Forgotten Games Bureau

[Japo]

This board is suffering an unsustainable avalanche of spambots (probably because of its popularity). Even if the mods are keeping up with it, they can't be expected to. Whatever captcha countermeasure we have in place, STD _must_ upgrade it, soon!

No matter how big letters you use, people still won't read the rules (http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=29393).
That's another issue... :p Besides nobody reading the rules--several games per thread etc.--we could made a sticky with a hall of fame for the worst titled threads. :lol: I would be funny.

[RRS]

I've moved today 9 threads solely from 1 spambot.


I propose to add new infraction type: spambot, with 3 points.

Current "spam advertisements" is for some guy who posts invitations to his ebay shop all over a forum. Spambots can't be reasoned with, their behavior won't improve, so let's ban them in just one go.

[Japo]

Yes and this infraction (the ban from a regular mod for this one reason) should never expire.

I still think our captcha obviously isn't working, and STD must upgrade it. On Monday.

PS: I've looked at IP's, and although there are some repeats the bots are coming from all over the place worldwide. Maybe a new vBulletin vulnerability was discovered that we have unpatched.

[Eagle of Fire]

Somehow, I think we are getting such an incredible increase in bot attack simply because the new subforum name include "bureau"...

Notice how many tax ad we are getting? :oh:

[Lulu_Jane]

Japo, have you used the contact form for this? This is something for Rafiq.

[arete]

I miss bot-hunting :modpower:

[Japo]

Japo, have you used the contact form for this? This is something for Rafiq.
I know he should do something about it, and as I said they should do it urgently.

I haven't used the contact form yet, I assumed you or Dave had a more privileged line to STD? I hear they read the regular messages eventually, but don't we have anything better?

[Lulu_Jane]

I will email him tomorrow separately, but please use the form for things like this, apart from anything else it allows tracking of the issues within the abandonia email account for both him and the admins :)

[Japo]

OK done :) Please contact Rafiq anyway

[Lulu_Jane]

Will do, thanks Japo :)

[Japo]

Lohl... Apparently there are websites offering cash rewards to people for solving captchas to train spambots. (I'm not going to link to them, of course.) Of course they don't tell what they want captchas to be solved for, but it can't be anything else.

[Tracker]

By the Lord, it's all my fault!

If you click this (http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=29393) link you get to a tutorial on how to infect this site with a spam bot. See? Everything is explained what the bot needs to do in order to be able to post to the FGB... :whops:

Not much sadly...