What do you do if you see SPAM?

**Plane Sailing** · 18th June 2008, 04:58 PM

If you spot spam, please:

a) post in the thread to say that you're reporting it
b) report it

At the moment we're often seeing our 'reported posts' forum filling up with multiple reports of spammers from different people!

We appreciate your help in spotting spam, and this policy will help make sure that get exactly the right number of reports of spammy posts.

Thanks!

**Rel** · 18th June 2008, 06:31 PM

I would just add by way of clarification:

c) If you see in a spam post that somebody else has already reported it, don't feel the need to report it yourself. Instead use that time to...

d) Enjoy a tasty beverage of your choice.

Mustrum_Ridcully · 20th June 2008, 12:33 PM

So, the clever spammer will post his spam and then, under a different account post that he already reported it.

This will give a clever spammer approximately 12.5 extra minutes of screentime, which roughly translates into 0.32 $ Cent of money, or 0.008 € Cent (conversion rate $/€ guessed, not googled)

If spammers just were clever, they could be rich!

**Darkness** · 21st June 2008, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustrum_Ridcully

So, the clever spammer will post his spam and then, under a different account post that he already reported it.

While that's not likely to happen, you're certainly right that it could. For example, there's a spamming method where the first account starts a thread and asks for help with something; this post contains no spam links at all. Then the second account appears and posts a reply containing a spam link that's supposed to solve the original poster's problem.
Of course, it's unlikely that a spammer would put in a similar amount of effort just to spam EN World.

Anyway, there's a way to spot a report scam. If someone who has only 1 post claims to have reported something, you should assume that's not correct. You see, a report generates a post (by the reporting user) in the Reported Posts forum and thus, 1 report + 1 post saying 'Reported' = 2 posts.

blargney the second · 21st June 2008, 09:52 AM

Yeah, I had a rash of those on my site, Darkness. They look innocuous at first...

Slife · 28th June 2008, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkness

Anyway, there's a way to spot a report scam. If someone who has only 1 post claims to have reported something, you should assume that's not correct. You see, a report generates a post (by the reporting user) in the Reported Posts forum and thus, 1 report + 1 post saying 'Reported' = 2 posts.

Hmm... so all those members overconcerned with postcount have an incentive to report spam. I like it.

**Plane Sailing** · 30th June 2008, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustrum_Ridcully

So, the clever spammer will post his spam and then, under a different account post that he already reported it.

Happily we seem to be getting persistent but stupid spammers - probably spambots.

**Darkness** · 3rd July 2008, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slife

Hmm... so all those members overconcerned with postcount have an incentive to report spam. I like it.

Apparently, these times are gone now that we have the EN World 2 software upgrade; I just saw a report by a guy with 0 posts.

Dog Moon · 3rd July 2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slife

Hmm... so all those members overconcerned with postcount have an incentive to report spam. I like it.

Actually, if the thread is completely deleted, the postcount +1 for typing in reported will go back -1 when the thread is deleted because it's as if the spam message and the reported message never existed in the first place.

**Darkness** · 3rd July 2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dog Moon

Actually, if the thread is completely deleted, the postcount +1 for typing in reported will go back -1 when the thread is deleted because it's as if the spam message and the reported message never existed in the first place.

Yep. Only the Report was a lasting increase.

Asmo · 26th December 2008, 04:16 PM

I reported http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-l...es-2008-a.html as spam and posted in the thread that I´m reporting it.
It´s still up; did I do anything wrong?
(I´ve seen spam reported and taken away during this time, so I´m guessing that something is wrong)

Asmo

**Umbran** · 26th December 2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asmo

I reported http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-l...es-2008-a.html as spam and posted in the thread that I´m reporting it.
It´s still up; did I do anything wrong?
(I´ve seen spam reported and taken away during this time, so I´m guessing that something is wrong)

No, what you're seeing is the fact that the process for dealing with things that get through the filters is manual. It depends on a mod seeing your reported post. Whoever was dealing with spam posts since your report may simply not have looked at your report, or somesuch.

We'll get it - eventually. Have no fear.

Nifft · 30th May 2009, 04:09 PM

Apparently reporting a post as spam counts as posting.

So I must wait 30 seconds between typing "spam spam spammity spam" in the report window, and typing "reported" in the quick reply box.

This is annoying. Please fix.

Thanks, -- N

**Piratecat** · 30th May 2009, 04:55 PM

Type "reported" first, I think. Then you can report the post. Maybe a little more palatable - or not.

Thank you for reporting it!

Nifft · 30th May 2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piratecat

Type "reported" first, I think. Then you can report the post.

Ah, that'll work.

Though it feels slightly dishonest to say "reported" when I have not, in fact, reported it yet ... maybe I'll say "reporting".

Thanks, -- N