What This New Forum Says About Opera ASA
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A Former User last edited by
...but why wouldn't Opera ASA configure filters in such a way that new threads whose titles clearly indicate that they are spam never appear in the first place?
It's dangerous in itself - in the first place.
I've no idea if you you do, but I remember the user access problems on MyOpera, caused by automatic filtration of the sort you suggest, flooding the dedicated forum threads with outcries of frustration. I hope this forum won't see such a mistake. Even if we do anything about that, the possibly implemented measures could onle help moderators by autoflagging, or some other more sophisticated subroutines introduced - again avoiding automatic banning as a worst nightmare. -
A Former User last edited by
- If a newly (just right about now) registered user posts a thread containing a link and with the title containing manually preset keywords, the thread goes autoflagged. It is crucial to implement an exceptions lists into such subroutines from the very start.
- Newly registered users could go under additional restrictions. For example, too many threads within a certain time period; maybe the posts time limit could be flexible in this way too; other suggestions? Maybe even to introduce a pending approval for the first few (very few) threads of a newbie? It's debatable: can be applied in dire circumstances... A pro is that if a newbie just registered to get a technical help, the Opera staff are the people who can help most probably, along with approving the thread.
Any other suggestions?
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linuxmint7 last edited by
If a newly (just right about now) registered user posts a thread containing a link and with the title containing manually preset keywords, the thread goes autoflagged. It is crucial to implement an exceptions lists into such subroutines from the very start.
Well first, a lot of recent spammers are starting to create (copy and paste) duplicates of already existing proper topics. Your weather topic was duplicated the other day by a spammer, and they just pasted their spamming rubbish (links, phone numbers etc) at the end of the post.
Newly registered users could go under additional restrictions. For example, too many threads within a certain time period; maybe the posts time limit could be flexible in this way too; other suggestions? Maybe even to introduce a pending approval for the first few (very few) threads of a newbie? It's debatable: can be applied in dire circumstances... A pro is that if a newbie just registered to get a technical help, the Opera staff are the people who can help most probably, along with approving the thread.
There is already a restriction (of sorts) in place, the 60 second restriction and not being able to post for (I think) another 10 minutes ?. The thing is with spammers, they want to post as much of their rubbish as quick as possible, if they get stung (blocked from posting) by a certain restriction because they posted too many times in a certain amount of time, they just create another account.
Any other suggestions?
I personally think it is fine how it currently is, It is still early days yet, and I have only been a mod for a couple of weeks, but I am on here at least twice a day, and I my first priority when visiting is to zap all the spam that I find. Even the cunning and smart spammers have a difficult time hiding from me.
I just zapped one not two minutes before posting this comment. I'm on the case.
EDIT: Another 10 spam posts just gone bye byes.
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fluxrev last edited by
Here's six more that have popped up in just the last few minutes:
I've spent considerably less than an hour here today, and look at the number of spam thread titles that I've copied and posted in this thread. Spam threads were not occurring at this rate on the old Opera Windows Desktop forum. The failure to filter this stuff is ridiculous. It's Opera ASA's job to address this, but I'm skeptical that they care enough to do so. I've made my point, and so will say no more.
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fluxrev last edited by
@linuxmint7 You guys are quick, that's true, and I applaud your efforts. But I still think that Opera ASA is to be faulted for neglecting the forum in such a way that it's necessary for you and other mods to have to play Whac-A-Mole with spammers whose thread titles clearly indicate spam.
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A Former User last edited by
Spam threads were not occurring at this rate on the old Opera Windows Desktop forum.
Have you read my post and actually thought about what I said? -
fluxrev last edited by
Have you read my post and actually thought about what I said?
I really don't have anything else to say about the forum spam issue, but since you've asked me a direct question, I'll respond. You are directing me to your previous post, where you said, "There were many more other sub-forums for spammers to abuse back then..." What's your point? What is it that you think I've missed? I'm talking about my experience with the old Desktop (or whatever it was called) forum, and am saying that this new Windows forum has a much greater spam problem than that old Windows Desktop forum did. Your objection to that statement is what, exactly?
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A Former User last edited by
I see somebody has an attitude..?
The less the targeted area, the more the density of targeting is.
That is the "same" site having shrunk in areas will get a less amount of "mishaps" - assuming the spammers' day plan stays as it used to be. -
fluxrev last edited by
@joshl If your reference to an "attitude" is referring to my previous post, you're mistaken—I was simply seeking clarification. In any event, I understand your and rafaelluik's (assuming that you've correctly reflected
what he meant) point, but I'm not convinced that that theory, an Opera-friendly theory, as I would expect from rafaelluik, actually explains the difference in spam thread rates that I've noticed. And it is only a theory, a theory for which no hard numbers—and there is more than one number that might be relevant—were provided. Furthermore, blackbird71 said earlier in this thread that, "Both Opera forums are/were continually being attacked by spammers, and what I've seen occur in both places are much the same as each other". As it happens, I don't agree with that, but blackbird71 was certainly a regular, thoughtful presence on the old forum, and if it is true, as he thinks it is, that the amount of spam on this new Windows forum is the same as it was on the old Windows desktop forum, then your/rafaelluik's theory is nullified. In any event, it's only a theory, and it may be valid, but then again, it may not be. I still maintain that there's considerably more spam on this forum than the old Desktop forum and that Opera ASA is to be faulted for failing to do more about it. -
A Former User last edited by
General relativity is, too, "only a theory". But it is what we have and what explains things. I know and I guess everybody else MyOperans do, that the Old Site got spam. I reckon we could dig into the spam industry or whatever it is in order to more scientifically explain things to you, considering ads targeting and distribution in applied science such as statistics and Set Theory ("only" a theory, though), but
- as I said, as long as this is contained, such spam is not an issue of life&death or like that, and may be more or less put up with;
- as Rafael or Linux (or both) said, it's o'k as it is, and myself am perfectly fine. Visit other sites and compare. Please don't forget though, that people are welcome here (while - if you don't remember, we do about the disaster with automatic moderation).
