UESP Forums

Na, I don't think that is a spambot. They have several posts in relevant sections so...

The user-name just opens up windows mail for me, If you don't have that installed it will most likely send you to the company address instead. For example @hotmail or @yahoo would send you to the hotmail website and yahoo website.

Weird user-name...quite unique though. Didn't know that was even possible...

I agree with Arch-Mage Matt, who makes an excellent point. It's my policy to delete any obvious spam URL's (whether live links or not) in their profiles because I assume their objective WAS to leave a tempting ad URL on this site. That's why they have zero posts, because they never intended to post, only drop an ad URL. If it's there, kids who don't know any better might be tempted by it, and it might lead to something unsuitable for them. How many kids get started on an uncontrollable habit (e.g. on-line casino gambling, ending up using a parents credit card) because of a URL they've followed from a supposedly innocent site like ours? If there's no URL, there's no temptation, is there? No blame can be attached to us if we keep the uncaring spambots/spammers (AND their ads) at bay.

In the case of the member who's used an Email address as his member name, he's not very well clued up about Internet security. He's used what looks to be his REAL Email address, which is not a good move because it advertises it in public for spammers to harvest. Next thing he knows, his Inbox will be full of spam 24/7! It more or less matches his @yahoo Email address he's used to register from, only that's his real name (which isn't a good move either). He should be using the @yahoo Email address as an alias and keeping his REAL Email address secret, like I do with h8ball.

I've sent him an Email suggesting I change his member name to something less obvious and more secure. In the meantime, to protect him from spam, I've changed his member name to something less obvious and informed him that it has no effect on his ability to log in because his real username is his @yahoo Email address. The member name is just what appears on your posts.

Thread cleaned of the mess.

http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=62902

Curious Website Link for a Gaming Forum in Profile.

I have dealt with this creature.

@Dark Lord

By all means ban the spambots and spammers (by Username AND Email), but you should also ALWAYS make sure to clean their Profile and Signature of ALL website links (whether clickable URL's or not), advert-related info AND any instant messenger contacts (MSN, Yahoo, etc). If not, you haven't defeated their purpose of joining in the first place. They don't care whether they're banned, as long as they succeed in polluting our site with their advertising-related material AND contact info. And some of it is entirely unsuitable for children!

Personally, I always set the Status field in their Profile to read, SPAMBOT, BANNED. That way, we can see which ones we've banhammered. Neither the Member List nor Profile shows the banned status of a member, so I add it manually! Don't delete their account either. Leaving it existing but banned by Username/Email prevents them ever using the same Username or Email again. They make our lives difficult, so we return the favour.

If you identify similar spambots who keep returning from the same IP, you can ban BY IP as well. It's usually a fixed Company IP, typically that of the Web Proxy Server their entire Company uses for shared access to the Internet. Once you block the Proxy Server, NO-ONE in that Company has ANY access to the UESP Forums, so they can't join and bother us!

Kill it with fire!
(Yes, I notice the irony with the post above it. That's why I'm taking the trouble to point it out).

Can spybots do stuuf like
"what up people goos to be here hope to get to know you all"?

Yes, if thats how they're programmed.

Spambots can, yes. What I have seen them do is find another post on the forum and post a copy of it.. so technically what they post was written by a human.

Spybots would just be info collectors, they don't interact.

Questionable Website Link: http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=63002

(may be legit, as I don't understand the language it is in)

Advertising for outdoor lighting (thank goodness Afrikaans is so close to Dutch ). Thanks Jeff.

A nutter one (website link = Car Cleaning Guru): http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=62985

A turd one (website link = Home Improvement): http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=62906 check sig as well.

A forth one (website link = cell phones): http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=62860 check sig as well.

Got em all.

Good catching Jeff.

Yeah. Great catches there, Jeff. Been trawling the member list, have we? Casting the net over the the recent joiners? That's what I do, and I've banned nearly 100 of them now. Actually, most of them were dormant bots with zero posts missed by the old team (presumably because they hadn't posted), and I lost count after about 80. It's tedious work, but it makes the forums a safer place for our members.

Ever thought that they might just be normal members who happen to work for those businesses. Sorry to question your "supreme mod authority", but seeing as you're patrolling the member list that nobody patrols unless they're actively searching for these links, and seeig as these members rarely post anyway, keeping their profile out of sight, then I seriously think you're just wasting your time.

Sorry to stray off topic, but I really don't see the point.

Their profile contains blatant commercial advertising (typically the website link), which clearly violates the forum rules they obviously haven't read and/or don't care about. Plus, they have zero posts despite joining some time ago, in most of the cases I dealt with, MONTHS ago, so they're not active members. It's safe to assume after all this time that they never intended to be active and ONLY joined to leave the website link.

They're leaving links to ES-unrelated commercial sites advertising "insurance", "real estate", "nail fungus cures" or "nannycam" products, or worse, links to completely inappropriate sites for younger members. They well deserve the banhammer IMO. Many of them keep on rejoining just to spam our site with their unwanted rubbish, so it's a continual war we're fighting with no quarter given.

If it's a new member who's active and posting, we'll edit their profile to remove advertising content and friendly warn them. Members who join with the intention to post usually start posting almost immediately. Spammers typically never intend to post. As such, we typically wait a week or so to see if a new member becomes active, then assume it's a spammer and give 'em banhammer. Hey, I'm a poet and I don't knoet!

I agree that there may be occasional innocent casualties of the war, but they can always rejoin with a different free Email and username. The spammers do that in any case! That's why we're fighting the constant war against them. Some of them are regulars. If we recognise the company, we don't even wait a week. We just ban them immediately.

Sincerest apologies if we've banned anyone new who's joined then not had time to post. I hope you understand that we're working to safeguard our community, and our policies are reasonable. Read the forum rules before you join (the forums are public, so even non-members can read them). And if you're banned for blatant advertising, you clearly didn't read the rules and it's your own fault, when all's said and done. Nuff said.

The thing about those bots is that unless they actually post, you'd have to actively look for them to find them.

Also, I think that the personal website field should be locked out from new members just like posting an avatar is. Once the person is a confirmed user, then they can put a website in that field.

Hmmm. I'll ask Ratwar if that's possible. I'm not sure if it is, but I'll ask him.

The usual Suspects: http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=63049

Website Link, and Signature:

Done and dusted.

I asked Ratwar, and he says that it would be more difficult to implement than the advantage it would give.

Or he's just lazy.

Literally, all it would have to do it get the post count and decide whether or not to have the website box enabled or disabled. If the website worked off of C++ code, I could do it.

Spiney, I don't need to remind you of the rules. You know them very well. Please don't disobey them.

Nutter ones: http://forums.uesp.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=63079

Website Link is for a Skin Care Site.