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  • Spam Accounts

    Lately when I come here I notice that users online are quite plentiful.

    I also notice that I don't know many of the user name handles being used. When you log on, look at the very bottom of the HT window in the section, "What's Going On" and "Currently Active Users". It seems many people come here to browse but posts are few.

    As of this posting currently online are:

    Most users ever online was 572, December 19th, 2008 at 05:01 PM.
    mel*, agenensaulvaG, Atovatova, AVAIVADRANT, Brierpelisons, clukghij, Daussymearver, DexeseUpsence, Eteneable, hGqMoCoUjI, icgdebyhjd, Incannebynefe, Jaisulpillumn, Kadetasty, kukisis, lomarrils, lopqhicyzz, MaksHark, nv6dne, plalchernht, Prargodok, Preeviela, ReorgoGer, smistully, Swettedyday
    So what are these people doing here?
    I'm still here. Are you?

  • #2
    Re: Are we pau with HT?

    Originally posted by mel View Post
    As of this posting currently online are:



    So what are these people doing here?
    By the names, it looks like a virus or spam attack to me!
    Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

    People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Are we pau with HT?

      Could very well be spam-bots, though one of the names is a regular here so not a spam-bot.

      A few hours later more of these names:

      mel*, addegebleft, DodydoraAdvof, Geasiainand, Honoruru, ignilassund, jaejvxvner, KapsSutslat, kgeokgoox, kukisis, Niseetrigue, oosjgksdfc, OvevyPeethy, pingfunddew, Pleangeab, SnoraMuroFrub, Utemeabetef, wf8jey
      I'm still here. Are you?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Are we pau with HT?

        That regular name is me, I hope.

        I've been noticing this (abundance of names) lately, too. They look like generated names, and one of those names is always the newest member. I've also noted the number of members is growing incredibly, so I took notes. On 11/21 the number of members listed was 12,070. Today it was at 15, 575. That's a gain of 3,505 over 11 days, 318 per day. Is that normal?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Are we pau with HT?

          Originally posted by Honoruru View Post
          That regular name is me, I hope.
          Yes it is.

          OK - gaining 575+ members in just a few days is a fluke. I'll notify admin. Someone or some site is bombarding this one.

          And the mostly bogus names continue:

          Most users ever online was 572, December 19th, 2008 at 05:01 PM.
          mel*, darGeanna, DuseIndudge, Equagemug, flouskxgs, Gabstaula, igortoluyolow, Keydayhokkade, kukisis, MaksHark, qkmlgicd, ReorgoGer, saisaHibjap, sayenipljwea, surged-brooch, teatclete, VoincVemboymn, Wrolddarlyvox
          Another set a few minutes later.

          cotsAlethitte, feesspitafe, jaejvxvner, Jaisulpillumn, kukisis, LiniTible, ly1uja, ObsellHecex, pingfunddew, qkmlgicd, RuSpebropeCep, sayenipljwea, scoutKedNeuse, tikost, uggsje
          Doing a quick Google search finds that there are several types of hacks being implemented against vBulletin boards.
          Last edited by mel; December 2, 2012, 06:41 AM. Reason: adding more info
          I'm still here. Are you?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Are we pau with HT?

            For the past few years, Ryan has been manually approving new memberships, so HT is mostly safe from the spam attacks I've seen on other boards. It's no fun to be him, I'm sure, with having to slog through the spam registrations in order to get to the legit ones. But I suspect he doesn't do that very often anyway.
            But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
            GrouchyTeacher.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Are we pau with HT?

