Spammers

[Lady Seahawke]

Ok, I click online this morn and about half of the new posts were spammers. I could tell just from the topic and description...

I didn't click onto any of it...With some spammers when you click onto it multiplies on its own...and/or takes your AP address and sends the crap to your homecomputer.

Therefore, might I suggest that when we see from topic description what looks to be spam that NO ONE click onto it! If there is no reaction to it, they have no reason to continue.

Just my two cents worth.

[Mission]

Hopefully, people have learned not to click on links that look even remotely suspicious, especially if there are several of them and they are from brand new users.

However, it is my understanding that, for the most part, they cannot send stuff to your home computer based on your IP address. From http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/:

"ISPs [internet Service Providers - whoever supplies your internet service] now issue IP addresses in a dynamic fashion out of a pool of IP addresses (Using DHCP). These are referred to as dynamic IP addresses. "

Most likely your ISP is changing your address dynamically each time you log on. So the spammers can't send you anything.

There are other things that protect your computer from this as well. From http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html:

"Every computer on the Internet has an IP address associated with it that uniquely identifies it. However, that address may change over time, especially if the computer is

* dialing into an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

* connected behind a network firewall

* connected to a broadband service using dynamic IP addressing."

So between your ISP and your firewall software, you're pretty much safe from spammers. (You DO have firewall software, don't you? If you don't I highly, highly, highly recommend getting some. It often comes free with newer computers. A lot of ISP even provide free Firewall software on their site for download.)

So, at the end of it all, spammers are just basically annoying. I know the mods are working dilligently to remove it when we catch it, but we're just regular users like you and only log onto the site so often.

[Rumba Rue]

I've gotten a few in my forums, but I'm onto them pretty quick and remove them.

I can't figure out is why they seem to congregate in A Way to A Pyrate's Heart.

[Red Cat Jenny]

They are probably assuming due to the nature of some posts there, that their stuff would seem of interest. However, I still think this isn't auto spam because they are choosing an icon.

[The Time Keeper]

From what I understand from working with the Web, is that spammers and search engines send out webcrawlers. These crawlers look for specific words. So if a spammer wants to sell a certain thing, they would put all the words used to describe the item like the symptom or situation and the use for it. When they get enough "pings" on a site, then they choose it. So with Pyracy having so many posts, just by sheer chatting we use many of the words they look for. Not in the correct sentences though!

That's how I understand it to work. Any other ideas? I'm always open to learn more!

[Caraccioli]

Jenny and The Time Keeper basically have it right from what I've read.

I was just looking in Way to a Pyrate's Heart (first time in about 6 months, I'd say) and most of that crap is just that: crap. I don't understand why someone would go to all the trouble to register new IDs and post some of that stuff because it isn't relevant to anything and it isn't spam. It's just...noise.

Looking at the user names, the posts and the timing, however, most of it appears to be from the same user to me. It's part trolling and part spamming. Weird.

[HarleyQuinn]

They pop up all the time in another forum where I'm a moderator... don't know why they bother, they're trying to sell cigarettes, cheap drugs, and porn to a bunch of teenage conspiracists.

[The Doctor]

... or Lobster Thermidor á Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

[Capt. Sterling]

Ack Food again!

[Salty]

aye lads an lasses never liked spam in a can and not keen on it online, any know if standard protection will defend gainst said nonsenses?