How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

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Pugsy
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How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:21 pm

With the recent spam bot attack it has become apparent that some are unfamiliar with how to use the forum editor in the new forum software.

So if you already are comfortable using it...don't bother reading this post.

The big orange spam button is no longer being used. Instead you now have the "report" button which is the exclamation point ! on the forum editor.
If you see spam you click on the explanation point icon/button on the forum editor.
This button...circled in red.
Image

You will be asked for a reason for reporting the post...and ask you to confirm and then when you do the post will turn pink...gets flagged/reported and is still visible for everyone to see. It no longer disappears from view like it used to do. Contrary to what some people thought about that old spam button ...it didn't delete anything but instead just hid it from overt view.
We knew who did the reporting...it was easy to see. Same thing now..if you report something we will know who did it and if you abuse the system then you run the risk of losing privileges.

When a post gets flagged...I get a notification that so and post was flagged/reported and a link to the post and then I see who did the flagging/reporting and the reason they gave and I read it and then decide what to do about it.

In the past we have had people who spam reported their own posts...lots of people did it...not a big deal...I did it quite often simply because I wanted my post gone out of a thread for any number of reasons. It was easy to see when someone did it...because a report was generated saying so and so reported this post written by so and so. They were never deleted but instead in a holding tank of sorts...I just recently cleaned out that holding tank and I saw many posts where Pugsy reported so and so post written by Pugsy.
It was obvious I wanted it gone because I had changed my mind in terms of participating in that thread for any number of reasons.
Usually because someone pissed me off...hey...it happens but instead of my spam removing their posts that pissed me off I just removed my own posts. It's okay to want your posts deleted or gone from a thread if you change your mind about participating in a thread...for whatever reason.

With the old forum editor we really couldn't go back and easily delete old posts of our own or sometimes even edit those posts where we changed our minds.

Now we can...There is the pencil...which is the edit button. Click on it and you can edit your post. You can only edit your post though...you can't edit anyone else's post.

Image

I am unsure how long the Delete button will remain available to you guys...used to be it went away once someone else posted after you in a thread.

Could someone please check an old post of theirs and see if they still have the X button which is the delete button available and their post isn't the last one in the thread?

X button in the editor...delete...you will only see it on your posts.
Image

When to use the Report ! button...obvious spam of course. If we have another attack like we did this morning...don't worry about flagging all the crap...it will be easily seen and taken care of. You will get carpal tunnel and for no good reason.
Until recently we had only had maybe a half dozen real spams...one was a link to how to take SAT tests. :lol:

I can immediately block those user ID accounts from posting spam links or posting period. That's what I did this morning. I blocked the accounts before I started trying to clean up the old spam. I stopped the new posts and then started the mnual removal one by one since that is the only thing I can do once the spam gets posted. I don't have the powers to do entire blocks of spam removal like what was needed this morning. That takes someone with more powers than me and we got it done fairly quickly. It would have taken me all day to manually delete the 7500 something spam posts...but I would have eventually got it done. Bendauphinee got it done much faster. Thank goodness.

Just because someone is being a jerk or pissing you off doesn't mean you get to try to remove their post...remember it won't get hidden anymore...the only thing that will happen is it will turn pink and I get to go read it and decide if someone is being bad enough to get their post removed and trust me...being a jerk isn't reason enough or just pissing off one person because they happen to disagree with you about something.
Remember I can see who is doing the reporting...so you can't do it anonymously and say "I didn't do that" :lol:
There's lots that gets said on this forum that I don't personally agree with...and it's happened for years but I never spam reported anything that wasn't either real spam or had so many nasty bad words that it turned my stomach and I have a potty mouth and it takes a lot to turn my stomach. Now matter how much I wanted to remove what someone said for whatever reason...I didn't do it.
You all can't do it either just because they piss you off. I understand you want to...but you can't do it.

