I don’t know if anybody else here has noticed or not, but in the past day or two the number of “post reads” on these boards has gone WAY up.

The last 4 or 5 Celebrity Deaths to-IC’s have hundreds of reads, and the 2010s board seems to have an inordinate number of reads in threads too.

I wonder if somebody has a bot automatically scanning these boards? ???

I don't mind them scanning the boards but I do mind them signing up. I can't tell you how many bots I have banned in the last several months-I'm talking several hundred.  :o :o :o There are still hundreds left-and new ones keep signing up every day. It is a never ending battle.


Cat

I don't mind them scanning the boards but I do mind them signing up. I can't tell you how many bots I have banned in the last several months-I'm talking several hundred.  :o :o :o There are still hundreds left-and new ones keep signing up every day. It is a never ending battle.


Cat
You are doing a grand job, but sometimes I feel you may need an assistant?

I don't mind them scanning the boards but I do mind them signing up. I can't tell you how many bots I have banned in the last several months-I'm talking several hundred.  :o :o :o There are still hundreds left-and new ones keep signing up every day. It is a never ending battle.


Cat


Perhaps registration to this board should require two-factor authentication. That would probably cut back on the bots signing up.

Perhaps registration to this board should require two-factor authentication. That would probably cut back on the bots signing up.
...that will not stop the 'guests' viewing.

Perhaps registration to this board should require two-factor authentication. That would probably cut back on the bots signing up.


or she can also go with Captcha:

https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/ce9acf0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1518x1013+141+0/resize/1160x774!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.newatlas.com%2Farchive%2Fgoogle-invisible-recaptcha-1.jpg

Perhaps registration to this board should require two-factor authentication. That would probably cut back on the bots signing up.



Nothing I can do about that. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT my board. I am just the caretaker.


Cat

When someone is registering for an account, I check their IP. It always makes me feel good when I see this:

Sorry Guest, you are banned from using this forum!

It means that my work is not done in vain.


Cat

...that will not stop the 'guests' viewing.


Then what will stop the guests from viewing?

Then what will stop the guests from viewing?

Nothing we know of, at this point. I don't think it's a big deal, in the long run.

This thread alone (as of this post) has 440 reads.  :o

This thread alone (as of this post) has 440 reads.  :o



Try 773!  :o :o :o


Cat

Try 773!  :o :o :o


Cat
Can it all be the combination of numbers for the next lottery?

Try 773!  :o :o :o


Cat

333 additional viewings in 19 hours' time? Holy cow. That's like, 17-point-something views per hour, on the average...or one new view every 3-point-something minutes.

And only five additional viewings in the past three hours. That's a bit more reasonable.

333 additional viewings in 19 hours' time? Holy cow. That's like, 17-point-something views per hour, on the average...or one new view every 3-point-something minutes.

And only five additional viewings in the past three hours. That's a bit more reasonable.


It’s up to 815 now. I wonder exactly what the “bots” are looking for? ???

It’s up to 815 now. I wonder exactly what the “bots” are looking for? ???

Makes me wonder too...


Then of course, there's one particular thread, "The Legend Of Zelda", which has a six-figure count in page views and just over a hundred replies on it. (Quite possibly the biggest ratio of views-to-replies of any thread on this site.) That thread was started in 2010 and has been viewed by Guests just about every day.

It’s up to 815 now. I wonder exactly what the “bots” are looking for? ???


They are looking for what the infamous LyricBoy is up to.  ;) :D ;D ;D ;D


Cat

I don't mind them scanning the boards but I do mind them signing up. I can't tell you how many bots I have banned in the last several months-I'm talking several hundred.

Im a co-admin and I have had to put NEW USER REG on admin approval months ago because the spam was so bad on mauisun.. (mauisun.org/smf if ya wanna take a look)

I dont know if its live people or not..... Some probably are........ THEY ARE ALL SPAMMING IDIOTS!!!

A thought occurred to me the other night, could these guests be copying out posts and replies sent hereon our boards?

A thought occurred to me the other night, could these guests be copying out posts and replies sent hereon our boards?


How could that happen?  ???

How could that happen?  ???
Screenshots, copy and paste?

I dont know if its live people or not..... Some probably are........ THEY ARE ALL SPAMMING IDIOTS!!!

You're probably right; some of them viewers might be actual people, but the majority of them might not be.

A thought occurred to me the other night, could these guests be copying out posts and replies sent hereon our boards?


Maybe the NSA. Although I am not too worried about that; they likely have a file open on me already.

