Tremulous Forum

Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: Winnie the Pooh on April 27, 2009, 09:03:04 am

Title: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Winnie the Pooh on April 27, 2009, 09:03:04 am
SRSLY, it seems like the captcha is on vacation or something. Something must be done about these losers.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Kaleo on April 27, 2009, 11:31:51 am
I don't think they are bots. I think it's no lifers who can't get a real job.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Survivor on April 27, 2009, 01:55:23 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Asvarox on April 27, 2009, 01:57:53 pm
GOOGLE WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22How+do+i+keep+spam+from+coming+in+to+my+email+inbox+address%3F%22&btnG=Szukaj&lr=)
in next few days......................
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Kaleo on April 27, 2009, 01:59:42 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.

More active admins pl0x? :P
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Winnie the Pooh on April 27, 2009, 05:24:35 pm
Yeah i guess admins are the only way to get rid of these bruisers.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Yahoo on April 27, 2009, 07:01:18 pm
close registrations!

who needs new players anyway?
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: khalsa on April 27, 2009, 07:54:23 pm
Don't think these are bots entirely. They are too easily getting past the "Are you Human" question I put on the registration page without there being more hits for choice "No" or "Unsure".
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Bissig on April 27, 2009, 08:49:06 pm
Don't think these are bots entirely. They are too easily getting past the "Are you Human" question I put on the registration page without there being more hits for choice "No" or "Unsure".

On our forums I observed that the IP doing the account registration is in a completely different subnet/ISP as the humans or bots posting the spam.

They seem to have found a way to humanize the account registration and boterize the spam posting. On the other hand that would mean that the bots are smart enough to find topics/subforums close enough to their mindless spam posts... Who knows.

"Mechanical Turk Spam" via Amazon? Maybe?
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: khalsa on April 27, 2009, 08:54:58 pm
Ah you're right, I've been banning both IP's though :(
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Winnie the Pooh on April 27, 2009, 09:02:57 pm
Don't think these are bots entirely. They are too easily getting past the "Are you Human" question I put on the registration page without there being more hits for choice "No" or "Unsure".

Cyborgs?
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Annihilation on April 27, 2009, 10:16:34 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.
HOLY FUCK HI!
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Archangel on April 28, 2009, 02:36:09 am
@Khalsa/mod team: Try manual verification. I don't think trem.net gets that many (legit) people registering everyday, and you have enough moderators I'd think to go over registrations -- if not you can always setup an administration level that can do nothing but accept/deny users.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Bissig on April 28, 2009, 03:19:39 am
From the forums stats:

"Average registrations per day:   3.83"

Four manual registrations per day should be managable.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: khalsa on April 28, 2009, 03:54:07 pm
So I enabled manual approval for a bit, but it quickly became apparent that it's pretty pointless as the "bot" registrations look completely like real registrations. They are from unique IP, using a gmail or other public email address, with innocuous sounding names. No way to tell the spammers from the humans.

I've temporarily made it so that users with less than 10 posts cannot post links.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Archangel on April 28, 2009, 05:01:23 pm
My forums are under manual verification. I typically check IPs via googling them and checking on DNSBLs. Perhaps there's some sort of DNSBL plugin for SMF ?
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: khalsa on April 28, 2009, 05:21:23 pm
Of all the bots we've had on trem.net over the last several days,  only one of them have been on any DNSBL, Anti-Spam list, or anything else I've checked.

Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE CAPS?
Post by: player1 on April 28, 2009, 06:04:26 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.

Welcome back, Survivor. And speaking of toasters (http://www.rageboy.com/mbimages/stop-skynet4.jpg), have u ever thought of visiting the tropics (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3406744057_62d0e00140.jpg)?
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Bissig on April 28, 2009, 07:54:46 pm
So I enabled manual approval for a bit, but it quickly became apparent that it's pretty pointless as the "bot" registrations look completely like real registrations. They are from unique IP, using a gmail or other public email address, with innocuous sounding names. No way to tell the spammers from the humans.

I've temporarily made it so that users with less than 10 posts cannot post links.

Just look at the sigs they use.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: khalsa on April 28, 2009, 08:16:58 pm
You can't set a signature till after you're a member
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Bissig on April 28, 2009, 08:27:51 pm
You can't set a signature till after you're a member


Sorry, my mistake!
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Yahoo on April 28, 2009, 09:24:57 pm
From the forums stats:

"Average registrations per day:   3.83"

Four manual registrations per day should be managable.
DIBS DIBS DIBS
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: Survivor on April 30, 2009, 05:06:09 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.

Welcome back, Survivor. And speaking of toasters (http://www.rageboy.com/mbimages/stop-skynet4.jpg), have u ever thought of visiting the tropics (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3406744057_62d0e00140.jpg)?

Never been really gone. Just don't have time to immerse myself in this place like I used to. Usually it's a quick check for trouble and interesting topics.
Title: Re: OKAY, WHAT IS UP WITH THESE BOTS?
Post by: KamikOzzy on April 30, 2009, 07:03:22 pm
Sorry guys, skynet is causing trouble from my toaster, added too much butter. Oh, and i'm still not dead.

Welcome back, Survivor. And speaking of toasters (http://www.rageboy.com/mbimages/stop-skynet4.jpg), have u ever thought of visiting the tropics (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3406744057_62d0e00140.jpg)?

Never been really gone. Just don't have time to immerse myself in this place like I used to. Usually it's a quick check for trouble and interesting topics.
don't call it a comeback, he's been here for years...

okay I'll shut up >.>