dodgy looking threads in off-topic

[paddykafka]

I'm wondering if the economic thrill-suckers / scam artists have broken into the Galaxy's greatest website? I refer to the threads in here referring to Student loans etc as posted by "Timpton-West". Haven't even risked opening any of them for fear of viruses etc. Can our local, friendly moderator please check them out? Keep this site a thrill-sucker free zone!

[Dandontdare]

Don't fret they'll be gone soon. I think the mods generally do a damn good job of spam-sweeping the forum. The user has been reported, so by the time most people come to read this thread they'll wonder what we're talking about!

[Proudhuff]

what are you two talking about?

[Emperor]

The user has been reported

Almost a dozen times It took longer clearing up the reports than it did curbstomping his spammy ass (odd image).

[klute]

The user has been reported

Almost a dozen times It took longer clearing up the reports than it did curbstomping his spammy ass (odd image).

I had a brief vision of the scene from american history x there

[Keef Monkey]

The user has been reported

Almost a dozen times It took longer clearing up the reports than it did curbstomping his spammy ass (odd image).

I had a brief vision of the scene from american history x there

Me too, but in mine he was biting the curb with his backlips.

[Jared Katooie]

Perhaps that's what Emperor meant when he said it was an odd image?



WHO CAN TELL?

[Emperor]

Perhaps that's what Emperor meant when he said it was an odd image?



WHO CAN TELL?

Me?

You are pretty much correct - it was an arse carved from spam, spreadcheeked over the corner of the curb and having a large boot stamped down onto it.

As I say, an odd image.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Some would even find it arousing...

[Emperor]

Some would even find it arousing...

Although a boot/crush fetish based around the destruction of processed meat products that have been carved into the shape of a bottom, is a little... specialised.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Step 1: Make a website
Step 2: ????
Step 3: PROFIT

Step 4: Despair

[SmallBlueThing]

Theres a whole other bunch appearing now. Would someone like to explain the thinking behind these spammers? Obviously no one is going to buy anything from them, so it cant be advertising. If it's just 'mischief', then why the (presumably labour intensive) effort to write (mostly) sense, when surely random characters would be just as annoying, if their aim is to annoy? Or is it a grudge being acted upon? I really dont get it.

SBT

[Emperor]

There are two types:

• Your blatant spammers - they hope that either a) in the brief time the links are live some curious fool might click on links for "flange-melting fun" and "Scooby Doo porn" or b) that the forum is neglected and no one ever removes the links


• Your stealth spammers - they sign up, post "oh yeah me too" a few times and disappear. Sometime later, they insert links various spammy sites into their sigs in the hope that either some search engine bot stumbles across it and helps boost the sites search ranking (although I assume folks like Google have long ago downgraded the significance of such links).

Their aim is not to annoy - in almost all the cases it is either completely automated or some poor sod in a Chinese sweatshop is doing this as a break from farming gold in World of Warcraft and probably working from a script. When you Google up possible suspects (the ones that post something iffy but not enough to get them banned) you find identical posts and accounts of hundreds and sometimes thousands of forums (it is how Stop Forum Spam can react so quickly as this isn't isolated). When you go to block the account of a blatant spammer and check the IP range you'll often find dozens (and occasionally hundreds if the IP is somewhere like India or China or Indonesia) of stealth spammers.

[The Legendary Shark]

There are two types:

• Your blatant spammers - they hope that either a) in the brief time the links are live some curious fool might click on links for "flange-melting fun" and "Scooby Doo porn" or b) that the forum is neglected and no one ever removes the links


• Your stealth spammers - they sign up, post "oh yeah me too" a few times and disappear. Sometime later, they insert links various spammy sites into their sigs in the hope that either some search engine bot stumbles across it and helps boost the sites search ranking (although I assume folks like Google have long ago downgraded the significance of such links).

Their aim is not to annoy - in almost all the cases it is either completely automated or some poor sod in a Chinese sweatshop is doing this as a break from farming gold in World of Warcraft and probably working from a script. When you Google up possible suspects (the ones that post something iffy but not enough to get them banned) you find identical posts and accounts of hundreds and sometimes thousands of forums (it is how Stop Forum Spam can react so quickly as this isn't isolated). When you go to block the account of a blatant spammer and check the IP range you'll often find dozens (and occasionally hundreds if the IP is somewhere like India or China or Indonesia) of stealth spammers.

Or maybe the internet is becoming self-aware and trying to communicate with us. I am the Mighty Cyber. Buy my shoes.