Large number of spam messages

Due to the large number of spam registrations, I have temporarily deactivated the possibility to sign up, until I have checked all the registrations. If you want to sign up for the forum, please email me and I will register you manually.
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UnFocused
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Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2022 2:22 am

Re: Large number of spam messages

#31 Post by UnFocused » Tue Nov 01, 2022 1:54 pm

Goodness, this board is getting slammed by these slimeballs. :o

Dubious
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 7:55 pm

Re: Large number of spam messages

#32 Post by Dubious » Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:07 pm

Out of curiosity, I used the "translate to English" function on one of the current spam crop, and what the posting offers is quite expansive--ID's, passports, residence permits, premium counterfeit money--it's all there!

"
Buy premium counterfeit money online, Euro, Dollar, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, RAND banknotes available
Our banknotes contain the following security features that make
it awesome. We have some of the best counterfeiting in the world in Euros, Dollars, British Pounds and all your choice of bills.
"
Last edited by Dubious on Sun Nov 06, 2022 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

jgeez
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#33 Post by jgeez » Tue Nov 01, 2022 6:06 pm

I guess translating the spam and posting in the anti spam section is not only spam but meta spam. Certainly ironic spam.

Dubious
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 7:55 pm

Re: Large number of spam messages

#34 Post by Dubious » Wed Nov 02, 2022 5:17 am

Dubious wrote:
Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:07 pm
Out of curiosity, I used the "translate to English" function on one of the current spam crop, and what the posting offers is quite expansive--ID's, passports, residence permits, premium counterfeit money--it's all there!

"
Buy premium counterfeit money online, Euro, Dollar, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, RAND banknotes available
Our banknotes contain the following security features that make
it awesome. We have some of the best counterfeiting in the world in Euros, Dollars, British Pounds and all your choice of bills.
"

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Large number of spam messages

#35 Post by Greg Howald » Wed Nov 02, 2022 12:28 pm

What seems to be missing is mutual respect. It is missing everywhere.. I'm an old man now. I'm not used to this slam and interrupt the other guy just for the sake of making people angry. What can possibly be the point? It ain't funny.

UnFocused
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2022 2:22 am

Re: Large number of spam messages

#36 Post by UnFocused » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:28 pm

abdomeneye wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:32 am
... albeit 10 vetted postings sounds like a lot; would fewer do the job just as well?)....
redactle unlimited
IMO, almost all of this could be controlled with someone approving the first 1 or 2 posts.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#37 Post by Scarodactyl » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:41 pm

UnFocused wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:28 pm

IMO, almost all of this could be controlled with someone approving the first 1 or 2 posts.
Indeed. In fact the very post you've quoted is spam and contains a hidden link. Oliver is going to need to be willing to delegate or this is going to go south.

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Wes
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#38 Post by Wes » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:43 pm

The entire Active topics page is now covered with spam, the only non-spam thread is this one right here.
UnFocused wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:28 pm
abdomeneye wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:32 am
... albeit 10 vetted postings sounds like a lot; would fewer do the job just as well?)....
redactle unlimited
IMO, almost all of this could be controlled with someone approving the first 1 or 2 posts.
A few of us volunteered to be moderators but nothing really came through. Its probably better to just get used to the spam at this point, the topic has been discussed for years and its only gotten worse since then.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
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UnFocused
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#39 Post by UnFocused » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:44 pm

Scarodactyl wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:41 pm

Indeed. In fact the very post you've quoted is spam and contains a hidden link. Oliver is going to need to be willing to delegate or this is going to go south.
Wow. Just saw that guys history, you're spot on. ;) And the link is just a period. Geez.

UnFocused
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#40 Post by UnFocused » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:51 pm

Wes wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:43 pm

A few of us volunteered to be moderators but nothing really came through. Its probably better to just get used to the spam at this point, the topic has been discussed for years and its only gotten worse since then.
I guess I'm concerned that what I am seeing here is the death throws of a forum.

Really, sorry nothing was put into place and the volunteers were not utilized to help with this. I know you guys have a lot invested in this place, and I hate to see this :(

I honestly hope Mr. Oliver has a change of heart.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#41 Post by Scarodactyl » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:52 pm

It's a big problem for sure.

Dubious
Posts: 426
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#42 Post by Dubious » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:55 pm

admin wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:29 pm
Hello,
I have again re-opened the registration of new users, but I will have to approve of it myself. If this is not a feasible solution, then I will try to change the security questions. Adding members manually also takes time...
Oliver
Clearly, something should be done. This morning, the entire page of "Active Topics" is nothing but spam, this thread being the only exception.

LouiseScot
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#43 Post by LouiseScot » Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:19 pm

It's getting silly now! I won't bother posting anything else until this issue is fixed.
Louise
A Nikon CF plan 20x; A Swift 380T; A DIY infinity corrected focus rail system with a 40x/0.65 Olympus Plan, a 10x/0.30 Amscope Plan Fluor, and a 20x/0.75 Nikon Plan Apo

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blekenbleu
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#44 Post by blekenbleu » Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:34 pm

LouiseScot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:19 pm
won't bother posting
Illegitimi non carborundum
Metaphot, Optiphot 1, 66; AO 10, 120, EPIStar, Cycloptic

Javier
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#45 Post by Javier » Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:56 pm

LouiseScot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:19 pm
It's getting silly now! I won't bother posting anything else until this issue is fixed.
Louise
+1

This forum turned unusable.

dtsh
Posts: 977
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Location: Wisconsin

Re: Large number of spam messages

#46 Post by dtsh » Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:08 pm

Javier wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:56 pm
LouiseScot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:19 pm
It's getting silly now! I won't bother posting anything else until this issue is fixed.
Louise
+1

This forum turned unusable.
It was nice knowing you all. Hope to regroup with you at another site when/if such a place become available.

