# Spam



## Dark Mirror Hole (Feb 19, 2013)

Recently, we've been getting some spambots (particularly in the Lolcow forum). What should be done?


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## Niachu (Feb 19, 2013)

To anyone who sees them, report the user and don't respond to the thread or quote any links they post.


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## Surtur (Feb 19, 2013)

Niachu said:
			
		

> To anyone who sees them, report the user and don't respond to the thread or quote any links they post.


This. Null is working on trying to get this taken care of.


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## José Mourinho (Feb 19, 2013)

Looks like I better stop JULAY-ing these threads.


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## The Hunter (Feb 19, 2013)

Yeah, we've been discussing this for quite some time. Forumer had an anti-spam thing set up, so it was kind of surprising for me to see spam on other forums. Although I don't think the other forums I'd visit had this much.


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## Null (Feb 24, 2013)

So once again I prove to be a _genius_.

The problem was that these spambots weren't actually spambots. They are people employeed in countries with extremely high poverty levels and low income facilities like China and Russia. These people are paid pennies an hour to enter in reCAPTCHA answers and post spam on a list of forums they have. Because they're not actually robots, but the closest organic thing to a mindless machine, reCAPTCHA wasn't preventing spambots.

So, I changed the spambot plugin from reCAPTCHA to a Question and Answer form. Every new person needs to answer the question: "What is Christian Weston Chandler the TRUE and HONEST creator of?" or "Name of one Christian's parents." - This went into affect like 3 days ago and no spambots have registered since.

Checkmate, Chinese children working at computer lab spam sweatshops for pennies an hour.


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## KatsuKitty (Feb 25, 2013)

That ought to improve the quality of dialogue, too.


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## José Mourinho (Feb 25, 2013)

Very good idea. That'll stop these spam bots.


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## onetwothreefour (Feb 27, 2013)

Oh , they actually pay people to get around the recaptcha? Well, I wonder how many Chinese kids will be going without food now. You should be ashamed of what you've done.


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## Trombonista (Feb 27, 2013)

That must be what's going on at the CWCki and other small wikis. People paid to act like spambots. 

I don't like it.


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## Saney (Mar 1, 2013)

trombonista said:
			
		

> That must be what's going on at the CWCki and other small wikis. People paid to act like spambots.
> 
> I don't like it.


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## Null (Mar 1, 2013)

/me whistles coyly.


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## Saney (Mar 1, 2013)

Null said:
			
		

> /me whistles coyly.


Null, you're a genius...or at least better at uploading images than me.


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