Matrix Games Forums

Hi, it seems that the ED&BTR Forum is full of SPAM (read the last posts) and no one is takeing care of that.

Hello, wake up please.

Something needs to be done on this issue.

thank you.

Thanks - I found 3 and removed them. If you can send links to each case it would be a bug help as we dont have the manpower to police the forums for games that have been out for a long time. We tend to focus on the new releases where there are more likely to be issues and people needing help.

I deleted five spammers yesterday alone - as Iain said, unfortunately we can't be everywhere. We are working on a better solution for this, but in the meantime please keep reporting them when you see them.

I'd say dont let ANYONE have any links on their posts. But do allow them on a case by case basis. I'd think that might be easier...

I'd say have everyone answer some historical question before they can login and don't allow saved cookie logins anymore. I mean cmon it doesn't take that much to type in your id and password people need to stop being lazy.

A beauty of living in a free country is the right to be lazy.

So your idea is less than ideal for those of us who value our rights!

The Matrix forums are not a free country. You have no rights except those that Matrix choose to give you.

I'm not in favour of disallowing posting of links since that's something that many, if not all, legitimate users here have use for.

However, one surefire way of making the spammers come back is to be stupid enough to reply to their stupid threads, with eloquencies like ... Wonder why that's apparently impossible for people to understand.

One way, and sorry Terminus for being stupid enough to respond in this thread, is to only allow owners of registered games to post links, while other are not. Takes some work in fixing it, but would be a world of difference spamwise.

ORIGINAL: Terminus

However, one surefire way of making the spammers come back is to be stupid enough to reply to their stupid threads, with eloquencies like ... Wonder why that's apparently impossible for people to understand.

Warspite1

Probably because not everyone knows how spammers operate*...

Don't get me wrong, I have never felt the urge to respond in anyway to a spammer, but that's not because I knew that doing so makes it more likely for a spammer to return.

* Or is that just me because I am an old fart who doesn't really understand computers?

ORIGINAL: Terminus

The Matrix forums are not a free country. You have no rights except those that Matrix choose to give you.

I'm not in favour of disallowing posting of links since that's something that many, if not all, legitimate users here have use for.

However, one surefire way of making the spammers come back is to be stupid enough to reply to their stupid threads, with eloquencies like ... Wonder why that's apparently impossible for people to understand.

SPAM is preferable to your tiresome pontificating. [:-]

ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker

I'd say dont let ANYONE have any links on their posts. But do allow them on a case by case basis. I'd think that might be easier...

I think that'd hurt everyone here in the long run... too many useful links are provided by real users. Not to mention the logistics of what that would entail... bothering Erik & Co everytime someone wanted to post a legitimate link?

ORIGINAL: diablo1

I'd say have everyone answer some historical question before they can login and don't allow saved cookie logins anymore. I mean cmon it doesn't take that much to type in your id and password people need to stop being lazy.

That would suck. (I'm not even going to try to pretend I'm not lazy in this regard! *grin?*)

ORIGINAL: doesn't matter

Don't get me wrong, I have never felt the urge to respond in anyway to a spammer,

Common sense says that not responding lets a spam post slide off the top of the forum list. And when a post has a lot of views and no responses, that would/should also signal to users & Erik & Co that it is spam and to "move along, nothing to see here." Anything that keeps a spam post at the top is helping the spammers get more publicity.

I've been wondering for a long time why so many feel the need to respond to the spammers. Granted, occasionally people are fooled. But most are the computer version of "street smart" enough to see it for what it is. Possibly this is related to the "in before the lock" mentality...?

ORIGINAL: E

ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker

I'd say dont let ANYONE have any links on their posts. But do allow them on a case by case basis. I'd think that might be easier...

I think that'd hurt everyone here in the long run... too many useful links are provided by real users. Not to mention the logistics of what that would entail... bothering Erik & Co everytime someone wanted to post a legitimate link?

ORIGINAL: diablo1

I'd say have everyone answer some historical question before they can login and don't allow saved cookie logins anymore. I mean cmon it doesn't take that much to type in your id and password people need to stop being lazy.

That would suck. (I'm not even going to try to pretend I'm not lazy in this regard! *grin?*)

ORIGINAL: doesn't matter

Don't get me wrong, I have never felt the urge to respond in anyway to a spammer,

Common sense says that not responding lets a spam post slide off the top of the forum list. And when a post has a lot of views and no responses, that would/should also signal to users & Erik & Co that it is spam and to "move along, nothing to see here." Anything that keeps a spam post at the top is helping the spammers get more publicity.

I've been wondering for a long time why so many feel the need to respond to the spammers. Granted, occasionally people are fooled. But most are the computer version of "street smart" enough to see it for what it is. Possibly this is related to the "in before the lock" mentality...?

Warspite1

Question - why does my quote show as "doesn't matter"?

ORIGINAL: Terminus

The Matrix forums are not a free country.

This was never in doubt. But, how in the hay did you do a 180 turn on a simple point I made???

This is how "talk" starts of you being a main course during a BBQ.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Question - why does my quote show as "doesn't matter"?

Because it wasn't directed at you per se', only against the idea that computer knowledge is required to know that responding to spam is helping the spammers.

That and the pre-edited version came off sounding a little too much (more?) like a personal attack. However, if you wish I shall attempt to remember that you want me to attack you personally in the future! *grin* (like the post where someone has dragged what appears to be a bad-blood scenario in here? *grin*)

I think all things considered, that they do a fairly reasonable job of controlling spam.
 
Forums are a courtesy to interested customers, but are also a way to promote the game products.  Too many controls, rules and/or restrictions on how and who can post may result in lost sales.  I would think many of us first came to the forums because of interest in a game were are considering buying or hade just purchased and we were interested in informatrion, playing tips or who knows maybe even more games.  If I were a game company I would be very careful to not restrict potential customers from the forums.  Forums can be one of the best and most effective ways to find or keep customers.  That said, yes spam is a pain, it is distracting and a is a potential turn off to those customers.  So reasonable control measures are certainly in order, but so is easy access to current and potential game buyers.
 

Spambots are getting more sophisicated every day, and most of these post links to sales sites. I take them as they come on forums like this, and don't lose any sleep over it. Just remember: NEVER click the links. Perhaps a no-link rule IS a good idea, at least temporarily. After all, this site is to sell Matrix Games, not to promote another sites. (And I'm as guilty of doing this as many other legitimate posters.)

Sorry if this is a bit obvious, but how do we report the spam? Do we PM Iain or Erik with a link? Have I just answered my own question?

ORIGINAL: Igard

Sorry if this is a bit obvious, but how do we report the spam? Do we PM Iain or Erik with a link? Have I just answered my own question?

Yes, I think we should help as best we can in shutting down spam in its tracks. I hope that the moderators will agree with this. Here's the thing: (1) do NOT respond to the thread and (2) report it immediately.

I think we should report it, but then we should immediately reply to it with 'Spam reported'. That way the moderators won't get inundated with the same spam reports.

Does it matter who we report it to though?

ORIGINAL: BAL

ORIGINAL: Terminus

The Matrix forums are not a free country. You have no rights except those that Matrix choose to give you.

I'm not in favour of disallowing posting of links since that's something that many, if not all, legitimate users here have use for.

However, one surefire way of making the spammers come back is to be stupid enough to reply to their stupid threads, with eloquencies like ... Wonder why that's apparently impossible for people to understand.

SPAM is preferable to your tiresome pontificating. [:-]

[:D]