Spammers

afwrench · Post by **afwrench** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:21 pm

Tom, if a small fee makes it easier for you to keep the site"clean" and helps with expenses why not. Nobody thinks your going to score big off 10,15, or 20 bucks a person. Or we could track down the spammers and beat the.... oh no the old Bronx is coming out ,never mind. You do what you think is best. Im sure I speak for all in that we will support you in any way we can . Mike

abrent · Post by **abrent** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 7:21 pm

woohoo, deleted my first bunch of spam. Amazing what they can do
with photoshop these days....

By the way, Tom, can you see in some "trash" bin what I have dumped - say just in case?

LAter.

PETER GABRIEL · Post by **PETER GABRIEL** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 11:36 pm

Since I am not conversant with software management, the viabililty of this is questionable, but I'll give it a shot. Is it possible to lock up the system, so that only members can post, and that a screening system could be developed for new members?

Peter Gabriel

250 GTL 4419

tim · Post by **tim** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:45 pm

Greetings... Mark Bradakus (probably spelled wrong) runs a group of lists under the team.net banner. See www.fatchancegarage.com and check the email archives. A couple of times a year in a low pressure approach, he solicites donations to offset the costs. This can be handled with a PayPal account. I greatly appreciate the work Tom has done and the free availability to all and would hate to see that stop. Tim(Tom, what's your address. I'll get a check in the mail)

Post by **tyang** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:51 am

Hi Guys,

Greetings... Mark Bradakus (probably spelled wrong) runs a group of lists under the team.net banner. See www.fatchancegarage.com and check the email archives. A couple of times a year in a low pressure approach, he solicites donations to offset the costs. This can be handled with a PayPal account. I greatly appreciate the work Tom has done and the free availability to all and would hate to see that stop. Tim(Tom, what's your address. I'll get a check in the mail)

I may consider a once a year "pledge drive" to generate some money to help pay for some of the costs on this site. I appreciate the generous offers, and it makes my efforts on this site more worthwhile. Let me figure out how to get rid of this round of spammers, and I'll work on the pledge drive!

I will be trying something with this forum today. Hope it works! If it goes down, please be patient!

Tom[/quote]

davidoloan · Post by **davidoloan** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:37 pm

Hi Tom,

Another site I visit has this unobtrusive icon on the homepage

"Hit the Tip Jar!" is below it. Its also organised through Paypal.

abrent · Post by **abrent** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:12 pm

[quote]
I will be trying something with this forum today. Hope it works! If it goes down, please be patient!

Tom[/quote]

Hi,

I deleted a message from GreyMagnum again this morning. It must be a piece of S/W as it logged on at 8:35AM my time again and posted. It stay's logged for about 10 minutes, and I think it did that yesterday as well. Good luck with getting around these idiots.

Oh - I searched all posts from David Booth and deleted them also, sort of a public service...

LAter.

Post by **tyang** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:34 pm

Oh - I searched all posts from David Booth and deleted them also, sort of a public service...

See what happens when the power of "moderator" goes to your head!

Tom

Rudy van Daalen Wetters · Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:50 pm

Hmmm, a pledge drive should help. Step aside, Jerry Lewis.....

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

Post by **tyang** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:01 pm

Hi Guys,

Just an update, and a chance for me to vent!

I spent a couple of hours on Monday upgrading my forum software to the newest version hoping there was a weakness in my slightly older version. I couldn't do it from my home because my satelite connection is not great for uploads, and often chooses to flake out just as I'm trying to do something important! I had to do the upgrade at a cafe in town with internet connection.

When I got home, I waited a couple of hours, and found the spammers still managing to get in! They're using automated computers (bots) that have figured out how to bypass all the software security. It's a problem experenced with all the forums using this software, so I'm not alone.

The next day, I tried to install a modification written by a third party programmer, and it too didn't seem to have any affect. This mod I tried claimed it would take me 3 minutes to impliment. I timed it, and it took me 35 minutes! I guess I'm not geeky enough!

There are several more, but I'll need to get more involved in changing the script within the software of my forum, something that will take me hours at this rate!

It's pretty demoralizing to see all this crap, but I'm trying to figure out a way to keep the spam to a minimum. What pisses me off even more is any time I spend fighting spam takes me away from working on my cars, and writing about it!

Tom

abrent · Post by **abrent** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:33 pm

Tom, Perhaps we just live with Kerry, you and me deleting these idiots each day for a little while and see if something comes along.

I am a member of another forum, using this software, and it seems to have the same problems so you are correct in your assumption that it is universal. At some point, someone will figure a workaround so I suggest that waiting might be the best option.
I'll ask around, I'm sure Kerry is too.

LAter.

Post by **josh** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:31 pm

Tom- if you want some help I'm pretty sure I could eliminate the problem.

--Josh

Post by **tyang** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:53 pm

Hi Josh,

I would appreciate anything you can do!

Tom

Post by **josh** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:00 pm

I'm probably going to be tied up today and tomorrow, but if you want to give me a ring or something on Friday we can look over the options.

--Josh

Post by **tyang** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:06 pm

Hi Josh,

I'll speak to you Friday!

Tom