With the spambots continuing their assault as of late, I have begun to be more stringent on my IP banning. I have started banning entire blocks of IPs that are found to be home to most spambots. However, some of these large block bans may also encompass some of you!

I have made every attempt to ensure that the IP bans will not adversely affect anyone, but the latest ban could possibly impact a couple members. Although their usage of this specific IP range was infinitesimal (only once out of ~100 IPs they've used), it is possible that some of you have been hit by it.

As such, if you find you are banned in the future, please email me at massassi@sorrowind.net so that I can investigate. Make sure to include your username so I know who you are. Thank you.

Addendum: TOR is now banned. Anyone using TOR will be permanently banned, no exceptions.

*applause*

Presumably people who are banned have read access to the forums so they can see this message?

No, which is why I am announcing it now beforehand. IP Bans do not allow you to even view the forum (unlike username bans). The two affected members last IPs were not in the banned range so they should be able to view it as well.

Sweet! Those bots were getting tedious.
Just hope the few that might get caught in the crossfire reads it in time, or at least pops into irc going "Why am I banned?" if it happens.

Win. Cheers Matty.

Hey spambots i'll donate my IP and username for a thousand dollars.
in gold.

Yay! Porn spam in the ISB! I've reported it.

Well, that was a bust.

I know you've been against jk-related questions on registration in the past, but is this really a better option?

In all probability, the only person to sign up in the past 5 years who wouldn't have been able to answer them would be Baconfish.

The main problem with JK related questions is this isn't really a JK site, and hasn't been for a long long time.
Hell it wasn't considered a JK site when -I- signed up, otherwise I probably wouldn't have =p (nothing against JK, I'm just not that into it)

Hey Tibby: shut up.

I didn't say it'd instantly stop the spam.

XD

It's the same one too!

Haha that's brilliant! Can you leave that one for ironies sake? ;D

Sure, as long as you don't mind those images putting cookies on your machine or logging your IP address.

I'll remove the links though.

Almost deleted it, then I read the subsequent posts... it's become a subconscious routine now, I don't even need to think about it.

Well I did delete it. I don't care, spam posts do not stay. Also, it would be supremely helpful if you guys WOULDN'T REPLY to them!

I've been here for more than 5 years.

Aww, you spoilsport CM

Oh, and I skipped over the bit where GHorg said 5 years. I've been here 7 years and I would bomb on a JK quiz.

One of you JKnerds (I can say the n word cuz I am one) should make a quiz about it so we can see how massassians do.

Make it multiple choice and easy **** like:
Which weapon is in which number slot
Release dates
Which dark jedi is fought in which level

I don't know either of those.

But you could very easily google it.

Basic things, "what colour is kyle's shirt".

I don't know that.

So could anyone registering. You do realize that it isn't machines registering, right?

it was coral right? with a purple shoulder pad?

which game? In JK it was white...ish in JO/JA it was brown.

Yeah, so far I wouldn't know any of the answers >_>

In the time it takes them to google it, they could just sign up at an easier site.
It's impossible to make an impenetrable fortress here, but it is possible to make it so that they would just try an easier site instead.

You're talking like it would take hours every time. Not to mention, once they have the answers, the security is defeated. The only, ONLY purpose of that system is to stop COMPUTER-BASED registrations. It cannot, will not, and was not designed to stop registrations by people.

Tibby, I hate to pull this card, but I know way more about security here than you do. Get over it.

If you know so much about security how come we are stilling getting spam?

Because I'm not willing to block legitimate registrations in exchange for stopping such small amount of spam?


GMail has spam registrations. If Google knows so much about security, why do they still get spam registrations?

I hope you're already aware of how a silly question that is

I'm pretty sure that's what this



meant.

I hope so

I'm not holding my breath.

Well, that was a bust.


But seriously, I'm leaning towards thinking you should just close registrations altogether, and turn the registration page into instructions on sending you (CoolMatty) a request to join the forums (or a request form that gets sent to you) for anyone who is desperate enough about joining. I used to think something like that would cause too much hassle which would prevent valid registrations, but honestly, we get so little activity from anyone that joins and is not a spambot that if someone went through that kind of process, that would probably mean they want to take advantage of being a registered member by actually participating in threads.

edit: to expand on this, as far as passwords, just generate a random one and tell them to change it. The biggest possible downside that I see to you overseeing registrations like this is if it causes you too much extra work. I just assume it would be less than managing the spam.

There's already a system for that, I'm not going to do it, and there are more registrations than you know of (~6 a day).

Seriously guys, I'm not going to lock down registration just because of some spam. The IP bans are, and will continue to be effective, as I continue to add more to the list. I just added another two large blocks.

I knew from the "welcome to our newest member" thing at the forum index that people do register, but it seems 99% of those people don't do anything that they couldn't do without having registered. For instance, unlike some forums, you haven't blocked unregistered users from accessing any content posted by the registered members. In the very odd case that someone wants to actually start posting (like Estelore...who promptly stopped, however) they'll probably have the motivation to register through you...but if this IP ban thing is going to work (which I have no doubt it will now that you say that) then all is well.