Spammers..

[Shockwave]

Due to lots of people trying to sell drugs on here I have changed the method of registration for now, new members will need to validate theier accounts in a similar way to other forums by clicking on an email link in a welcome mail.

Sorry to have to do this but I am concerned that if a spam bot hit us it would be a bad thing indeed.

Going to back up the site tonight just in case.

[slinks]

Drugs are bad, M'kay

[benny!]

I really wonder if it is worth for the spammers to flood such forums ...
Are there any statistics that show how much spammers actually earn
by this ? Or are the majority just script kiddies

@sw:

Good choice ... hope that keeps the spammers away ...

[Shockwave]

Yeah, lets hope it does keep them off m'kay.

If not it will have to be changed to membership by approval. Why does someone always fuck it up for everyone else?

[taj]

In any community, you need 10 people to act sensibly but only 1 to be an idiot to spoil it all. My guess is, especially on the internet, theres at least 1 in 10 idiots.

[slinks]

Much more than that I would figure, more like 1 in 2.

Can't we have one of those text in images things you have to type in to stop automated sign-ups. I know the things are damn annoying, but they do work.

[Shockwave]

I'll see if there's a mod I can download for that Slinks. That would be the answer.

[lilw4t3rdr0p]

You guys are so cute! 

[Jim]

Can't we have one of those text in images things you have to type in to stop automated sign-ups. I know the things are damn annoying, but they do work.

They're called CAPTCHAs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha
Good idea.

Regarding whether the spammers make money spamming sites like this, sadly the answer is yes, they do.  Some idiots go for that kind of thing.  If someone sends 10million spam emails, even if 0.0001% of the people (1 in a million) answer it and pay money, then it's probably cost effective.  I'm pretty sure at least 0.0001% of the people *I* know are fuckwits.

Jim

[benny!]

would be interesting to know some exact numbers ... but I guess the fact that every board I
know gets attacked by spammers proofs your statement that it is cost effective ...

Damn ... hope sw's tactics make them stay away 

[slinks]

50% of the people I know are fuckwits, and that's being generous

[taj]

We eat hammers and jammers and spammers a lot.
We are the knights of Cammers-a-lot.

[Shockwave]

  Wanna buy some pills?
I have half a box of Pro Plus going cheap...

[Blitz Amateur]

lol!

[nawitus]

Can't we have one of those text in images things you have to type in to stop automated sign-ups. I know the things are damn annoying, but they do work.

They're called CAPTCHAs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha
Good idea.

Regarding whether the spammers make money spamming sites like this, sadly the answer is yes, they do.  Some idiots go for that kind of thing.  If someone sends 10million spam emails, even if 0.0001% of the people (1 in a million) answer it and pay money, then it's probably cost effective.  I'm pretty sure at least 0.0001% of the people *I* know are fuckwits.

Jim

They are too annoying. Atleast require them only when you are posting a link.

[Stonemonkey]

There's something i've seen on another forum, members can only post links once they've reached a certain post count. Is something like that possible?

[combatking0]

I don't suppose players influenced by Pac-Man answer these pill adverts?

[Shockwave]

I don't think that this software allows us to block links unfortunately stonemonkey.
These spammers are definately automated sign ups. The email validation seems to have done the trick for now (touch wood).