Sparkle Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I haven't been here for awhile. I know the new website is up and running, but what has happened to the Forum? It seems like it's been overrun with spam messages of all kinds. It was bad a few months and weeks ago, but now it's reaaaally --bad. How have things changed? Is no one moderating the group and deleting the spam. All I see is "reported" but, the spam messages are still everywhere. I don't see a lot of legitimate posting like there used to be. Has everyone moved some place else? Just curious---and sad that the forum has deteriorated so much since my last visit about a month ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 we are all still here...i am sure Dawn is overrun by the spam...but will clear it as she gets to it. i find i just avoid the posts by members that i do not recognize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kueser Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 They always pile in on the weekends when I'm sure Dawn is getting a well deserved rest. Just ignor them the B*(&^%**!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 It's like walking through a mine field--you have to be careful where you step! Until admin can get a handle on this--and set it up so all new registrants must be approved--we are going to have problems. The scum-spammers get PAID to post or just register with an added website address. The same person can register and post many many times. If you ever view new profiles you will see the same website or email address many times. Deleting doesn't help except for cleaning up the forum. They have already been PAID for the listing and if it's gone they just register again using another name. Then they get PAID again. Our site is on a list somewhere as an easy target and it won't improve until we become stricter. Someone is monitoring and removing junk consistently but they can't keep up or be on the site all day. Just report what you find as it appears and ignore them as best you can. I will add that legit members seem to be giving up and staying away. Where we used to have two pages of postings a day we now seem to have only a half-page or a bit more. I will answer questions when I see them to be helpful, but it's too distracting and unfriendly now to spend a lot of time on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I must be too mellow. I love this forum, and when I see spam I just hit report. That is nothing for me to do compared to what Dawn has to deal with. We only have to report, she has to watch, respond, verify, and delete from postings as well as our reports. I am as busy as everyone else, but the scummers are going to do this no matter what, and it is actually funny (and somewhat rewarding) to them to know they are getting paid as well as upsetting people. Screw 'em. Like Dawn has repeatedly stated here (and I'm sure she feels like it would be easier to just not have to deal with them either) the company is trying as hard as possible to find the least painful process to make it EASIER for US while making it almost impossible for scummers to post here. It is taking them time. I, for one, will wait it out. I feel bad that people are leaving here as I have found this forum to be the most informational and beneficial one on long arm quilting I have ever frequented. There is no winning with scummers, they are heartless, and my heart goes out to Dawn, who is taking the brunt of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanri Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Maybe dawn can get a few volunteers to help delete the spammers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I'm surprised to know that only one person appears to be monitoring this Forum. (Dawn). Most forums or groups have at least two, or more moderators. Thank you Dawn---but, you really need more moderators. Preferably spread out between time zones, so when the east coast moderator is online they catch spammers first, then the midwest, and then the west coast. Of course it might be better to close down the forum for a short time, decide on how applicants for membership will be approved, and reopen with a new format. A clean slate so to speak. I agree it is difficult to get around now avoiding titles and trying to find the "good news", and I also find the "titles" of some of the spam, well, not something I want to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Originally posted by whitepinesquilter I must be too mellow. I love this forum, and when I see spam I just hit report. That is nothing for me to do compared to what Dawn has to deal with. We only have to report, she has to watch, respond, verify, and delete from postings as well as our reports. I am as busy as everyone else, but the scummers are going to do this no matter what, and it is actually funny (and somewhat rewarding) to them to know they are getting paid as well as upsetting people. Screw 'em. Like Dawn has repeatedly stated here (and I'm sure she feels like it would be easier to just not have to deal with them either) the company is trying as hard as possible to find the least painful process to make it EASIER for US while making it almost impossible for scummers to post here. It is taking them time. I, for one, will wait it out. I feel bad that people are leaving here as I have found this forum to be the most informational and beneficial one on long arm quilting I have ever frequented. There is no winning with scummers, they are heartless, and my heart goes out to Dawn, who is taking the brunt of this. I'm with you, Marci! It isn't hard at all to recognize the scammers - and ignore 'em! No one is required to read them - except Dawn. There is still a wealth of knowledge, advice and support here - just skip over the lines that say "Gucci, Prada, yada, yada, yada" and read the threads that actually say something. Dawn is working very hard to provide us with a forum that is trouble-free AND still keep our past posts for reference. Isn't that worth some forbearance on our parts? Is there another forum like this anywhere out there in ether-space? I sure haven't found one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I'm sure it is an absolute nightmare and never ending battle to keep the spammers off. Just here on our own personal computer, we get boatloads of junk mail every single day. I send them to SPAM, Block them and the address, bounce it back to them and everything else I can thing of, but they just keep coming. Very aggravating, but I'm not sure what to do about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Hi Everyone, We feel your pain regarding the spamming, and we are trying to stay on top of it each day. The IT specialists are still working on how to migrate the Forum to a new format without losing all of the current information already stored here. I have forwarded your concerns on to them as well. I