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- cheddargirl
- Scratch Team
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
We have actually thought about this, but we have encountered problems where users misspell their e-mail address, or use someone else's e-mail address (such as a parent's), or where the user's e-mail client doesn't deliver our mail properly. We could require a email confirmation, or require new scratchers to do a captcha when posting external links.
Not quite true! ;) Granted that you do have to depend on the developer to make the SWF file more accessible, but it's doable and it's something we would like to improve on Scratch going forward. But we're getting a bit off topic. ^^;I personally would find it quite difficult to drag and drop blocks with a screen reader. Also, Scratch is Flash-based, and screen readers can't read Flash.Umm.. I don't know what to say…But I took a HTML5 course last month and the instructor said that all .edu domains could be read with a screen reader.I don't think there are any blind people using Scratch because you can't really use a screen reader with the Scratch project editor… How about the blind peoples?
Sadly, my forum signature was eaten by an evil kumquat.
- mariobros406
- Scratcher
500+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Yeah, I personally think that everything suggested should work. That's right, I said everything!!! That way if they get past one thing, there will be a bunch more. One problem…if this was implanted, it would take forever for a normal person to get in!
Last edited by mariobros406 (Jan. 4, 2014 00:56:26)
I only check in to Scratch from time to time to see what others have been up to. I don't really post anything anymore. I'll occasionally post a question in the AT forum if I can't find an answer anywhere else.
- scratchisthebest
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
It's just once, when you sign up. People expect a CAPTCHA on signup too. It's normal. Yeah, I personally think that everything suggested should work. That's right, I said everything!!! That way if they get past one thing, there will be a bunch more. One problem…if this was implanted, it would take forever for a normal person to get in!
Quick recap:
* Email confermation is a no
* We can't use lettters and numbers b/c XRumer, like, at all.
* As accessable as possible.
* Flash is going to go soon, so no project based (for now)
I am a Lava Expert
- darkness3560
- Scratcher
100+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Remember, my Spamover project is just an example of how my verification system would work. It's like a concept rather than the finished project. The concept I came up with is language-based, so even if XRumer can read it, it can't interpret language, and it doesn't know what to do. It has a color-blind mode for people who can't see color.
- scimonster
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
People don't expect 10 CAPTCHAs. It would seriously turn people away.It's just once, when you sign up. People expect a CAPTCHA on signup too. It's normal. Yeah, I personally think that everything suggested should work. That's right, I said everything!!! That way if they get past one thing, there will be a bunch more. One problem…if this was implanted, it would take forever for a normal person to get in!
Retired Community Moderator
BTW, i run Google Chrome 41.0.2272.101 on a Linux system - Ubuntu 14.04. NEW: iPad 4th gen. w/retina.
418 I'm a teapot (original - to be read by bored computer geeks)
THE GAME (you just lost)
; THE SEMICOLON LIVES ON IN OUR SIGS
- scratchisthebest
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Ah, I thought he meant “or”. That's me skimming posts too quickly for youPeople don't expect 10 CAPTCHAs. It would seriously turn people away.It's just once, when you sign up. People expect a CAPTCHA on signup too. It's normal. Yeah, I personally think that everything suggested should work. That's right, I said everything!!! That way if they get past one thing, there will be a bunch more. One problem…if this was implanted, it would take forever for a normal person to get in!
I am a Lava Expert
- Pipko411
- Scratcher
100+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Maybe we could make them put in their password.
hey I'm becca! scratch's resident old witch
when I receive [Falco]
forever
broadcast [Up Tilt]
end
- Pipko411
- Scratcher
100+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Wait, they should remember their password, nevermind. Maybe we could make them put in their password.
hey I'm becca! scratch's resident old witch
when I receive [Falco]
forever
broadcast [Up Tilt]
end
- jvvg
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
O_OI don't think that that is the case. Oh my God, I think these spambots are causing server downtime… It seems after every time I see the server maintenance page there's a few more spam topics in the forums.
We are usually only getting a few spambots every few days. It would take several orders of magnitude more than that to cause downtime.
