SPAM IS NOW OUT OF CONTROL - I have a solution but need help implementing.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

I disagree. The point of using bots is automation.

You set the bot to run and you go one about your day. Whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours is of no real concern to the person spamming links across forums.

Yes it will take longer when the bots start adapting, but they will because there is still much money to be made with spamming links.

While the time-lock method is a good method it is still going to be better to have some sort of captcha type challenge easy for humans but impossible for bots, long term, IMO.

That said no reason not to install the bot-time-check for now.

- My 2 cents.

And of which, slower bots mean less money, long term.

The time test is just another arrow in the quiver.

I have no doubt that as the time based test becomes more popular, botnet admins and botnet software designers will try to do a workaround. Problem is, they won't be all that aware of all the variables involved. Your individual setting, variable page load times - they would almost have to program in a 60 second delay in their bots. Multiply that times let's say, 10,000 bots in a botnet and that is ALOT of lost minutes.

[doogie88]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

I disagree. The point of using bots is automation.

It's speed and automation. If they have to wait 15 seconds per account, that's 4 per minute, 240 per hour. That sounds like a lot, but these guys are trying to reach thousands of forums. So it does slow it down a bit. Not enough to stop them though. They can probably just run more instances.

I am still getting spam this morning and have timer set to 18 seconds.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by doogie88

It's speed and automation. If they have to wait 15 seconds per account, that's 4 per minute, 240 per hour. That sounds like a lot, but these guys are trying to reach thousands of forums. So it does slow it down a bit. Not enough to stop them though. They can probably just run more instances.

I am still getting spam this morning and have timer set to 18 seconds.

Human spammers are going to pass the time test. This is why you still need other tests.

There's not alot that can be done about humans spamming.

--------------- Added [DATE]1353515210[/DATE] at [TIME]1353515210[/TIME] ---------------

For those getting spam hammered have you tried blocking known spam user agents?

This Mod by Simon Lloyd is handy for that, can cut spam both automated and human, drastically. Chiefly, put early versions of MSIE into the list... versions 2-6 especially. You'll be surprised how much it helps.

The thread contains lists of blocked user agents myself and others provided.

Yet another arrow in the quiver too...

[ScottishScoobie]

This is not spam lol.

why not use a free account at CloudFlare.

my host pointed me to them, i can see counties, IP's and its linked to a few sites where you can click on their information and it shows you what sites they have been spamming and what it is they are dropping on there.

im down to approximately 2 per day from a few hundred when i first migrated to the site.

have not implemented anything other than question/answer and CloudFlare.

that to me tells me that the 2 - 3 that get through are actually human.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by ScottishScoobie

This is not spam lol.

why not use a free account at CloudFlare.

my host pointed me to them, i can see counties, IP's and its linked to a few sites where you can click on their information and it shows you what sites they have been spamming and what it is they are dropping on there.

im down to approximately 2 per day from a few hundred when i first migrated to the site.

have not implemented anything other than question/answer and CloudFlare.

that to me tells me that the 2 - 3 that get through are actually human.

I used CF for about a year. Downtime was a recurring issue with it, so I discarded it. It made no difference at all for spam on my site, due to the tests I already had. It also didn't really help my speed much, wasn't doing anything, really.

What will stun you is, when you install the time based test we're talking about, just how many autospam bots that it will catch and report, even though you're on CF.

Be amazed.

[BirdOPrey5]

Originally Posted by doogie88

It's speed and automation. If they have to wait 15 seconds per account, that's 4 per minute, 240 per hour. That sounds like a lot, but these guys are trying to reach thousands of forums. So it does slow it down a bit. Not enough to stop them though. They can probably just run more instances.

I am still getting spam this morning and have timer set to 18 seconds.

You're assuming the software waits for one forum to finish before moving on to another. There is no logical reason they couldn't hit 100 forums at once and even if they wait 30 seconds, that is 100 forums * 2 a minute * 60 minutes = 1200 an hour. Slowing down the time it takes to register is a trivial change that will have a negligible impact in the long run.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

You're assuming the software waits for one forum to finish before moving on to another. There is no logical reason they couldn't hit 100 forums at once and even if they wait 30 seconds, that is 100 forums * 2 a minute * 60 minutes = 1200 an hour. Slowing down the time it takes to register is a trivial change that will have a negligible impact in the long run.

This is all assuming they will track their failures and take the time to determine the source of the failure. Figuring out it's time based is the first challenge. Then figuring out what delay to set is the other. Variables there include page load time, and the setting of the timeout for each individual site. They would almost have to program a 60 second delay between the time the registration form loads, and clicking "submit," to bypass all those variables.

• They don't know your time setting and..
• They don't and can't know what kind of pageload times they're going to see.

I have no doubt that as the time based test becomes more popular, botnet admins and botnet software designers will try to do a workaround. Problem is, they won't be all that aware of all the variables involved. Your individual setting, variable page load times - they would almost have to program in a 60 second delay in their bots. Multiply that times let's say, 10,000 bots in a botnet and that is ALOT of lost minutes. And time IS money for these creeps.

[BirdOPrey5]

What "All variables" though? As you just said a 60 second delay would completely defeat the time checks, every time.

So they program a 60 second delay- It still doesn't stop anything in the long run because you are attacking forums in parallel, not in series.

Really the only way this mod is a long term solution is if it doesn't become popular.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

What "All variables" though? As you just said a 60 second delay would completely defeat the time checks, every time.

So they program a 60 second delay- It still doesn't stop anything in the long run because you are attacking forums in parallel, not in series.

Really the only way this mod is a long term solution is if it doesn't become popular.

Let's find out!

It's still a 60 second delay each time, for each board - whether they have the time check or not.

This mod isn't any be all end all, it's just yet another arrow in the quiver. Just another hoop for them to have to jump through. Time will tell if it gets defeated.