some remarks about Spammers and one suggestion

[special]

I looked at the user profiles of these Russian spammers and I noticed that many of them included a foreign location in their profiles (Qatar, Fiji) and they even bother to include something in the "bio" field.

https://forums.macresource.com/member.php?action=profile&uid=8011

https://forums.macresource.com/member.php?action=profile&uid=7844

But I digress. My point is we need to find a way to prevent them from posting spam.
How about each new user needs to wait N number of days before being allowed to post? This way many will move on to other forums where they can post right away.

The alternative would be to only allow users who were referenced by one of us here, but that means the forum remain closed to most new people and only a few selected, trusted people will join (which may not be a bad thing, maybe that is what made this place special in the first place)

[AllGold]

The delay for new users to post might help, but I think we just need a few moderators to nuke spam posts.

[MarkintoshToo]

The myBB platform has been around for a long time and there's a number of built in spam prevention features and multiple add-ons and plugins that would combat the problem. We probably dont have a need to brainstorm solutions here.

There's a learning curve in moving from one platform to another. My guess is that Troy has a lot of irons in the fire as the IT director at OWC. Keeping the main website and online store up to date and functional are a much higher priority rather than maintaining a legacy bulletin board that serves only a very small percentage of their clientele. So kudos to OWC for any effort they are making.

AllGold is probably correct in that the quickest solution right now is a team of volunteer moderators to get a handle on things.

[GGD]

On some other forums I've joined, new users had some restrictions for a while. I think something like the first 5 posts were quarantined waiting for a moderator to approve them, and they were also not allowed to post links or images during that period.

[NewtonMP2100]

....spam.....a......lot....

[RonT (aka Ombligo)]

As we get used to the new platform and have people still migrating here, some even needing to change their user names, it would be a mistake to limit their access. Perhaps down the road that could be a method, but for the present, we need to be tolerant. Moderators to remove spam would be the obvious solution as long as they understand their limited role. The last thing we need is an HOA dictator.

[RAMd®d]

I agree that any delays or restrictions, at this time, would probably impede members from TOP to getting in here.

It's tough enough already, especially if they want they're old UN.

But it's easy for any first timer, and the bot agents have found.

I suspect that someone is targeting this site specifically, and not just the bots have become self ware and found easy pickens.

For the time being maybe a bunch of task force mods to play Whack-a-Mole for awhile.

It would be great if, and I doubt it's possible, to arm said mods with a 'dedicated button' equivalent to nuke any Cyrillic spam thread on the spot.

There's one – whack!

A half to baker's dozen task force mods – The Mod Squad – could keep them at bay until we got everyone we can, the raise the drawbridge, station sentries, and string the concertina wire.

Not to make it private, just to keep out the riff-raff.

[PeterB]

....spam.....a......lot....

You like big buTTs and cannot lie?