spam (adult) on forum

[Overmars]

Hi,

I have a phpbb forum http://www.doemeermetvideo.com/forum/
but recently people sign up and place adult content links on my website. Each time under a different name. I already activated the need to type in characters from a picture but this doesn't work.
How can I prevent this?
thanks for your help
Gerard

[Girlonthehill]

Hi Gerard,
In short I don't think that you can prevent this from happening. It just boils down to tight management of your forum. Set your preferences so that you are notified each time a new member signs up and be on the ball to check it. Maybe you have a trusted member or friend that can act as an admin in your absence to help when you can't be around?

I don't know if it's possible, but it may be worth having a search through the many PHPBB sites to see if there is an 'add-on' available to help you with this problem.

[VodaHost]

Its all part of running a forum, we delete 20+ spammers per day...

[allstarfaces]

just to add that if you go into control etc in phpbb in your admin apnel you can make a choice of three, they being let the person signing up do there own set up or have none or the last one which i suggest you use is to have you receive an email asking you if you want to let them become a member, just tick one of the 3 boxes in control,admin

[VodaHost]

moving to forum section.

[racefan20]

Setting the activation to admin will drive away visitors if you're not able to staff your forum 24 hours a day. If someone wants to post, they want to post now. If they have to wait for activation, they may never return once they are activated.

***** is right - it's all part of running a forum. Spam is going to show up no matter what you do. You can delete the members when they show up, or you can make examples of them which may discourage others from making an effort when they see it will be removed quickly. Here's an example of what I like to do on my forum: http://www.daysofblunder.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2087

[Aliens Anonymous]

Setting the activation to admin will drive away visitors if you're not able to staff your forum 24 hours a day. If someone wants to post, they want to post now. If they have to wait for activation, they may never return once they are activated.

***** is right - it's all part of running a forum. Spam is going to show up no matter what you do. You can delete the members when they show up, or you can make examples of them which may discourage others from making an effort when they see it will be removed quickly. Here's an example of what I like to do on my forum: http://www.daysofblunder.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2087

That is the funniest thing i've seen in a long time cheered up no end,thanks Racefan

[pet121]

Spammers will always be around, I am a little more aggressive on the issue. I will delete, trace route, get their email address send them a message, then file a spam report. Then make an ass out of them, they deserve the hospiltality. pet121

[circuspet.com]

Say Race,

If there's not a good administrator on the forum can *** *****"s steel members info?

[rcmaddawg]

LMAO Racefan...that was great. I can say, I have seen many attempts over the yrs of admins trying to get rid of spammers, and we have always been told it is just to police the forum like crazy.

[pet121]

My forum was hacked and wacked, I have to start from scratch. Not happy about it, but I have information to take some course of action. Anything with php must always be careful of spam and malcious hacks. pet121

[Vasili]

.....that is exactly why I have steered far from establishing an actual "Fourm" and have modelled around using email and a section that I post comments or relevant information. It's even hard to co-ordinate installing the proper "Live Help" utility (we get over 1,000 emails a day)...I don't have the time to babysit, the expertise to catch threats, or the inclination to play cop...

[racefan20]

Say Race,

If there's not a good administrator on the forum can *** *****"s steel members info?

Doubtful. Even if a forum is hacked, most of the info connected to members is encrypted in a database. They might get your email address, but that's about it.

[racefan20]

LMAO Racefan...that was great. I can say, I have seen many attempts over the yrs of admins trying to get rid of spammers, and we have always been told it is just to police the forum like crazy.

And that's exactly right. I'm fortunate in that I have an admin who is on there 90% of the time.

[JaanEST]

Its all part of running a forum, we delete 20+ spammers per day...

wow this is mean, i had sometime ago a graphics forum... and i had over 700 users who were very active and one just one day i saw that i have 720 users and i went to sleep and when i woke up i saw that i have over 800 users with one day :o ( we had graphics contests to ) and then i noriced that those 100 extra members were making spelling mistakes in one and the same sentence and i remember that there was one guy X-Dream soo... i banned him and deleted all ( over 100 ) accounts, this one was like real evil... he used those accounts to add points to his works... lamer (sorry for bad english i'm very sleepy)