Yes...discussions can get "heated" or down right ugly...if that happens and it derails a helping thread that will be dealt with on a case by case basis. OT threads...Johnny has made it clear that those threads have fewer limitations and you enter and participate at your own risk.

So...become familiar with the new tools you have.
If you want a post of yours removed and you can't edit it to your satisfaction (the old .delete thing is fine to do) and you can't manually delete it...send me a note with a link to the post you want removed and a copy of it so it is clear what you want removed and I will manually remove it for you but please...try to deal with it yourself first. You have the tools available.

Sometimes we have spammers do test posts...something not overtly spam but just smells fishy...I think we all have seen those sorts of posts and then they come back and sneak spam in their posts or start making new posts with obvious spam in either their posts or their signature lines...if it smells fishy but you just can't quite decide...go ahead and report it with a note "smells like fishy spam" or whatever and I will watch it and watch that person's subsequent posts and if it changes to real spam...they will be dealt with swiftly.

Any questions about the new forum editor buttons/tools?

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RogerSC
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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by RogerSC » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:26 pm

My old posts don't have the "delete" button anymore...assume that it's the usual thing about once someone has posted after you, the delete button on your post disappears.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by prodigyplace » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:27 pm

Is it possible to get more spacing between the buttons, especially for touch screens?
Most postings only have 2 buttons close together and it is easy to hit the Report button when you only want to quote the post.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:28 pm

RogerSC wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:26 pm
My old posts don't have the "delete" button anymore...assume that it's the usual thing about once someone has posted after you, the delete button on your post disappears.
Okay, thanks...I was wondering if that changed or not.
Of course I have the X on everyone's post so I couldn't judge.

Looks like our Asian spammer is back...just zapped one of his posts and blocked the account.

I suspect I will be busy tonight. :lol:

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:30 pm

prodigyplace wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:27 pm
Is it possible to get more spacing between the buttons, especially for touch screens?
Most postings only have 2 buttons close together and it is easy to hit the Report button when you only want to quote the post.
Sorry...I have no input on that side of things.
Send a PM to bendauphinee and ask.

Mainly my powers are to edit, delete and block.

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RogerSC
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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by RogerSC » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:36 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:28 pm

Looks like our Asian spammer is back...just zapped one of his posts and blocked the account.

I suspect I will be busy tonight. :lol:
Sorry to hear that, we all have better things to do...

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by mesenteria » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:40 pm

I feel for you, Pugsy. I had to do this kind of 'pressure washing' fairly often when I became a moderator on a hobby magazine forum a decade ago. A particularly virulent and foul-mouthed troll would take up his 'cause' on Friday evenings when he knew the magazine staff were not present and he ran me and one other moderator hard for about four hours. He'd be back Saturday night. He was computer savvy and could find ways to re-register without giving away his tell-tale IP address.

Anyway, hang in there.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:44 pm

Yeah...using the IP address banning thing is pretty much useless now with all the proxy server things being out there.
This particular Asian spammer has used a totally different IP with every new account created.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:55 pm

Makes you wonder if/how/by whom it gets monetized.
Not the sort of effort a sane person would exert for free.
Thank you for your labor.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by jnk... » Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:34 am

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:21 pm
if you report something we will know who did it and if you abuse the system then you run the risk of losing privileges.
Warning: The following reveals my bad attitude . . .

Back when hitting the report button hid the spam from the view of others immediately, I was motivated to use that privilege when I saw spam, in order to help keep the board clean for others. Now that reporting doesn't immediately hide the spam, I frankly have absolutely zero motivation to participate in reporting anything ever. So feel free to take the button away, as far as I'm concerned, because I'll never use it. I mean, it used to be that there was a community effort that involved an accompanying privilege of being allowed to be a part of keeping the spam hid. Now that there doesn't seem to be any significant privilege offered, what privilege is there to lose by hitting a button that merely draws attention to a post, abusive or spam? What 'abusing of the system' is even possible now? There is no system. Keep your button. You can't "take away" a privilege that isn't available.

