Proliferation of Spam Threads?

[eX.A.K.R.]

Recently, I seem to be coming across more and more advertising spam threads (just came across one just now) whenever I use the "New Posts" feature to view new threads. Granted, these are removed very quickly from the public eye, and that's good, but something should be done to prevent them from happening in the first place.

I notice that the spam threads seem to be started by new 'users' (more like bots to me) who have only one post under their name (that being the spam thread), and they have no regard about proper categorisation of their threads (like, in the latest thread I saw, it seems like a thanks thread, but provides a link to somewhere selling cialis :eh: , but was posted in Pokémon General Discussion). I don't know what happens to those members after the threads are removed, but I presume they are banned or IP banned. Yet, they seem to be able to keep coming back. This shows that something (most likely automated) is able to get past the measures put in place to circumvent the bans and get past the bot-registration countermeasure. I haven't checked yet, but the last time I registered on another forum that also uses vBulletin software, there was this countermeasure in place. Just what is happening to let these spammers get into here?

 

[Archaic]

It's not just confined to Bulbagarden. All popular internet forums are experiencing the same problem, currently. Newer spam bots have finally broken through the captcha system, and there's also an upsurge in the number of actual human spammers.

 

[evkl]

Even my weblog is dealing with problems, although it has filters...it is what it is.

The cost of doing business.

 

[Argy]

As already said, the Internet is being plagued more and more by spambots. They all have different IPs, too.

For some reason, most of our spam is in General Discussion only.

 

[Joey]

Everywhere I haunt seems to have this problem, popular or not. Even the little pumpkin carving forum with less then 6000 posts is being hit daily.

 

[eX.A.K.R.]

It's not just confined to Bulbagarden. All popular internet forums are experiencing the same problem, currently. Newer spam bots have finally broken through the captcha system, and there's also an upsurge in the number of actual human spammers.

I think that new countermeasures could be easier to implement for the bots, but I don't think it will be easy for human spammers.

I think some sort of screening process during the registration process could block out the new spambots. A forum I once frequented could place new members in a "New Users" group, which is like a kind of sandbox where posting privileges are severely limited. Once (s)he has shown he is actually joinning the community, and not just coming in to spam, advertise, leech, or create trouble, he will be moved into a group of regular posters. This process is quite manual though...

As already said, the Internet is being plagued more and more by spambots. They all have different IPs, too.

For some reason, most of our spam is in General Discussion only.

I think the spambots are targeting that blindly as they thought "General" forums have more people, hence more people will see their advertisements.

Everywhere I haunt seems to have this problem, popular or not. Even the little pumpkin carving forum with less then 6000 posts is being hit daily.

Not in the usual places I haunt, though, so could be one of three things:

1. They already have better countermeasures.
2. They aren't affected yet.
3. The spambots are targeting specific kinds of places.