Spam

[Nick Nation]

Serious Mode engaged. (Oh no....)

The forum is getting quite a few visits from spam merchants lately - fortunately Jules and co are pretty quick off the mark. However I was wondering if there's anything else that can be done?

I note that in the last few weeks the number of members (ouch) has shot up (double ouch) from around 200 to over 250. Some of these will be genuine Man fans - the rest?

Perhaps a simple Man related question at the Registration stage is called for? Ideas?   

[Pete T]

Sorry Nick, but your name, and

Serious Mode engaged,

don't quite go together..!!

[Jules]

That reminded me, it was about time to do a purge of non-posting accounts and those that haven't visited for yonks. We're now back to a smaller but more elite membership (with some notable exceptions of course, on both counts).

We have indeed been getting fairly frequent visits from the spammers, both human and robotic. I've rubbed all the paint off my delete key. Today I've applied some mods to help trap them at the front door; to help me spot any that slip through; and to allow me to report them to t'internet cops. Thanks for the prompt Nick.

Asking more rigorous questions on registration had occured to me as an option when first setting the forum up. I haven't gone (and don't currently intend to go) down this route as I'd prefer to keep it open to everyone, regardless of whether they understand what we're on about or not.

Excluding people who don't know what we're on about would probably rule out 99.999999999999% of the word's population.

[Nick Nation]

Today I've applied some mods to help trap them at the front door...

(thinks, tries to work it out....) Err, do you mean those chappies from the sixties with the girly scooters? The 'nice' clothes that their Mums think look smart but casual? Gibbering away nonsensically?

Excluding people who don't know what we're on about would probably rule out 99.999999999999% of the word's population.

Greetings, 0.000000000001% of the population! Not only is Micky Jones the greatest improvisational guitarist in the world, I've got a new central heating boiler! Let's rock!   

[Jules]

Err, do you mean those chappies from the sixties with the girly scooters? The 'nice' clothes that their Mums think look smart but casual?

Yep, that's them. Last time we tried using rockers on security it didn't work out so well.

[Martin Daughton]

Last time we tried using rockers on security it didn't work out so well.

Did they fall asleep or did they get seasick?

[Nick Nation]

Last time we tried using rockers on security it didn't work out so well.

You've just got to make sure they've got something heavy to carry.

[Pete T]

Glad to see these postings are relevant to the smooth running of the website..

[sonic_hawk]

Perhaps a simple Man related question at the Registration stage is called for? Ideas?   

I'd have quite liked seeing a Man question on sign-up, so long as it was simple! I regret to say I'm not primarily a Man fan, although I've enjoyed a lot of their output... most notably, 'Greasy Truckers Party'. I signed up after finding I have a chance to see them in May (Leamington Spa).

[Jules]

Spam Stats:

Just tipped the 150 blocked spammers in the first month of bouncing them at the gate. One or two are still getting through though, and the trench warfare continues.

Of course, we've fewer forum members than previously, but it's more about quality than quantity. Or maybe it's about width, I can never remember.

[Nick Nation]

Just tipped the 150 blocked spammers in the first month of bouncing them at the gate.

Well done, Jules. I'm surprised it's that many, though! Take that, peddlars of Rhianna pictures, merchants of nike trainers, unblockers of mobile phones....do you know I haven't a clue what that means?