geekhack

Site Announcements and Feedback => Announcements/Feedback/Suggestions => Topic started by: jamster on Tue, 28 July 2020, 05:26:06

Title: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: jamster on Tue, 28 July 2020, 05:26:06
I've not seen this happen on other fora- some new account signs up purely to post a spam URL, but in these cases it's a human who has taken the time to write a plausible post that's vaguely related to the thread topic.

Whenever I've seen this anywhere else, it's just been a generic cut and paste marketing spiel, often in caps. So it's interesting to see that the spammers are making a bit of an effort to come across as plausible, but it's still weird. I do wonder how these spammers are remunerated.
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: fanpeople on Tue, 28 July 2020, 06:04:24
The bots, they are evolving.
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Tue, 28 July 2020, 06:39:39
The air conditioning one today takes it to a new level - we've had generic post then edit to add link before, but never self editing to remove a dodgy link.  Not deleting/banning to see what happens next (https://cdn.geekhack.org/Smileys/solosmileys/laugh.gif)
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: -Jerry- on Tue, 28 July 2020, 07:21:03
I've been thinking this lately too, seen a couple of essay writing ones that were completely unrelated, but a couple that were at least topic appropriate. The bots, they be human!
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: jamster on Tue, 28 July 2020, 07:41:28
The air conditioning one today takes it to a new level - we've had generic post then edit to add link before, but never self editing to remove a dodgy link.  Not deleting/banning to see what happens next [img]https://cdn.geekhack.org/Smileys/solosmileys/laugh.gif[/url]

Yep, that's the one which prompted me to post. It's like a real human is behind this stuff, but the manpower involved must be prohibitive.
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: -Jerry- on Tue, 28 July 2020, 08:01:24
It's like a real human is behind this stuff, but the manpower involved must be prohibitive.

I wonder, come to think of it, if the current state of the world and the number of people unable to find employment has meant that people are willing to do even extremely low paying and tedious spam jobs on the cheap to make a little money.

Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: nmur on Tue, 28 July 2020, 08:16:34
oh no, that's just tp4

he's cool though, been here a while
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: -Jerry- on Tue, 28 July 2020, 08:23:47
oh no, that's just tp4

he's cool though, been here a while
Har har (^_-)
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: ddrfraser1 on Tue, 28 July 2020, 08:40:22
In other news, I just learned the plural of forum is fora  :thumb:
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 16 August 2020, 01:29:48
GPT-3?
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: fanpeople on Sun, 16 August 2020, 01:33:54
GPT-3?

Turns out rowdy isn't dead!  :)
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 16 August 2020, 02:16:07
GPT-3?

Turns out rowdy isn't dead!  :)

The rumours were considerably exaggerated.
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sun, 16 August 2020, 03:31:58
The air conditioning one today takes it to a new level - we've had generic post then edit to add link before, but never self editing to remove a dodgy link.  Not deleting/banning to see what happens next [img]https://cdn.geekhack.org/Smileys/solosmileys/laugh.gif[/url]

Yep, that's the one which prompted me to post. It's like a real human is behind this stuff, but the manpower involved must be prohibitive.

I am disappointed, air con guy has done nothing since.


p.s. Welcome back rowdy :)
Title: Re: What's with the weird spammer accounts that keep signing up?
Post by: yui on Thu, 08 October 2020, 07:31:55
is this promotion-ception?