Professional web developer and lead engineer on the Scratch Wiki
Maybe the Scratch Team isn't so bad — Why the April Fools' Day forum didn't work last year
- Mozzi64
- Scratcher
100+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Well, maybe you get signed out as soon as you register. Then spambots maybe do not know how to access sign-in.Wait, they should remember their password, nevermind. Maybe we could make them put in their password.
THE POTATOES, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE
HEELLLLPPP
lol
- mario91100
- Scratcher
500+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
O_OOh my (Whoops!), I think these spambots are causing server downtime… It seems after every time I see the server maintenance page there's a few more spam topics in the forums.
Uh oh… not good…
That explains COULD explain all the server downtimes.
Speaking of which, who is going to make a tower defense game out of all this? You bet one is coming.
Then again, could a spambot circumvent the ‘downtime’ gate, and continue spamming without worry of being caught, at least at the time?
Last edited by mario91100 (Jan. 13, 2014 23:55:35)
- jvvg
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
I seriously doubt that spambots are causing downtime. All they do is submit a few cURL requests tothe registration page and forum post page (probably fewer than 10 requests in total, when it takes nearly 200 just to load the front page).O_OOh my (Whoops!), I think these spambots are causing server downtime… It seems after every time I see the server maintenance page there's a few more spam topics in the forums.
Uh oh… not good…
That explains all the server downtimes.
Speaking of which, who is going to make a tower defense game out of all this? You bet one is coming.
Then again, could a spambot circumvent the ‘downtime’ gate, and continue spamming without worry of being caught, at least at the time?
Professional web developer and lead engineer on the Scratch Wiki
Maybe the Scratch Team isn't so bad — Why the April Fools' Day forum didn't work last year
- LuxrayStar
- Scratcher
100+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Maybe someone could make a project to raise awareness of this problem…
- Rumanti
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
I do not remember who's idea is this, but I think a censor that stops New Scratchers from posting external links (even though it's not clickable) would be effective.
Spammer: *posted 25 harmful links to commercial spammy websites*
Spammer: *submit*
Censor: Oh noes! You can not post links outside of Scratch and approved websites. Please don't post links outside approved websites until you're a Scratcher
Spammer: !@#%!@~(&*^&($!
It would be a pain, though, for New Scratchers that want to post in MaC. But this would be effective, to prevent both spammers and spambots.
Another idea: Users who sign with email from stopforumspam.com can not make accounts.
Spammer: *posted 25 harmful links to commercial spammy websites*
Spammer: *submit*
Censor: Oh noes! You can not post links outside of Scratch and approved websites. Please don't post links outside approved websites until you're a Scratcher
Spammer: !@#%!@~(&*^&($!
It would be a pain, though, for New Scratchers that want to post in MaC. But this would be effective, to prevent both spammers and spambots.
Another idea: Users who sign with email from stopforumspam.com can not make accounts.
:wq
- Sonickyle
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
But most of the smammers I've seen advertise websites where you can watch movies for free, but there are no links anyway. I do not remember who's idea is this, but I think a censor that stops New Scratchers from posting external links (even though it's not clickable) would be effective.
Spammer: *posted 25 harmful links to commercial spammy websites*
Spammer: *submit*
Censor: Oh noes! You can not post links outside of Scratch and approved websites. Please don't post links outside approved websites until you're a Scratcher
Spammer: !@#%!@~(&*^&($!
It would be a pain, though, for New Scratchers that want to post in MaC. But this would be effective, to prevent both spammers and spambots.
Another idea: Users who sign with email from stopforumspam.com can not make accounts.
No I don't make projects anymore. I left some time ago.
I only check the forums every now and then, but other than that consider me retired.
I only check the forums every now and then, but other than that consider me retired.
- NoxSpooth
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Actually there But most of the smammers I've seen advertise websites where you can watch movies for free, but there are no links anyway.are links. You can see them when you quote the post.
- Rumanti
- Scratcher
1000+ posts
Spambot activity - How you can stop it
Thanks to the New Scratcher statusActually there But most of the smammers I've seen advertise websites where you can watch movies for free, but there are no links anyway.are links. You can see them when you quote the post.
However, even if they don't appear as links, some spammers posted them as URLs, which anyone could copy and paste. It would be great if the censor blocked THE POST, and not THE LINKS. (sorry, caps.)
:wq