What's the latest SPAM game?

[Wagtail]

Could Muhammed, Ibrahim or anyone else give an explanation regarding the latest wave of SPAM that TBN is receiving?

It makes no sense... sometimes it's an in-active https link, others are simple chunks of text or three 'posts' of text and, now, I'm beginning to seriously doubt a couple of nonsensical 'new member' introductions.

I, jeff and others have been steadily reporting them, which I don't mind doing. I'd just like to know what 'their' game is. :confused3:

 

[jeff9366]

I reported about six spam entries this morning about 3:00 AM/EDT. Not my favorite activity on T-B-N.

Several were the third or fourth SPAM post in the same bogus account.

More effort should be made to block or delete SPAM accounts after one entry.

 

[majorwager]

I recently asked Moss Road about the malware reference words that appear in posts. He indicated that moderators have no control over that scenario.

Certain words in many posts are high- lighted. If clicked, reader is taken to an advertiser's site, renders the appearance that poster has endorsed that advertiser.

 

[mikester]

It's called referrer spam. It doesn't matter what the content of the post is, they are simply posting so they can include a back link to their website they are trying to promote.

The more back links they generate, the higher they get in google rankings, then the higher ranking they get in things like "googleadservices" and "amazon-adsystem".

It's a bizarre false economy where "clicks" and "page views" get translated into tiny tiny fractions of a dollar. You need millions of page views to generate some kind of cash flow.

If you are living in a third world country then these tiny little payouts amount to something. Spam farmers hire hundreds of people to target forums to generate back links for companies to sell page rankings to suckers who don't know or don't care.

Try googling "tulip mania".

 

[abunchofidiots]

Other forums I have been on require new users to have 5 post before starting a "New" thread.

 

[4570Man]

Other forums I have been on require new users to have 5 post before starting a "New" thread.

Which isn’t hard to do. I don’t see that helping.

 

[jeff9366]

Other forums I have been on require new users to have 5 post before starting a "New" thread.

As one who reports a good deal of this SPAM around 3:00 AM, several days per week, I would be grateful for incremental discouragement to spammers. Worth a try.

 

[nbking]

I think upping the required posts to say 25 before a new thread is started, would help. Most people that come here want some help to fix a problem, and that would make it a pain for them to ask a question. But maybe a sticky for new people until they get their 25 post's

 

[4570Man]

I think upping the required posts to say 25 before a new thread is started, would help. Most people that come here want some help to fix a problem, and that would make it a pain for them to ask a question. But maybe a sticky for new people until they get their 25 post's

Maybe writing a short biography for moderator review before you can join would help. Sure you could make it up, but I don’t see the post limit as being a good thing either.

 

[/pine]

The majority of spam posts are made by bots...the most effective way to control bot activity is with an effective CAPTCHA script...if one could be implemented to only be used for new members for the first so many posts...

 

[Wagtail]

It's called referrer spam. It doesn't matter what the content of the post is, they are simply posting so they can include a back link to their website they are trying to promote.

The more back links they generate, the higher they get in google rankings, then the higher ranking they get in things like "googleadservices" and "amazon-adsystem".

It's a bizarre false economy where "clicks" and "page views" get translated into tiny tiny fractions of a dollar. You need millions of page views to generate some kind of cash flow.

If you are living in a third world country then these tiny little payouts amount to something. Spam farmers hire hundreds of people to target forums to generate back links for companies to sell page rankings to suckers who don't know or don't care.

Try googling "tulip mania".

Thanks for that, it makes a bizarre kind of sense.

TBN admin has tried the 'can't post links'/'can't post pictures' until so many posts for new members, in the past few years. This was a response to the SPAM-game of the day.

I have taken to scrutinising some New Member Introduction threads, where the information/text is minimal and a number of other "Posts:" appear. A quick review of their account typically shows 3-4 rapid threads/posts... sort of a shotgun approach to try and get a click or page view, I suppose. I report those too, with a caveat to the mod/admin that it looks dodgy/suspicious, and leave it up to their discretion on how to deal with it.

 

[newbury]

Well there are several of us reporting them now and I think the extra effort to put in a reply to the post - something like reported - is worthwhile.

Are there any statistics collected like where the post originates from, what time of day etc.?

 

[jeff9366]

Most SPAM on T-B-N is posted 3:00 AM EDT to 7:00 AM EDT.

 

[newbury]

Most SPAM on T-B-N is posted 3:00 AM EDT to 7:00 AM EDT.

Do you have numbers on that or is it just a "fact"?

 

[Wagtail]

Do you have numbers on that or is it just a "fact"?

An observation on jeff's part. I'll typically come on TBN around 1930 AEST (0530 EDT) and jeff has typically nailed 5-7 of them. I'll try and get the ones he's missed (1-4).

Often the TBN mods/Admins are already deleting them as I report.

 

[MossRoad]

I recently asked Moss Road about the malware reference words that appear in posts. He indicated that moderators have no control over that scenario.

Certain words in many posts are high- lighted. If clicked, reader is taken to an advertiser's site, renders the appearance that poster has endorsed that advertiser.

Jeepers, IT'S NOT MALWARE, so please stop spreading that rumor.

It's a keyword that gets auto-linked to a webpage. Advertisers pay for it, this site is free because advertisers pay for things like that, etc....

If you don't like it, drop a note to the owners of TBN, but really, you're the only one I've ever heard complain about it. It doesn't take you to any nefarious sites, and it's harmless to your devices. It's not malware!

 

[MossRoad]

Most of the ones he sees and reports are between those hours because, contrary to popular belief, most of the moderators are normal people that sleep during those hours. :laughing: The spam comes in at a lot of different times during the day, and TBN members report them all day long, from what I've seen. But, yes, a lot of it comes in at the wee hours of the morning.

 

[MossRoad]

Jeepers, IT'S NOT MALWARE, so please stop spreading that rumor.

It's a keyword that gets auto-linked to a webpage. Advertisers pay for it, this site is free because advertisers pay for things like that, etc....

If you don't like it, drop a note to the owners of TBN, but really, you're the only one I've ever heard complain about it. It doesn't take you to any nefarious sites, and it's harmless to your devices. It's not malware!

Let's see what happens if I put a note suggesting that kubota tractor gets linked to and post it. How long will it take to get linked to, if at all. Does it only happen in certain forums? Heck I don't know. I'd have to ask the owners.

 

[MossRoad]

Let's see what happens if I put a note suggesting that kubota tractor gets linked to and post it. How long will it take to get linked to, if at all. Does it only happen in certain forums? Heck I don't know. I'd have to ask the owners.

It isn't linked here yet. I'll make a post in the Kubota forum and see what happens.

 

[MossRoad]

It isn't linked here yet. I'll make a post in the Kubota forum and see what happens.

Yep, in a post in the kubota forums, it got auto-linked to Kubota's website. So it's probably something selective and advertising based, and arranged through the owners of TBN.

IT'S NOT MALWARE!

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...st-test-thread-please-ignore.html#post5206859