Let’s just say that over the years I have done business with some interesting people.  :-X

Maybe the NSA. Although I am not too worried about that; they likely have a file open on me already.

Let’s just say that over the years I have done business with some interesting people.  :-X
Watching you, watching us?

Screenshots, copy and paste?


You mean they take a picture of the screenshot?

You mean they take a picture of the screenshot?

Isn't that how you get a screenshot? Use Printscreen (or control-Printscreen)?

You mean they take a picture of the screenshot?

Isn't that how you get a screenshot? Use Printscreen (or control-Printscreen)?
It is Screenshot on the phone and Printscreen for the computer,

It is Screenshot on the phone and Printscreen for the computer,

Good to know. O0

Meanwhile, this thread now has over 1,800 page views, and only 27 replies (including this one) ! :o That's a ratio of roughly 67 views per reply!

Good to know. O0

Meanwhile, this thread now has over 1,800 page views, and only 27 replies (including this one) ! :o That's a ratio of roughly 67 views per reply!


Meanwhile, the thread on the Lizzie McGuire Reboot got only 35 views and no replies.  :\'(

Meanwhile, the thread on the Lizzie McGuire Reboot got only 35 views and no replies.  :\'(
For me, it is one of those topics of which I cannot contribute for I have not seen the programme.

You're probably right; some of them viewers might be actual people, but the majority of them might not be.

Well thankfully they cant do jack on my site anymore but register..... Today I blocked 1 IP that had 10 accounts registered!!

Well thankfully they cant do jack on my site anymore but register..... Today I blocked 1 IP that had 10 accounts registered!!

Seems like you're doing a great job with keeping the pests away over there. Karma+1

Well thankfully they cant do jack on my site anymore but register..... Today I blocked 1 IP that had 10 accounts registered!!
...and how about these boards?

...and how about these boards?

Our team of mods is working hard to combat the pests as well.

Well thankfully they cant do jack on my site anymore but register..... Today I blocked 1 IP that had 10 accounts registered!!


When I started cleaning out those bogus accounts, I found 1 IP that had over 100 registered accounts!  :o :o :o 



Our team of mods is working hard to combat the pests as well.


Team? What is this team you speak of?


Cat

When I started cleaning out those bogus accounts, I found 1 IP that had over 100 registered accounts!  :o :o :o 

Yowzah!



Team? What is this team you speak of?


Cat

You, and... uhm... you? (I was gonna say Chucky as well, but he hasn't been around much lately.)

When I started cleaning out those bogus accounts, I found 1 IP that had over 100 registered accounts!  :o :o :o 


Team? What is this team you speak of?


Cat


Wow, How long did that take?

Wow, How long did that take?



A couple of days-because I banned each and every one of them-not just the IP but also the email-then I deleted the account. I can only do so many at a time other wise my eyes (as well as my sanity) goes haywire.


Cat

A couple of days-because I banned each and every one of them-not just the IP but also the email-then I deleted the account. I can only do so many at a time other wise my eyes (as well as my sanity) goes haywire.


Cat
I can imagine, it is painstaking, repetitive, and can give one almighty headache.

Karma!

A couple of days-because I banned each and every one of them-not just the IP but also the email-then I deleted the account. I can only do so many at a time other wise my eyes (as well as my sanity) goes haywire.


Cat

I can imagine, it is painstaking, repetitive, and can give one almighty headache.

Karma!

That's right!

When I started cleaning out those bogus accounts, I found 1 IP that had over 100 registered accounts!

Wow isnt that something??? -- They have nothing better to do!!

Wow isnt that something??? -- They have nothing better to do!!
Ban them from the Internet?

Ban them from the Internet?


At a minimum.

Wow isnt that something??? -- They have nothing better to do!!

It sure seems that way. ::)

A couple of days-because I banned each and every one of them-not just the IP but also the email-then I deleted the account. I can only do so many at a time other wise my eyes (as well as my sanity) goes haywire.


Cat


How can you tell when someone is trying to register for an account? ???

You can see, too. At the bottom of the main page, it says "Users online." You can click that and it will say if guests are registering. Also, at the top of the page, there is a link that says "Members." You can click on that and see all the registered accounts.

The difference between what you can see and what I can see is that I can see their IPs. It is through those IPs I can see if they are legit or bogus. There are two websites that I check the IPs. Usually, if it is bogus, those websites will say if there have been complaints or what the level of threat they are (low, medium, high). But, I have been cleaning out these bogus accounts for so long that I can usually spot them even without checking the IP. But, I do anyway-just in case I am wrong.

