How to fix your forum spam problems.

K

KSD

Guest
Hi Rob (Or the reader), I'm sure you know me (Probably not).

Now... About that spam problem I've heard you guys have been having...

This guide will serve to give you a generalized step by step procedure for both noticing bots and eliminating forum spam.​

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~First.

Look at these bots in question, many have tell tale signs that they are bots and most go by the same guidelines in the same manner.

The most important of these are as follows, their gibberish names, their use of strange or ten minute Emails, and most often a common IP address.

Once you have noticed these patterns it is on to the next step...

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~Secondly.

Instead of putting a password on sections you use the things listed above to eliminate a large portion of the spam you will and may receive.

Take these things, Email domains and common IP's specifically and add them to a text document for future use in the demo. (@ymail, @chingchonglangauge, @sharklasers pretty much anything that seems off, investigate, most Email domains are fake or used widely by spam, a Google search can determine if the domain is legitimate or not.)

Once this is done add your common Email domains to your 'banned Email domains' section in the forum 'Settings' as instructed by your software and add the full IP addresses to your 'banned IP addresses' section in the same general location.

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~Thirdly.

Keep watch over the new registrations, there is no clear cut way to prevent and cut off bots, just keep watching over the accounts and the information should only become more and more obvious and easy to keep under control.

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~P.S.

Almost all ICQ profile fields are bot related as well, which may make finding them a tad easier, be sure to look at signatures and other profile pieces when investigating an account in the CP as well, they can make the difference when determining if something is a bot or not.


And while there are a number of different products and plugins that can help to prevent spam most are past your version of vBulletin or lack consistency in how well they work.

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INSTALL THE FREE LITE VERSION OF THIS AS WELL, TRUST ME PEOPLE WILL LIKE IT: http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=243511
(I'll even host the file for you to download if you do not have an account.)

IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AND I WILL WORK TO HELP YOU SOLVE THEM :)

(I think I posted in the wrong section too...)​
 
Rob.

Rob.

Admin
Staff member
I have no permissions to really fiddle with registration or more complicated forum settings.

the password was the best thing i could do.
 
T

tunney

Steel Member
The easiest and best way it to update the captcha upon registration. Your "guide" isn't a guide, more of a grouping of suggestions.
 
M

matr!

Silver Member
I'll tell you how to fix it. Hunt down the person who coded these bots and cut off one of his toes for every spam thread. When you run out of toes move onto his fingers. When you run out of fingers move onto his genitals. Once he's desexed move onto his eyes. When he can't see no more move onto his teeth.

Jokes. You could update VB and then get an add on for it I'm sure?
 
scootmafia

scootmafia

Bronze member
matr! said:
I'll tell you how to fix it. Hunt down the person who coded these bots and cut off one of his toes for every spam thread. When you run out of toes move onto his fingers. When you run out of fingers move onto his genitals. Once he's desexed move onto his eyes. When he can't see no more move onto his teeth.

Jokes. You could update VB and then get an add on for it I'm sure?
Click to expand...

lol im using that^ *my sig*
 
Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls

M3MB3R
I don't think anyone realizes, buff is the only person who can do anything about this, and he is never on here.

So deal with it.
 
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