type in those keywords/keyphrases, the spammers hope those consumers find and follow their embedded links
    - - - Additionally (and even more important), the links the spammers embed ared called "backlinks". Polkaudio.com is a highly regarded site, so links FROM polkaudio.com are weighted by search engines to be highly regarded. Spammers want backlinks from highly regarded sites to their sales sites.

    The bottom line is that the best forums attract spammers.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,769
    edited September 2011
    inspiredsports wrote: »
    - - - Additionally (and even more important), the links the spammers embed ared called "backlinks". Polkaudio.com is a highly regarded site, so links FROM polkaudio.com are weighted by search engines to be highly regarded. Spammers want backlinks from highly regarded sites to their sales sites.

    The bottom line is that the best forums attract spammers.

    ahh. that sounds quite plausible.
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited September 2011
    Spammers should have their toenails ripped off with pliers
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited September 2011
    Patrick C wrote: »
    When you upgrade you open the flood gates of different spambots. Its a balancing act to tr to stop them but still make things user friendly.
    Requiring approval for new member's first 1-2 post would help greatly. Since we have a team of moderators, I don't believe it would take much away from the "friendliness".
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Mr. Sharpe
    Mr. Sharpe Posts: 1,354
    edited September 2011
    Spammers are always looking for head, either they be man or woman. doesn't matter.
    Home theater:
    43” Westinghouse Displayer
    Marantz UD-7007 Player
    Emotiva MC-700 Processor
    Adcom GFA-5006 Amplifier
    Parasound Zamp Amplifier
    Ethereal ESO-1 Power Conditioner
    Klipsch RC-10 Center
    Klipsch R34c Fronts
    Klipsch RB-41 Surrounds
    Polk audio PSW-505

    Stereo:
    Polk audio RTA-12c’s fully upgraded crossovers
    DIY 12tc braided speaker cables
    Denon DVD-5910ci Spinner
    Parasound P6 Preamplifer
    Parasound HCA -1500a Amplifier
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited September 2011
    I use a mod on my vbulletin forum that compares new members Ip addresses to a massive list of known spammers. There is a name for the service but i cant remember it. Anyways it has helped a ton.
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  • Mr. Sharpe
    Mr. Sharpe Posts: 1,354
    edited September 2011
    Dang, I'm sure if you could remember what it's called Patrick would love it:)
    Home theater:
    43” Westinghouse Displayer
    Marantz UD-7007 Player
    Emotiva MC-700 Processor
    Adcom GFA-5006 Amplifier
    Parasound Zamp Amplifier
    Ethereal ESO-1 Power Conditioner
    Klipsch RC-10 Center
    Klipsch R34c Fronts
    Klipsch RB-41 Surrounds
    Polk audio PSW-505

    Stereo:
    Polk audio RTA-12c’s fully upgraded crossovers
    DIY 12tc braided speaker cables
    Denon DVD-5910ci Spinner
    Parasound P6 Preamplifer
    Parasound HCA -1500a Amplifier
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited September 2011
    Okay, i got off my lazy **** and went and looked

    its called vbStopForumSpam... an it uses http://www.stopforumspam.com to check each new registration against a massive IP/email list.

    I got it from Vbulletin.org not sure if there is a 4.x version as I run the 3.x still
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  • Mr. Sharpe
    Mr. Sharpe Posts: 1,354
    edited September 2011
    bruss wrote: »
    Okay, i got off my lazy **** and went and looked

    its called vbStopForumSpam... an it uses http://www.stopforumspam.com to check each new registration against a massive IP/email list.

    I got it from Vbulletin.org not sure if there is a 4.x version as I run the 3.x still

    Spread the word folks. time to stop spammers.
    Home theater:
    43” Westinghouse Displayer
    Marantz UD-7007 Player
    Emotiva MC-700 Processor
    Adcom GFA-5006 Amplifier
    Parasound Zamp Amplifier
    Ethereal ESO-1 Power Conditioner
    Klipsch RC-10 Center
    Klipsch R34c Fronts
    Klipsch RB-41 Surrounds
    Polk audio PSW-505

    Stereo:
    Polk audio RTA-12c’s fully upgraded crossovers
    DIY 12tc braided speaker cables
    Denon DVD-5910ci Spinner
    Parasound P6 Preamplifer
    Parasound HCA -1500a Amplifier
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter