Ideas for stopping spam attacks

Ok we all know whats going on and by who, we also know how difficult it is to stop as even if we put restrictions at a member level he can just create a new account and start again.

So here is a few suggestions...am not sure of the set up for this board so some may already be in place - if they are, great! Now lets get the rest in place as well ;)

1. Unique Email address for every sign up (so he has to regsiter for a new email addrress as well as here)
2. Email verification of address
3. only 1 sign up from any given IP every 24hrs
4. Cookie placed to block any new registrations from machine for 24hrs
5. New thread limit of 4 per hr per member / IP
6. If a thread is bumped which is over 2 months old a 'send back' button which senior members can use to _unbump_ the thread
7. Increase flood protection time to 3mins
8. Maximum of 10 posts per hr from any member / IP
9. Add image verification to signup screen
10. No more than 3 logins (to different accounts) from any ip in 24hrs
11. Better swear word filters in username

Ok these are easy to implement features that wouldn't restict normal users too much - infact most people wont notice they are there.

Also I suggest some sort of 'smart' member managment.

For example :

each action performed which is normal for an attack such as this throws up a flag and adds to a total for that member.

so say a member bumps 2 threads over 2months old within 30mins - they score 1 point

they have a post rejected due to the flood protection 6 times in half an hr - another point

they create the maximum allowed number of new threads 2hrs running - 3rd point

and so on

then we could compare the number of points scored alongside ap status and length of membership. If the result is less than a certain cut off point - a notification is sent to an admin to review the users actions, and they are suspended until outcome is decided. Admin can then ban or remove suspension.

Oh and last idea :

as well as the report button link / negative aps - there should be a report member button. This could work similar to APs but with a lower cut off point.

Rather than banning member if they hit the limit of reports in any 24hr period they would have posting/ap rights removed and their account could be flagged for review by an admin.

Just some ideas - any chance of getting at least some of these implemented. There is nothing really difficult to code up in them...

what does everyone else think?

Hi Val,

Cool suggestions, mate.
Instead of diong all this, why don't we cut off the number of negative APs required to ban a member, I think it is now like more than 100 Negatives, why we don't make them like 50 Negatives, in this way, we can, only three or four seniors, can ban the troll and trouble maker!

Scenario:

1- the spech posts sapm or unfriendly content.
2- senior members notice that. Go for neg!
3- four or five assignment {Sinero members} can ban him easly.
4- Waiting for the next victim :p

This one is the greates, I believe.

This is what I have to say!

Cheers :)

Hey Hey,

Black Cluster: Changing the number of APs needed to ban someone won't help.... Anyone who's getting their jolly's this much and has been banned time and time again is just going to keep coming back.... That'd be hurtful to new members who happen to make a mistake and get negged for it... It's not going to damage the trouble makers.

Val: You've got some good ideas there... others could just hurt the community.

1, 2, 3, 4 -- I agree
5 -- Why limit the useful information that someone could be providing?? There's been times when I've started more than 4 threads in an hour..

6 and maybe even 7 ... again I agree

8 -- Same as 5.... I know a lot of members post more than that.. especially if two members get involved in a debate you may see twice that number of posts in a half hour.

9 -- Definately Agree (but again won't hinder the person you've made this post about.. it's just something that should exist)

10 -- Not sure I follow what you're saying here... Each IP should only have one account.. trouble makers are just going to use proxies

11 -- Agreed... but that won't stop posts..

The fact is that anything IP based is fairly useless.... proxies will easily evade that.. That sort of protection should be in place.. but it's like having a lock on your front door... It'll only deter the people that don't need deterance.

I think its sad how much of the communities time and energy (and how much of the front page) is going towards this problem... While ignoring the problem won't make it go away... this is just making it more apparent..

Even when Spec isn't flooding the forum.... members are flooding the forum to bitch about him... I wonder what new members must think when they come across this site...

Peace,
HT

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I think its sad how much of the communities time and energy (and how much of the front page) is going towards this problem... While ignoring the problem won't make it go away... this is just making it more apparent..

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HTRegz, I know you hate when I say this.. but I co-sign this 100%. :D The more users keep making threads/posts about the little pissant, the more he'll keep coming back and get laughs/kicks out of what he does. *sigh*

Quote:

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I wonder what new members must think when they come across this site...