Hey, just me.
Last edited by jnk... on Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:47 am

jnk... wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:34 am
Warning: The following reveals my bad attitude . . .
Sorry you feel that way but I respect your right to feel that way.

Flagging spam helps me do my job faster and more thoroughly.
I just now got done removing 2 spams from one new poster. It was for a dermatology clinic.
One was flagged but one wasn't. I had to go hunting to find the second one. Doesn't take an enormously long time but it does take time to go hunting.
When I have to spend that time searching it means I can't spend that time helping.
I would rather be in helping mode than spam patrol mode. :lol:

So those individual sneaky spams like that aren't as easy to spot as the Asian attacks. I can easily see the Asian stuff just from the topic name.
The others aren't so easily spotted and take time because I have to read all posts and sometimes I just can't read all posts especially if the spammer resurrects and old thread.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by jnk... » Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:50 am

You asked for questions, so I figured I'd be honest with my reaction to the explanation.

I appreciate what you do and how well you do it.
-Jeff (AS10/P30i)

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by USMCVet » Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:29 am

Pugsy wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:47 am
jnk... wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:34 am
Warning: The following reveals my bad attitude . . .
Sorry you feel that way but I respect your right to feel that way.

Flagging spam helps me do my job faster and more thoroughly.
I just now got done removing 2 spams from one new poster. It was for a dermatology clinic.
One was flagged but one wasn't. I had to go hunting to find the second one. Doesn't take an enormously long time but it does take time to go hunting.
When I have to spend that time searching it means I can't spend that time helping.
I would rather be in helping mode than spam patrol mode. :lol:

So those individual sneaky spams like that aren't as easy to spot as the Asian attacks. I can easily see the Asian stuff just from the topic name.
The others aren't so easily spotted and take time because I have to read all posts and sometimes I just can't read all posts especially if the spammer resurrects and old thread.
If this helps you can click on members profile and see every post the have specifically made.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Pugsy » Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:51 am

USMCVet wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:29 am
If this helps you can click on members profile and see every post the have specifically made.
Yes, I know this. It is what I do when I go hunting. Sometimes the new member posts rather benign posts as test posts with no obvious spam. Then after a few test posts they decide no one is watching and then they start inserting the spam...sometimes in old posts using the edit feature and sometimes they just add the spam links in their signature lines thinking people won't look at the signature lines.
I look at everything...so it all takes a bit a time. It's not a huge amount of time but it does take a bit of time.

When someone flags spam...it makes my job just a little easier to do. I can quickly get to it and then check for other posts by the offender and block them from doing it again and remove the offending post. I go to the pink stuff first.

This is really about the non Asian crap...the Asian stuff is so blatant that it will get seen quickly by anyone and there's no real benefit in terms of efficiency on my side if a person flags the blocks of Asian crap.

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Re: How to use the forum editor/report spam, etc

Post by Lucyhere » Thu Mar 08, 2018 1:24 pm

jnk... wrote:
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:34 am
Pugsy wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:21 pm
if you report something we will know who did it and if you abuse the system then you run the risk of losing privileges.

Back when hitting the report button hid the spam from the view of others immediately, I was motivated to use that privilege when I saw spam, in order to help keep the board clean for others. Now that reporting doesn't immediately hide the spam, I frankly have absolutely zero motivation to participate in reporting anything ever. So feel free to take the button away, as far as I'm concerned, because I'll never use it. I mean, it used to be that there was a community effort that involved an accompanying privilege of being allowed to be a part of keeping the spam hid. Now that there doesn't seem to be any significant privilege offered, what privilege is there to lose by hitting a button that merely draws attention to a post, abusive or spam? What 'abusing of the system' is even possible now? There is no system. Keep your button. You can't "take away" a privilege that isn't available.


+1 -- was thinking the same thing. Big however though... I understand Pugsy's point too -- so whatcha gonna do.

Hey Jeff... less wear and tear on the finger. :wink:
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