# We have turned off unregistered posting in this forum!



## Piratecat (Jul 7, 2006)

Previously, Meta was the only forum where an unregistered person could post. That means it has been getting the lion's share of the spam. Since our email addresses are readily apparent here, and since authentic registered posters only show up occasionally, we've turned off the unregistered posting in an attempt to stem the influx of Xanax and pr0n ads.


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## DaveMage (Jul 7, 2006)

Thank you.

They were getting quite annoying.


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## Piratecat (Jul 7, 2006)

We agree. My own general routine was to read our email, delete the Reported Post notices, open up the Meta forum, ban the username if possible, copy the url, delete the post, open up a template on the admin panel, paste the url into a blacklist, and then go back and confirm for other moderators that spam was removed. Anything that reduces those tasks is a fine, fine thing.


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## Dog Moon (Jul 8, 2006)

Well, since I just noticed that there's new spam from a registered person [which unfortunately means the spam won't be ending...], a question came to mind.  Is it easier to remove the spam if it's from a registered person than if the spam was from an unregistered name?


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## Nightfall (Jul 8, 2006)

down with pron!! up with...well the other stuff!


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## BOZ (Jul 8, 2006)

having that feature does have a useful purpose though, so it would be good to have it return in the future.  do you plan to turn it off for awhile (a few weeks, a month, whatever) and then test it again to see if the spammers have given up?


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## Nyaricus (Jul 8, 2006)

just reported two new posts with spam.

Bad engrish and spelging in those threads :\


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## Bront (Jul 8, 2006)

BOZ said:
			
		

> having that feature does have a useful purpose though, so it would be good to have it return in the future.  do you plan to turn it off for awhile (a few weeks, a month, whatever) and then test it again to see if the spammers have given up?



Spammers never give up


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## Dog Moon (Jul 8, 2006)

Bront said:
			
		

> Spammers never give up




Sad but true.  Saw a spammer register just to spread the spam.


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## Umbran (Jul 8, 2006)

BOZ said:
			
		

> having that feature does have a useful purpose though




In theory.  In practice, it was rarely used.  Far more often, folks chose to e-mail mods or admins, whose addresses are readily available.  Given that the workaround seems to be the preferred communication channel, we aren't losing much.


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## kirinke (Jul 8, 2006)

Hopes aside, spammers will always find a way to spam. They must eat tons of the stuff.


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## genshou (Jul 9, 2006)

I had a spam-ridden email address that was inactive for nine months.  Turned it back on and got two hundred emails in the first five minutes, all spam.  I'm afraid it probably isn't going to get any better if you turn the feature back on later in time.


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## Jdvn1 (Jul 9, 2006)

Umbran said:
			
		

> In theory.  In practice, it was rarely used.



While true, I have to agree with Boz. It was super-useful. And, no matter how rarely it was used, whenever a user (like me  ) _did_ use it, it was invaluable.


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## Nyaricus (Jul 9, 2006)

genshou said:
			
		

> I had a spam-ridden email address that was inactive for nine months.  Turned it back on and got two hundred emails in the first five minutes, all spam.  I'm afraid it probably isn't going to get any better if you turn the feature back on later in time.



wow dude, that's friggin insane.


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## Jdvn1 (Jul 10, 2006)

Interestingly, I've seen two "registered" spam since the unregistered posting has been turned off.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=167939
http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2936033&postcount=1118

Is it possible that the lack of unregistered posting only attracts registered spam? Because I'd much rather have spam be contained to Meta than have it be in other forums.


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## Piratecat (Jul 10, 2006)

Ah, what you don't realize is that we already have a lot of registered spam, but that an automatic filter takers care of most of it before it ever reaches the forums. When spam gets through, I enter the url on the blacklist - and that's the only time spam for the site will show up.


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## Jdvn1 (Jul 10, 2006)

Just seemed suspicious to get two in such a small timeperiod, when I haven't noticed any registered spam in a while.


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## DaveMage (Jul 17, 2006)

I love the new "I'm a Spammer" category.


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## BOZ (Jul 17, 2006)

me too!  i'm definitely digging it!    any real people that have a problem with using that can easily fix it.

you know though, i actually ran into a situation where having unregistered posting would have come in handy right now.  i'm on my wife's machine due to some unresolved technical issues on my own.    i was using IE to post, and then suddenly i was logged out and couldn't log back in.  i deleted my cookies, but still no luck.  i thought i was about to be done for the night, when i remembered that she has another browser, so here i am.


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## Piratecat (Jul 17, 2006)

Remember, our email addresses are up there in the sticky thread. Just shoot us an email.


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## BOZ (Jul 17, 2006)

it's easy to forget.  

wait, what did you say again?


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## Knight Otu (Jul 17, 2006)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> I love the new "I'm a Spammer" category.



Then you should prove your love and use it.


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## genshou (Jul 17, 2006)

Knight Otu said:
			
		

> Then you should prove your love and use it.



I have been considering doing just that, to see what would happen.  Probably with a dummy account... just in case.


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## DaveMage (Jul 18, 2006)

Knight Otu said:
			
		

> Then you should prove your love and use it.





Show us this loyalty...throw yourself unto your sword.
-Ming the Merciless


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## kirinke (Jul 18, 2006)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Show us this loyalty...throw yourself unto your sword.
> -Ming the Merciless




Naa. What do you think I am, principled?
*Rams sword into bad-guy.

See? Evil does not equate stupid.


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