Temporary - New Account Activation Procedure

[Dissension]

While this notice is posted, all new accounts require manual activation. Once you've registered, please send an e-mail to housepets.moderation[at]gmail dot com including your username and the names of Peanut's favorite river otters (as seen in this strip). While every effort will be made to respond promptly, please allow up to 12 hours for us to activate your account. Thanks for your time and patience!

[Amazee Dayzee]

Are you deciding to put this procedure into use because of an issue with spambots and people making multiple accounts that never post anything or is there something going on that we don't know about?

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Are you deciding to put this procedure into use because of an issue with spambots and people making multiple accounts that never post anything or is there something going on that we don't know about?

Earlier today a spambot posted links to naughty adult websites

[NHWestoN]

Thought that was a trap.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Thought that was a trap.

Well, yeah.

[NHWestoN]

Hey, I'm the moron who kept trying to mention the little unicycle-riding bear from Disney's Fun and Fancy Free without catching on that, like Lord Valdemort, his is a name that can never be mentioned. So I'm learning....

[Amazee Dayzee]

Geez, you take a brief vacation for a little under two weeks and you end up missing all of the good stuff that happened. I'm just really a little annoyed that I missed all of this excitement.

LOL. Just kidding.

[Hlaoroo]

Are you deciding to put this procedure into use because of an issue with spambots and people making multiple accounts that never post anything or is there something going on that we don't know about?

Earlier today a spambot posted links to naughty adult websites

In fact we had 18 bots doing that in the space of 3 hours. This is just one of the security measures we've taken to keep them out and keep you guys safe. We've also updated the captchas that have to be solved to register an account.

I just want to take a moment to reassure everyone that your data is safe too. These were just regular spam bots that were purely designed to post links and therefore did not have access to any sensitive information.

[JamesTCat]

I would like to point out that I am trying to improve myself in personal ways. But these spambots posting pornographic material here are really making my blood boil.

Hope to see them get put in their place.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I really wouldn't mind if there was a way to automatically ban spam bots when they register and completely neutralize them by blocking any other IPs close to the ones that they were using so they can never show their material here again.

[Zesortinge]

Amazee, there might actually be people using this forum with IPs close to what the spam bots were using. Also, I never saw the spam bots. How did I miss them?

[Amazee Dayzee]

Yeah I know that which is why I said I wish there was a way so that they could sort through actual users and just annoying bots who are trying to flood a forum.

[CyberDragon]

Amazee, there might actually be people using this forum with IPs close to what the spam bots were using. Also, I never saw the spam bots. How did I miss them?

I woke up this morning at 6 am central time and saw the bots start their spamming. I reported it to Hlaoroo immediately, and he got to work attacking the bots. The response was quick.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm guessing that nobody saw anything other than the people that reported it because the staff here is so quick and efficient.

[Hlaoroo]

I would like to point out that I am trying to improve myself in personal ways. But these spambots posting pornographic material here are really making my blood boil.

Hope to see them get put in their place.

Their accounts and IPs have been permabanned. They won't be back.

Yeah I know that which is why I said I wish there was a way so that they could sort through actual users and just annoying bots who are trying to flood a forum.

We do try to manually check new accounts as they're made. We mods can run checks on the IP addresses being used and the admins can check the email address used to register the account. We can also look at the contact information they put on their profile. Bots often post an obvious website in their signature or in the "website" contact field. So sometimes they're obvious but other times you can't tell until they start posting. And sometimes we're afk when they get in and things like this occur. It's unfortunate that we can't have someone on 24/7 but that's life. In the case of these bots last night, they all joined within the space of about 90 minutes and were posting before we had a chance to run any checks. And more were joining and posting as fast as I could ban and delete. Unlike the admins who have a tool to delete all posts from a user, mods can only delete one post or topic at a time.

As to automation, PHPBB does come with anti-spam measures built in. They can only do so much though. It's a constant battle between those who develop antispam and antivirus software and those who build the spam and viruses. The best anti-spam measure is still you guys using that report button and DMing us if you see anything suspicious. So thanks to all those who helped with that the other night!

I woke up this morning at 6 am central time and saw the bots start their spamming. I reported it to Hlaoroo immediately, and he got to work attacking the bots. The response was quick.

Fortunately this attack happened after I was home from work so I was able to devote my full and uninterrupted attention to fighting it until the admins were able to get on and take the aforementioned preventative and remedial steps.

[Amazee Dayzee]

So this was an attack by someone then? A random person who makes spambots who sent them in all at once? It drives me crazy that people would do stupid stuff like this.

[NHWestoN]

Some folks are just wreckers, I've learned...…..

[CyberDragon]

Some folks are just wreckers, I've learned...…..

[Amazee Dayzee]

Would it be wrong of me to say that I want to watch the people who are trying to destroy the forum burn also?

[Argent]

Hey, I'm the moron who kept trying to mention the little unicycle-riding bear from Disney's Fun and Fancy Free without catching on that, like Lord Valdemort, his is a name that can never be mentioned. So I'm learning....

What, like the drums that the late Richard Feynman was noted for played?

[Amazee Dayzee]

The name and wood "Bongo" is fine. I know what word you are thinking of and I'm not gonna say it or imply it but because it is a whole different word and can be a name especially for a pet, its cool. I checked with the sqrl dictator and the androgynous snow fox.

[NHWestoN]

As they say in Maine, "Don't tickle the shark's chin."

[Amazee Dayzee]

Except if that shark is actually an ocean sunfish then you will be OK since they are docile.