The bogus accounts are not necessarily spammers. There have been many bogus accounts that registered years ago but never activated the account. Right now, there are still MANY bogus accounts. I try to work on them when I have time but they keep coming so it is really hard to keep on top of them. 


Cat

You can see, too. At the bottom of the main page, it says "Users online." You can click that and it will say if guests are registering. Also, at the top of the page, there is a link that says "Members." You can click on that and see all the registered accounts.

The difference between what you can see and what I can see is that I can see their IPs. It is through those IPs I can see if they are legit or bogus. There are two websites that I check the IPs. Usually, if it is bogus, those websites will say if there have been complaints or what the level of threat they are (low, medium, high). But, I have been cleaning out these bogus accounts for so long that I can usually spot them even without checking the IP. But, I do anyway-just in case I am wrong.

The bogus accounts are not necessarily spammers. There have been many bogus accounts that registered years ago but never activated the account. Right now, there are still MANY bogus accounts. I try to work on them when I have time but they keep coming so it is really hard to keep on top of them. 


Cat
I have been wondering can the guests viewing be switched off for a while, it may put the 'bot' guests at rest?

You can see, too. At the bottom of the main page, it says "Users online." You can click that and it will say if guests are registering. Also, at the top of the page, there is a link that says "Members." You can click on that and see all the registered accounts.

The difference between what you can see and what I can see is that I can see their IPs. It is through those IPs I can see if they are legit or bogus. There are two websites that I check the IPs. Usually, if it is bogus, those websites will say if there have been complaints or what the level of threat they are (low, medium, high). But, I have been cleaning out these bogus accounts for so long that I can usually spot them even without checking the IP. But, I do anyway-just in case I am wrong.

The bogus accounts are not necessarily spammers. There have been many bogus accounts that registered years ago but never activated the account. Right now, there are still MANY bogus accounts. I try to work on them when I have time but they keep coming so it is really hard to keep on top of them. 


Cat
Another idea, can some of the topics be moved to the archive, those giving less topics for the guests to viewed?

Another idea, can some of the topics be moved to the archive, those giving less topics for the guests to viewed?

Periodically, a handful of the posts made on here are copied to the archive. However, some sections of it haven't been updated in several years.

Most of the sections on the main site are viewable in guest mode, but there are a select few that aren't (such as WotW, Current Politics, Videogames).

By the way I notice this thread has been viewed over 7,000 times now, and this is only the 49th reply! :o

By the way I notice this thread has been viewed over 7,000 times now, and this is only the 49th reply! :o
What is going on?

What is going on?

Could it be specific key words that the web-bots look for?

Could it be specific key words that the web-bots look for?
...or somehow searching on URLs associated with the boards?

Looks like the web bots are back at it. Look at the threads on this forum today... they’ve racked up a huge number of reads.  :o

I thought that sometimes the web bot thing was places like Google, and other search engines updating their records.  Or is that what the spiders were about?

I’ve been linking this website to Reddit so it’s getting a lot of traffic from there, though I don’t think it’s quite enough to account for all the reads.

I thought that sometimes the web bot thing was places like Google, and other search engines updating their records.  Or is that what the spiders were about?
Not just Google, and we have to remember that the Internet and the World Wide Wide are both very big.

I don’t know if anybody else here has noticed or not, but in the past day or two the number of “post reads” on these boards has gone WAY up.

The last 4 or 5 Celebrity Deaths to-IC’s have hundreds of reads, and the 2010s board seems to have an inordinate number of reads in threads too.

I wonder if somebody has a bot automatically scanning these boards? ???
The same has happened to one of my topics in Celebrity Heaven, after starting a new topic, 4 hours later the thread has 120 views.

What is going on?

The same has happened to one of my topics in Celebrity Heaven, after starting a new topic, 4 hours later the thread has 120 views.

What is going on?

I wonder myself too.

Meanwhile, this is reply number 58 to this thread, and it has been "viewed" over 20,000 times! Riddle me this, Batman! :o

I wonder myself too.

Meanwhile, this is reply number 58 to this thread, and it has been "viewed" over 20,000 times! Riddle me this, Batman! :o
Do they have nothing else better to do with they time?

Do they have nothing else better to do with they time?

It would appear not. But why do they target this site all the time? (I'm sure they target others as well.)

It would appear not. But why do they target this site all the time? (I'm sure they target others as well.)
In my opinion, they probably do, but I am not looking at other forums to find out.

In my opinion, they probably do, but I am not looking at other forums to find out.

Neither will I.