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Indeed, as do I.. *sighs again* :(

Numbers 1 and 2 are already in place, val.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by HTRegz
Hey Hey,

Black Cluster: Changing the number of APs needed to ban someone won't help.... Anyone who's getting their jolly's this much and has been banned time and time again is just going to keep coming back.... That'd be hurtful to new members who happen to make a mistake and get negged for it... It's not going to damage the trouble makers.
HT

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Hello HTRegz,

I don't think that a n00b with good posts, will be negged severely. He might get nigged slightly in the first! unless he is seeking troubles! Even for n00bs I noticed that even if they replied to old threads they don't get negged, instead a reply post to their post to inform them not to reply to old threads. which, I personally, consider a good thing! When posting some wrong technical information! they rather be corrected and not negged! :)

Think about it! we have seniors online 24/7! unlike mods! they can't be available all times!
APs reduction needed to ban members, can improve the immune system against trolls!

Cheers :)

Quote:

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unlike mods! they can't be available all times

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I must disagree with this. I think that as of right now, we usually have at the least 2 moderator's on the website 24/7, if not 3-4. I always see like 4-5 on myself, but I'm give-or-taking it.

Hi Spyder32,

I wasn't online yesterday, and as I saw the spech could make a great miss, and posted like more than 10 posts in the security tutorials forum, before he got banned by our senior APs power!

cheers ;)

I was online from around 07:00 GMT, and I've been online here all day today :sad get:
and when this was all happening, there were only around 17 members on, and NO mods / admin ............

it's apparent that he is aware of the shift pattern, and comes accordingly ..........
our reds were not strong enough to stop him quickly
we need more mods
or we need a better plan of defence ..............

And that's his first account that made it that far, no? Sheer luck.. ;)

As Neg has said #1&2 are there already. The rest are useless or counterproductive, but #11 is SPOT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have cracked it in one Val~

I would extend it to the profile as well, of course.

As for people who keep saying "this only feeds him", next time perhaps you would also post your psychology qualifications, collaborators and/or sources?

This is not a Troll or a skiddie...............this is one very screwed up excuse for humanity. Doesn't anyone look at the history of this site?.................have we not had trouble makers and wasters before?.................they either eventually come back and behave or they disappear for good? This one is different, he is psychologically/mentally disturbed, which is why he is showing obsessive traits................and he is getting worse, which suggests some sort of climax is looming.

I would have thought it patently obvious that forcing changes to the site is what really feeds him? So I do not recommend any except the filter, which should have been there anyway?

Before you ask, mine is a masters :)

nihil: I do not question your qualifications by any means.. and yes, he might have some mental issues for all we know (I don't know, I'm not qualified ;)) but regardless, it is what it is. Please don't think I was personally attacking you, by the way, Johnno..

Hey Spyder~ please don't get me wrong.................I am not taking offence or even criticising.

To begin with, my initial reaction is "don't feed the Trolls" as that fits 99.99% of the situations we encounter? OK sometimes we have to ask a few questions because maybe English isn't the first language, or we are looking at potential social engineering?

This guy just does not fit those scenarios, and we have to accept that fact. Hey, I have been visiting this site for just over three years, and I have never seen anything like this before? That is why I reject the traditional Troll analysis.

Speaking personally, I feel sorry for him; and even moreso for his family and friends, as they are having to watch it close up, and can remember what he used to be like?

I am sure that many members here can remember him from the past? Sure he was abrasive, rude and a bit boistrous.................but not beyond the bounds of decency?

He was also cynical, droll and sometimes extremely witty. I can also recall entrapping him in some deep moral and ethical discussions regarding the nature of the internet.

He then seemed to progressively deteriorate? until we are faced with what we have today, a guy with serious problems.

Just my take on it all :)

And on that note.... Consider this thread closed and joining the ranks of the dead.

A note to members: Spec and all other forms of trolls and trouble makers are being dealt with... the community doesn't need to be flooding the boards bitching about it and talking about it... The road to Sanitization may be a long one, but it is coming.

Consider this thread Sanitized.

Peace,
HT