              Manual or automatic membership approvals, the mostly bogus names are still showing up. As of this post:

              Most users ever online was 572, December 19th, 2008 at 05:01 PM.
              mel*, agenensaulvaG, atrollult, bloobeSeeri, fcwrtrfgsc, Frandinorgo, IcevaSectVove, ionidoapeli, Jaisulpillumn, kukisis, Memaeromjag, pingfunddew, quergeMet, ruineunnigraw, sayenipljwea, scoutKedNeuse, sedatives-monkish, Spaceneange, Stictaryday, teatclete, Temafloam
              I'm still here. Are you?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Spam Accounts

                Message boards, like blog comments and other web tools inviting people to post content, are frequently targeted by spammers. Even with CAPTCHAs and other 'are you human?' checks, the automated tools used get more and more sophisticated. Of course, I manually moderate all new memberships, essentially 'interviewing' anyone who minimally reads the instructions sent, so I ignore all these fake signups.

                They've been coming in at a hundred or so a day at times, and I'm just deleting them outright periodically. But as you've noticed, the mere display of recent user signups (under 'who's online') gives them more exposure than they deserve, so I'll try and suppress that.

                Of course, the total number of 'members' shown is also unreliable as a result, which is a pity.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Spam Accounts

                  I was favorably impressed when I came here that an attempt was made to avoid sock accounts. I recall having to submit some kind of 'proof' (wasn't it my IRL?), and I approved.

                  Do fake accounts impact negatively? Take up memory? I'm not too Internet savvy.
                  Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                  ~ ~
                  Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                  Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                  Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Spam Accounts

                    Their existences all by themselves aren't much of a drain on computer resources. But they can be a drain on time, since someone has to take the trouble to delete them, and that can be a pain. Also, if you're into the numbers of a website, they can skew data in an unpleasant way.

                    I almost never look at the "who's online right now" list because I don't really care, but that function is there for a reason, and if it's packed with meaningless spam bots, that reason is defeated.
                    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                    GrouchyTeacher.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Spam Accounts

                      Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                      I almost never look at the "who's online right now" list because I don't really care, but that function is there for a reason, and if it's packed with meaningless spam bots, that reason is defeated.
                      It's for advertisers.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Spam Accounts

                        Is it possible that these are people who have logged in and have failed to log off?
                        Perhaps we need an 'automatic log-off" function?
                        Just thinking.
                        Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                        ~ ~
                        Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                        Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                        Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Spam Accounts

                          Unless an account is doing the Who is Online function, an account will time out from the HawaiiThreads website. And I just out that the Who is Online function has been disabled.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Spam Accounts

                            How many of those usernames can get points in Scrabble?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Spam Accounts - Posts vs. Views

                              I wonder if the spam bots are still continuing, because the views on several topic threads are significantly high vs. the age or even participation level of the thread.

                              From the music section:

                              2013 Rock n Roll Hall of Famers
                              Walkoff Balk
                              December 12th, 2012 01:17 PM
                              by Ron Whitfield
                              3 2,982

                              Aloha `oe, Dave Brubeck
                              Leo Lakio
                              December 12th, 2012 12:21 AM
                              by lensperson
                              12 3,460

                              Zach Sobiech - Clouds
                              mel
                              December 10th, 2012 12:38 AM
                              by mel
                              0 1,154

                              Poll: The INXS Appreciation Thread
                              scrivener
                              November 23rd, 2012 08:32 PM
                              by Walkoff Balk
                              14 3,835

                              The Melvins 51st
                              Ron Whitfield
                              October 26th, 2012 03:02 PM
                              by Ron Whitfield
                              0 381

                              So cool! Music makes the world go around. ( 1 2 3 4 5)
                              Menehune Man
                              September 10th, 2012 02:48 AM
                              by Menehune Man
                              123 7,905

                              Diamond Head Crater Festivals ( 1 2 3 4 5 6)
                              scrivener
                              August 21st, 2012 09:03 PM
                              by Shop99er
                              133 22,051
                              The smaller number at the bottom represent the number of replies while the larger one next to it represent views.

                              re: 3,480 views for Dave Brubeck with only 12 replies. Thread is kind of new too.

                              Unfortunately the board display doesn't cut and paste very nicely into a quote.

                              So I guess the question would be are real people actually viewing the threads or is it only a bot just making a track through it and bumping up the view count?
                              I'm still here. Are you?

                              Comment

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