The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Our sympathies, Floyd

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

Our sympathies, Floyd

A deluge of unprecedented proportions.  Sorry we can't help more than just "report", not that it's necessary in this case.

Tom

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Wish we could do more! You certainly have your work cut out to clean this mess up! 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

figured out the pictures with cars and streetlights in them:-)

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

Good one dab.

No doubt they did!

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I started reporting the posts and realized, omg! They go down the entire front page!

I think I'll mix up a stiff yeasted dough and punch the spam out of it!  ? 

After i "report" the post.  The more reports, the sooner it stops blocking up the front page.

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

delete all the posts or is there some kind of algorithm that will do it automatically if there are enough reports?

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

TFL ain't Facebook, so I wouldn't expect Floyd's code to be capable of fending off anything like this particular onslaught automatically/algorithmically.  If it had such capability, the sludge wouldn't be accumulating here in the first place.  It's an arms race and the spammers currently have the upper hand.  I assume Floyd normally deletes them manually, which would also suggest that as soon as he does so this time, they just keep flooding back in. 

As far as I (and most Loafers?) am concerned, it'd be fine for Floyd to just shutter the site completely until the spammers realize their knocking on a door to nowhere.  Maybe they have an algorithm that automatically diverts their spam code from moribund IP addresses.  How long Floyd would have to play that cat&mouse game is anybody's guess.  And it's also possible that Floyd's advertising support agreements don't allow him to shut down the site for any significant period of time.  Oh the joys of site admin.

And why TFL, of all sites?  I wonder what others get smothered in this WATCH FIGHTS nonsense.  Surely the spammers haven't concluded that bakers are uniquely keen to watch boxing. 

Or are we?  ?

Tom

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

Go Floyd! We know you can beat them! ?

Floydm's picture
Floydm

TFL has a high page rank for public forum, so spammers get a big search engine bump for their efforts. At least they would if we didn't delete the spam, which we do asap.

Abe's picture
Abe (not verified)

Should get a few more people on board purely for the purpose of cleaning up spam when it pops up.

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

especially when the bots seem to be multiplying!

Skibum's picture
Skibum

It is truly sad when a low life loser get's his jollies by spamming a bread baking site. I now understand the greater scrutiny in logging in. Can the offending users not be blocked from this site?

Happy baking and spam killing! Ski

Abe's picture
Abe (not verified)

I'm seeing the trash disappear as we type. Thank you Floyd.

dstroy's picture
dstroy

we're working on it. standby. New users are going to be particularly scrutinized at the moment. We're being flooded.

Abe's picture
Abe (not verified)

Pleased to meet you. Thank you for doing a great job. 

I have an idea. How about we all have a code word to use in our posts and comments otherwise it won't get posted. If that's possible. 

dstroy's picture
dstroy

we have something like that going on.

Floydm's picture
Floydm

There are a number of spam controls here, some automated, some manual, and some automated but need tuning periodically.

I got a new phone last week after I laundered my previous phone, and my new phone decided that the flood of email notifications I get during a spam attack were themselves spam, so I didn't see them and the spammers got free rein for far longer than normal.

They are still posting, we are still deleting, so it goes. But I'm getting notifications now and will strike quickly.

Yippee's picture
Yippee

for your efforts in safeguarding our playground! 

Yippee

 

 

 

plevee's picture
plevee

Thank you for all your work and for all the years you have kept this wonderful site open and functioning.  Patsy

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

:)   

leslieruf's picture
leslieruf

Who would have thought it worthwhile spamming a site like this.  thank you Floyd & Dorota

Leslie

old baker's picture
old baker

Doing a good job.

I frequent several web forums about various subjects and this is the only one that is hacked.  I suspect the other forums use software that has more protection from hackers.  These forums use a canned system pre-programmed.  Maybe Floyd should consider switching to alternate software and not even consider shutting this on down even temporarily.

DesigningWoman's picture
DesigningWoman

Like Mini, I'd tried reporting, but just gave up after the first two pages!

Carole 

David R's picture
David R

Spammers are not aiming. Spammers shoot everywhere indiscriminately, because they know that enough of those shots will result in a hit that it's worthwhile for them to continue.

Yippee's picture
Yippee

???

David R's picture
David R

They know that most people won't click. They also know that a few will, and a few is enough.

Cellarvie's picture
Cellarvie

Thank you Floyd for coping with the recent deluge of spam and for enabling us all to learn, share and encourage.  This site is such an amazing community.  Hope you can get some rest now that it's slowing down.

pmccool's picture
pmccool

You probably got tired of seeing my reports, in addition to all of the spam, but I'm glad that you keep the site humming.

Paul