New Spam Protection: A Sad Day For Guests

[forumadmin]

Greetings,

Late this afternoon we will launch an update to our software that will disallow Guest posts containing links. This is a short term fix to stop the spammers.

Long term, we will be adding in an additional image protection for guests posting links. This will let legit guests post links but not spammers.

This policy increases the chances that guests who have OSA and are not too familiar with online boards give up before posting and are unable to get the help they seek. That really bothers me.

I am fully aware that there are tools available that can prevent a majority of spam in one fell swoop. Although it has been implied otherwise, I'm not rejecting this approach due to the messenger but instead due to the content of the idea. The spammers will not succeed in restricting the freedoms of this board nor its ease of use.

We're not dealing with terrorists here. When one gets through, people don't die - its just annoying. Therefore, I will continue to ratchet up spam defenses one step at a time instead of "dropping the bomb" or "building the wall" and making cpaptalk harder to join and use.

Civil suggestions welcome. Mean spirited stuff most unwelcome.

Johnny

[frapilu]

Thank you so much Johnny for everything you're trying. Thanks for such a wonderful, informative place.

France

[cpapjack]

Thank you so much Johnny for everything you're trying. Thanks for such a wonderful, informative place.

France

I second that. I'm very thankful to all of the wonderful people here that have helped me out.

[tomjax]

Excellent approach and I hope it works fine.

The only suggestion I have is an offer of help for those guests who are computer challenged.

Perhaps an auto rpply offering simple instructions and giving assurances that their privacy is assured by using a screen name and a way to hide their e-mail.

I would also hope there is the additional banning of those who try to bypass the safeguards.
Maybe an occasional battle report on the progress.

Let us move on.

Tom

[haynow2b]

I'll third that! I too am very glad I fell upon this site. There is nowhere to get good info about OSA, not my pulmanary specialist, not my DME folks & not my family doc. I have learned about 90% of what I know about OSA from here & I'm glad it is here. Thanks to all!!!

[wolftracker]

there are some of us who know how hard it is for you to
do the balancing act for freedom and spam

thanks for all you are doing for us

wolf

[NightHawkeye]

Thank you, Johnny.

Regards,
Bill

[tlc95066]

Thank you Johnny. I understand that this was a difficult decision for you and your wonderful staff.

Best,
Teri

[cflame1]

Thanks Johnny... and the "admins" for all your help with this

[Snoredog]

there IS a reason other sites like this don't allow Guest posting.

check your delete bucket, in it you should find all the traces I did identifying the main spammer except some member here thought my traces where spam and deleted the traces.

Most of the spam is coming from alias domains xxxx.info domains, but they were all traced back to new york and shown being owned by the same individual (Charles Bradley or something similar) by internic.

[Wulfman]

check your delete bucket, in it you should find all the traces I did identifying the main spammer except some member here thought my traces where spam and deleted the traces.

Most of the spam is coming from alias domains xxxx.info domains, but they were all traced back to new york and shown being owned by the same individual (Charles Bradley or something similar) by internic.

I didn't delete your traces, but I did try looking up the name and addresses from those traces you did and they all came up "bogus" (non-existent).

Den

[Mikesus]

Its unfortunate that spammers force us to do this, but the alternatives are more restrictive. This effort should take care of about 90% of your spam (if your site is getting the same spammers that we are) I would also suggest changing the variable that agrees to the coppa. This does not make it more difficult for people to register, but it does break the spammers scripts. That goes a long way to stopping the spam registrations and getting around the no links for guests.

And its not really a sad day for guests, its a sad day for spammers!

[birdshell]

Greetings,

Late this afternoon we will launch an update to our software that will disallow Guest posts containing links. This is a short term fix to stop the spammers.

Long term, we will be adding in an additional image protection for guests posting links. This will let legit guests post links but not spammers.

This policy increases the chances that guests who have OSA and are not too familiar with online boards give up before posting and are unable to get the help they seek. That really bothers me.

I am fully aware that there are tools available that can prevent a majority of spam in one fell swoop. Although it has been implied otherwise, I'm not rejecting this approach due to the messenger but instead due to the content of the idea. The spammers will not succeed in restricting the freedoms of this board nor its ease of use.

We're not dealing with terrorists here. When one gets through, people don't die - its just annoying. Therefore, I will continue to ratchet up spam defenses one step at a time instead of "dropping the bomb" or "building the wall" and making cpaptalk harder to join and use.

Civil suggestions welcome. Mean spirited stuff most unwelcome.

Johnny

This seems to be a very well-considered decision. Spammers are annoying, and it is reassuring to remember that if this is the worst thing that ever happens to us--we are some VERY LUCKY HOSEHEADS!

An automatic response to guests welcoming them and giving them hints sounds good. It may be annoying to anyone who posts regularly as a guest, but would encourage the guest to register. It will still allow some of our posters (such as RT's working for DME providers) to preserve their anonymity. Most guests should not need to post links anyway.

It takes a lot of work to keep on top of a forum. Thank you for all you do. The cpaptalk forum has been so very helpful to me that I do not know if the CPAP would still be turned on every night without all of the information shared here. It is my sincere wish to be able to help others in the same way, so anything that keeps the forum going well is OK by me.

[Sleepless on LI]

And its not really a sad day for guests, its a sad day for spammers!

Good point.

I also think Tomjax's suggestion, "The only suggestion I have is an offer of help for those guests who are computer challenged. Perhaps an auto rpply offering simple instructions and giving assurances that their privacy is assured by using a screen name and a way to hide their e-mail," is a very good one. Hopefully the newcomer guests will figure it out and you don't lose too many in the effort to maintain this site's well-earned reputation as being the best.

Best of luck. Hope this helps with the spam problem. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes and the one being forced to implement all these strategies. Doesn't seem like too enjoyable a position to be in. But thank you for all you do.

[wahooker]

Perhaps you could just require a prescription and a permission slip from everyone's DME before each person makes a post.