WesWorld

We have an unregistered spammer in the Ruleset thread.

ZOT!

Thank you Herr Doctor.

This is the first time I found someone identified as "unregistered" posting spam; usually it is a recently-joined "bot".

I shall spam as well then

Walter,

You humor is thoroughly misplaced...

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

This is the first time I found someone identified as "unregistered" posting spam; usually it is a recently-joined "bot".

I noticed that as well. I thought the majority of our folders were set up to prevent unregistered users from posting. So I might need to review the folder permissions...

I think that would be a judicious move. While most of them seem okay, the Non-Wesworld folder tends to be a target for bots.

We've got another one... in the Meeting Place.

Edit: And a second one in the German Encyclopedia... X(

Edit Redux: And thank you to our moderators...

Yeah, we had three of them last night, too - all Unregistered users. Unfortunately I can't find the admin controls that affect Unregistered users, so I can't reset the permissions needed to block them out.

Perhaps someone else might know where the necessary controls are... I sure hope we have them somewhere; this is getting really annoying.

Well, I looked around the board after I logged out and there were various points where I could posts as an unregistered user and by the looks of it most of the subforums in the ency are susceptible to spammers. Only exceptions are the SAE encyclopedia and everything after Latvia since those encyclopedias are not visible to a person who is not logged in.

Considering that the SAE encyclopedia is unregistered user proof, I think that Hooman might know what to do...

... unless it was so long ago that he worked on those subfolders that he has forgotten how he did it.

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

Well, I looked around the board after I logged out and there were various points where I could posts as an unregistered user and by the looks of it most of the subforums in the ency are susceptible to spammers. Only exceptions are the SAE encyclopedia and everything after Latvia since those encyclopedias are not visible to a person who is not logged in.

Considering that the SAE encyclopedia is unregistered user proof, I think that Hooman might know what to do...

... unless it was so long ago that he worked on those subfolders that he has forgotten how he did it. :)

His name was the one which first came to my mind. Or perhaps he could consult with Testpilot for a solution. Right now these are merely stupid and obvious spam... I hope that they do not presage anything malicious.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

Well, I looked around the board after I logged out and there were various points where I could posts as an unregistered user and by the looks of it most of the subforums in the ency are susceptible to spammers. Only exceptions are the SAE encyclopedia and everything after Latvia since those encyclopedias are not visible to a person who is not logged in.

Considering that the SAE encyclopedia is unregistered user proof, I think that Hooman might know what to do...

... unless it was so long ago that he worked on those subfolders that he has forgotten how he did it.

His name was the one which first came to my mind. Or perhaps he could consult with Testpilot for a solution. Right now these are merely stupid and obvious spam... I hope that they do not presage anything malicious.

"Download Christina Aguilera's new single or the German Petroleum Industry gets it!"

My apologies to the German Petroleum Industry (it was nice not knowing you) but my answer to that is
NEVER!!!

Thank you for making light of something that could (IMHO) become so serious. :(

Well, it's one thing for bots to bypass the protection that allows them to post; it's another to start something malicious. In the meantime, it's merely an annoyance for whichever moderator has to go through and trim the weeds.

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Well, it's one thing for bots to bypass the protection that allows them to post; it's another to start something malicious. In the meantime, it's merely an annoyance for whichever moderator has to go through and trim the weeds.

I am glad that the downside risk is low.

Hi,

sorry that spammer issue pops up time and again. It is annoying, indeed.

There are usually two ways of blocking those bots (afaik).

1.) Unregistered Users are part of user group "guests". Those can be blocked by User/UserGroups/Permissions for users and groups. Bad news - if you block them there, no unregistered visitor can post anymore.

2.) Unregistered Users can be kept from posting in individual boards. Therefore choose Content/Forum/Show Forums and check for each forum by use of the button "Edit Forum" under Permissions for users and groups if a certain group is allowed to post. For example, checking the SAE forum or the Germany main forum, the checkbox for "Can reply on threats" is denied, while in the German Air Force forum it is allowed. (Haven't change to show you.).

To me it seems we can get rid of these spammers subfolders only, if one takes the action to check all boards where guests shall not be allowed to post have the checkbox set on "deny". Sadly this is some work to do and time consuming...

For those boards that shall be open to guests still, the permission to post must be kept.

Hope this helps...

Quoted from "HoOmAn"

To me it seems we can get rid of these spammers subfolders only, if one takes the action to check all boards where guests shall not be allowed to post have the checkbox set on "deny". Sadly this is some work to do and time consuming...

You aren't kidding. :P

Though I should note that I was fiddling with those settings last night, when Walter was playing "unregistered user", and he could still post in subfolders that I had just tried to 'fix'. So I'm not sure this solution works in all cases...

Quoted

Bad news - if you block them there, no unregistered visitor can post anymore.

Bad news? Isn't that what we want? How can that be bad news?

Quoted

Sadly this is some work to do and time consuming

Yes. Having seen logged off how many places there were one the board where I could still post, it would take quite a bit of time to sort that out.