newmillie2010 Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 I'm getting really tired of all the spammers that are getting onto this site. can it be stopped? and it seems to me that our normal chatting has slowed down ... or is it just me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyce Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 when they get on and go into old e-mails that at least 4 years old and nobody catches them. Reporting doesn't seem to do much good ,think that I counted 5 this morning. I'm really tired of them too. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 The problem is that although you have to be a registered user in order to post to a forum, anyone can register. Some organizations control access by having a moderator approve new registrations, and/or use the device of having a registrant have to read a kind of scrambled set of nonsense letters and type them into a box that is part of the registration process. The scrambled letter thing ensures that only a human being who is actually looking at the registration page can register. It can't be done by machine-generated spam. But having a list manager "vet" potential members is a more foolproof way. One of the reasons that some companies only allow people who own their brand of machine participate in discussions is that they KNOW that the person is actually a real person, and a real quilter. Our discussion groups are open to anyone - something that we have often commented is a big plus for our site. But being open to anyone really means that - so we get some spammers along with all the good contributors that visit our site. Think about Kevin and the bobbin cam - although we first thought he was a spammer, it turns out he has an interesting innovation that we wouldn't have heard of if joining our conversations was restricted to APQS owners, etc. I'm not sure if APQS would be willing to commit the bandwidth to vetting applications to participate in our discussions, and I think we would lose a lot if we limited the site to APQS owners only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Please continue to report the spam you discover. We will take care of banning the user and IP address as quickly as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Bonnie and Dawn have good responses above. I have learned to check the # of replies to topics I might want to read, as well as check the original poster. When they have really weird names or topics I don't even bother with them. If they are still there when I stop in later with more responses, I check them out more. I don't know that I want this forum to be narrowed down to only a few select members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeAnn Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 I agree with Madelyn. I don't own and APQS and would hate not to be able to visit this forum. I have learned so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Looks like the spammers are also taking our posted email address. I got several spams on my personnel email from the same spammers. I also look for the number of responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Connie is right. Once registered, a spammer has access to our membership list, and if you have made your email address available, the spammer can get it and even highjack it. If this is of serious concern to you you should NOT make your email address visible, and communicate via U2U. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I removed my e-mail address from my profile for the public and will only give it out when needed. I get so much JUNK mail on my computer for our home e-mail anyway. They said I subscribed to their newsletters, but I didn't. Then to get your address removed is next to impossible. GRRRRRR.:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I've also removed my email - U2U always works just fine when someone wants to communicate privately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Linda and Meg, Quilters from these forums will still be able to reach you by email, since you haven't removed your email "button" from your profile. Don't know whether spammers will be able to reach you, too..... These "spammers" seem to run in bunches - several postings by the same username. That can be a "heads-up" that they aren't real users. Also, check the forum they are coming in on - "spammers" don't pay attention to that little detail! IMHO, I find these forums to be a fairly safe place. They aren't "spam-proof," but there's not many places that are. I filter all incoming email through a spam filter, and I never click on a link in an email, even from a friend, unless I've carefully examined the details of that link - you never know who might get "hacked" next. Thank you, APQS, for providing this wonderful place to come and share - and thank you for kicking those nasty spammers off whenever they find their slimy way here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I agree with you Barb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I have an idea about how to identify spam's once they have been reported. And this suggestion is for the programming gurus of the website. How about linking a flashing caution sign!!, type of icon to the post once someone has hit the reported button. It would then caution others that it is a spam email and not to even bother opening it. Maybe that way they would be discouraged from posting here when they don't even get anyone to open and read or look at their posts!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 What a good idea, Jeanne!! Now, don't take this the wrong way, but.... I'm gonna "report" your post, so that the web "gurus" will see it! No offense intended! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 There must be a web site or handbook for spammers that is updated regularly with the latest way to worm their way into forums to look for customers! When a new spammer registers they may not list a web site address. All they do is make some inane comment or bring up an old post and then add a link at the bottom. If only one person clicks on the link, it has been worth it because of traffic to whatever site they are promoting. I am suspicious of newbies who list a full address on their profile. Who does that? I noticed one several months ago with an Olympia address and curiosity pushed me to Google the address for a location. IF there had been a business at that address it would have been in the middle of the lake across the street from my house! Registrants with "alphabet soup" names are suspect. Very old posts reappearing are suspect. Sometimes they register and don't come back to post for weeks or months. And those curiously-translated posts that are paragraphs long but don't quite make sense--they're hilarious but bothersome. Report them when you see them, re-report if they are sitting there for a while, don't click on any link, and watch your email for spam--I have had several recently as well. The other option is screening, which screens out the good with the bad. And as we have seen, many would slip through because they don't post anything for a while. The actual posts can be screened, but what a chore that would be. I can't imagine having to wait a day for a call for help to be approved for posting if someone needs help NOW with a mechanical problem. I guess we are stuck with this irritation for now and can continue to report as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Thanks for keeping the spammers at bay, everyone! I do try to stay on top of the spam reports you send, and it helps greatly if the first person who sees it adds a reply that says "reported" so that no others report the same thread or culprit....it saves loads of time if I don't have to sift through 15 reports on the same spammer. We appreciate your diligence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Thanks for keeping the spammers at bay, everyone! I do try to stay on top of the spam reports you send, and it helps greatly if the first person who sees it adds a reply that says "reported" so that no others report the same thread or culprit....it saves loads of time if I don't have to sift through 15 reports on the same spammer. We appreciate your diligence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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