apologize that you discovered such a large number of spammers yesterday and today. I was on the road and unfortunately didn't have easy access to a computer to keep an eye on your reports. Actually, I do have some help with monitoring the Forum this summer. My daughter is working part-time for APQS during her college break, so I have enlisted her help in deleting members who register who are obviously not legitimate, along with their posts. Please continue to report the offenders. We would miss you if you stopped visiting the Forum each day, and you would miss out on some terrific camaraderie and support. As earlier suggested, please try to ignore the bogus posts and still come back to share your tips, quilts and questions and we will continue to work on keeping the site clean for you. Thanks for hanging in there with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Spammers are everywhere. They set up their computers to make comments and then they don't even have to monitor them. I'm not sure why or how they get pleasure from this, but then, I don't play golf either!! Spammers have even been attacking my blog lately with poorly written comments that include a link to their websites. Luckily, Google has been catching this prior to the posts actually making it to my blog so my readers haven't been tricked into clicking on something they shouldn't. I'm afraid we've been discovered and until IT can do something about it, we just have to wade through the muck. It would be so much easier for them if they didn't have to try to save all our posts and could just start over, but no one wants to lose all the wonderful info here. So be patient...it will happen one day. And until then, keep posting and avoid the gucci ads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'm so tired of the spam too. So remember to put an ICON on you post. Then I and all know it is a good one. If there is no icon and I don't know the AUTHOR, I think twice before I read or not read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkayr Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 the spammers don't bother me that much either...now that i have finally figured out how to recognize them. i wonder if a small fee to be a member of the forum would deter THEM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanne.Hughes Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I too ignore the names I don't recognise--- plus you can tell by the heading /subject line. I don't even bother to view them! Just take a deep breath, chill and enjoy the posts from those you know. I think Dawn has done a fantastic job in clearing the forum. Perhaps ther aren't as many posts either becasue people are busy. I know I am only able to catch up on weekends and during lunch time because I rejoined the workforce (outside of home ). Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I just ignore them. I can usually tell when a message is spam and stay away from it. Too bad they have to invade our world but they are everywhere and short of just deleting them there isn't much you can do. I know I won't be going anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Originally posted by delld I'm so tired of the spam too. So remember to put an ICON on you post. Then I and all know it is a good one. If there is no icon and I don't know the AUTHOR, I think twice before I read or not read it. Dell, there have been times that spammers have tagged onto existing threads, so an icon is not the "safety flag" you might think...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Originally posted by barbm Originally posted by delld I'm so tired of the spam too. So remember to put an ICON on you post. Then I and all know it is a good one. If there is no icon and I don't know the AUTHOR, I think twice before I read or not read it. Dell, there have been times that spammers have tagged onto existing threads, so an icon is not the "safety flag" you might think...... Thanks for the heads up! I know they have spammed older post too! I just want us to be able to enjoy the forum!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I too just ignore them as they are easy to spot. Spammers are not a good reason to not come and visit the forum, but the less people that post photos and comments, the less likely people are to come back regularly, so lets try and keep posting photos when we can (we all have busy lives). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Spam is annoying for sure, but I'm with Heidi in that I'm not going anywhere. I know I haven't posted much for awhile but it's because I'm so busy putting everyone's helpful posts to use in quilting customer quilts! I would be lost without this forum. I have faith that the APQS team will find a way to thwart the spammers' efforts and make this forum the place it is intended to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustee Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 I agree with everyone the spammers are a pain in the a** but they are not going to keep me away. I know Dawn and the team are working hard on getting rid of them but they are everywhere. My email inbox is filled with them. I get about 30 or more a day. I block them but they keep coming back. Hang in there and please don't let the spammers push you away. We have to hang together, otherwise they win. I love this forum and would really miss you guys if you weren't here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Originally posted by Susanne.Hughes Perhaps ther aren't as many posts either becasue people are busy. I know I am only able to catch up on weekends and during lunch time because I rejoined the workforce (outside of home ). Cheers, I think Susanne could be right, it is summer, and I have noticed in past summers it gets kinda quiet. I know I have been otherwise occupied..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 You know, I too have learned to read the topics with a discerning eye. I recognize posters I know and depending on the topic I will try a new one now and then. I listen to AM radio and am so tired of commercials that advertise ageless male and weight loss pills! That is SPAM on the radio as far as I'm concerned. It makes me want to just turn off the radio and never listen again. However, I don't want to miss my favorite Bob Miller in the Morning show so I just ignore the ads. I never buy from anyone who advertizes on the radio anyway. This forum is so rich in helpful information, pictures for inspiration, and "camaraderie" as Dawn put it, that I keep coming back and weed through the spam. I believe it's still the best online quilting forum. I'll wait patiently while Dawn and others do their job to make the best better. My thanks to all who are involved with that project and I pray you succeed really soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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