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fluxrev last edited by
Aside from the fact that you're not Einstein, I would observe that you're not really responding to what I've said. But that's OK, as I'm not looking to pursue this, and won't be.
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Deleted User last edited by
I remember in the old Forum that accounts were blocked accidentally by spam block. I think that should be introduced in the new forum carefully.
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blackbird71 last edited by... Furthermore, blackbird71 said earlier in this thread that, "Both Opera forums are/were continually being attacked by spammers, and what I've seen occur in both places are much the same as each other". As it happens, I don't agree with that, but blackbird71 was certainly a regular, thoughtful presence on the old forum, and if it is true, as he thinks it is, that the amount of spam on this new Windows forum is the same as it was on the old Windows desktop forum, then your/rafaelluik's theory is nullified. In any event, it's only a theory, and it may be valid, but then again, it may not be. I still maintain that there's considerably more spam on this forum than the old Desktop forum and that Opera ASA is to be faulted for failing to do more about it.
Well, since my name has come up...
In the old MyOpera Opera-for-Windows forums, I remember nights (usually, I see the spam peak during the local night-time hours here) when there would pop up 3 or 4 spams right together, looking very similar to the current ones, then a "normal" post or two, then 2 or 3 more spams. Usually, a few hours later, they'd all be gone. Depending on when you observed the forums, you'd think either that they were spam infested or that they were almost spam-free. Once in a rare while, the spam would persist for a day or two (perhaps a mod was sick or off living a real life).IMO, it's not a lot different here in the new Opera forum (including the Windows forum), in regards to the numbers and kind of spam I'm seeing here (and reporting) from time to time... much of it comes in at local night here (Eastern USA), and is largely gone at various other times of the day. My understanding is that the heaviest spam originates from a few geographical regions where the spammers are hired cheap and in large numbers - areas where spamming is a reasonable source of income for those hired to register and spam in forums. However, I do believe the spam has gotten somewhat more sophisticated in the techniques the spammers are trying in order to bypass spam filtering at various forum sites. Over time, everything changes.
There are a few forums I've seen where there is virtually no spam whatever (DSLR and Wilders being two), but my understanding is that they're very heavily filtered and moderated. For example, one kind of filtering that can be used by some forums is to suppress a message if it exceeds too many URL links within - but that causes the occasional legitimate reference-type posting full of URLs to get axed as well. There's no simple answer there.
I stress again, I personally believe these forums are keeping spam under control. By my reckoning, it's under control if it gets killed off within an hour or two of first appearing. If one argues that spam should never appear in the first place to be under control, they are obligated to describe how a forum can attain that without filtering that impacts the nature of posting, adding a lot of cross-checking of individuals when they register, or the addition of full-time spam patrolling moderators.
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A Former User last edited by
Spam threads were not occurring at this rate on the old Opera Windows Desktop forum.
Unfortunately, they were. The forum as a whole was frequently being spammed. Maybe you didn't notice because you only visited one forum, but I was one of the people who had to clean up after the spammers. -
Deleted User last edited by
@haavard
You might call that notion ironic but the spammers doesn't reach out the main purpose either and everything is reduced to extra junk which come around like a disease. Last time when I checked it was possible to sign in for a new account based on a fake email xyz@opera.com, btw. -
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A Former User last edited by
I've got an idea. Really unusual.
What about welcoming those poor guys by launching a section... Or at least I guess a thread will be enough -- to post their advertising their.
We could drop by when done with the usual rounds.. If for nothing else to enjoy ourselves:) -
blackbird71 last edited by
I've got an idea. Really unusual.
What about welcoming those poor guys by launching a section... Or at least I guess a thread will be enough -- to post their advertising their.
We could drop by when done with the usual rounds.. If for nothing else to enjoy ourselves:)The flaw in that is in your assumption that people who already break forum rules against spamming will obey rules and only spam a section/thread that is dedicated to it. They (or the guys who hire them) are smart enough to realize that the ordinary folks they're trying to reach with their spam are scattered out in normal, real-world forums... and the spammers are smart and bold enough to find ways to do it - with or without any section/thread dedicated to their spamming.
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blackbird71 last edited by
If it's possible to sign up with a fake e-mail address, that's a bug.
And that's a biggie! Fake addresses are as infinite as the minds of the beholders. There needs to be some registration back-and-forth with an eMail address to legitimize it... or at least to reduce that part of the problem to manageable proportions.