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imkap
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#47 Post by imkap » Thu Nov 03, 2022 8:30 pm

dtsh wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:08 pm
Javier wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:56 pm
LouiseScot wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:19 pm
It's getting silly now! I won't bother posting anything else until this issue is fixed.
Louise
+1

This forum turned unusable.
It was nice knowing you all. Hope to regroup with you at another site when/if such a place become available.
Let's see how all of this resolves, it doesn't seem very complicated to be dealt with, there are multiple simple solutions. I don't see any reason behind our admin's (non) actions. Maybe it is a burden for him and would like it to disappear...

It would be best to switch to a community driven place, but it would require some effort :mrgreen:

Dubious
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#48 Post by Dubious » Thu Nov 03, 2022 8:37 pm

Does anyone have a way to reach Oliver outside the forum? He hasn't signed on in several days and may not be aware of how bad the spam situation has become, or that whatever remedial steps he took just aren't working.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#49 Post by Scarodactyl » Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:22 pm

It's rough. These forums also have a long history of valuable posts and need to be preserved.

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blekenbleu
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#50 Post by blekenbleu » Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:36 pm

Dubious wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 8:37 pm
Does anyone have a way to reach Oliver outside the forum?
Has anyone sent Oliver a PM?
Metaphot, Optiphot 1, 66; AO 10, 120, EPIStar, Cycloptic

UnFocused
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#51 Post by UnFocused » Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:42 pm

blekenbleu wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:36 pm
Has anyone sent Oliver a PM?
No. I did email him though with an address I found on the website.

Shoot him a PM, it might trigger a response if something like email notification for pm's is turned on for him???

PeteM
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Location: N. California

Re: Large number of spam messages

#52 Post by PeteM » Thu Nov 03, 2022 10:33 pm

I've PM'd Oliver in the past to offer assistance, with no response. Perhaps others will have more luck, but it seems that Oliver is uninterested or overwhelmed with no one he trusts to assist?

In the time I've been here, I've noticed Google searches sending more and more people to MicrobeHunter with questions of how to get started. The draw has been the content from members like Apochronaut, Scarodactyl, Tom Jones, Abednego, Bruce Taylor, MrSonchus, MichaelG, MicroBob, zzfnnn, KurtM, 75rr, Wes, Greg, Charles, hkv, dtsh, viktor, ImperatorRex, Javier, Louise, josmann, microcosmos, jfiresto, lorez, RossF, hans and countless others. It should have been a win-win. More traffic for Oliver's site, more views for his YouTube channel, a few more sales of Swift microscopes through the site, a treasure of information for new users, and a collegial community for both long time and more recent contributors.

No longer, it seems. My personal decision has been to PM Oliver and ask him to remove my past posts from this site. Should one of you with a bit of web expertise open up a new site, I'll be happy to support you. Happy to reverse course here as well, should Oliver adopt some of the suggestions other sites use to control spam or at least take on or delegate responsibility to remove them in a timely manner. To me, it's unacceptable for a site that's aimed at curious kids of all ages to be advertising things like Fentanyl and all the other garbage increasingly populating this forum over the past few months.

Dubious
Posts: 426
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#53 Post by Dubious » Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:26 pm

PeteM wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 10:33 pm
I've PM'd Oliver in the past to offer assistance, with no response. Perhaps others will have more luck, but it seems that Oliver is uninterested or overwhelmed with no one he trusts to assist?

In the time I've been here, I've noticed Google searches sending more and more people to MicrobeHunter with questions of how to get started. The draw has been the content from members like Apochronaut, Scarodactyl, Tom Jones, Abednego, Bruce Taylor, MrSonchus, MichaelG, MicroBob, zzfnnn, KurtM, 75rr, Wes, Greg, Charles, hkv, dtsh, viktor, ImperatorRex, Javier, Louise, josmann, microcosmos, jfiresto, lorez, RossF, hans and countless others. It should have been a win-win. More traffic for Oliver's site, more views for his YouTube channel, a few more sales of Swift microscopes through the site, a treasure of information for new users, and a collegial community for both long time and more recent contributors.

No longer, it seems. My personal decision has been to PM Oliver and ask him to remove my past posts from this site. Should one of you with a bit of web expertise open up a new site, I'll be happy to support you. Happy to reverse course here as well, should Oliver adopt some of the suggestions other sites use to control spam or at least take on or delegate responsibility to remove them in a timely manner. To me, it's unacceptable for a site that's aimed at curious kids of all ages to be advertising things like Fentanyl and all the other garbage increasingly populating this forum over the past few months.
I hear you, but would urge everyone not to give up on the site just yet. The method Oliver used to prevent spam obviously did not work, but he is now trying something else that hopefully will work.

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imkap
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#54 Post by imkap » Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:31 pm

Now it is working again... The weeds have been pulled out.
Hopefully it stays this way :D
I think we're in dire need of a broken focus mechanism, a fallen or at least a bit misaligned trinocular head, or a new old scope :!: to get our minds off of Fentanyl (whatever that is :?)

PeteM
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Location: N. California

Re: Large number of spam messages

#55 Post by PeteM » Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:07 am

Thanks, Oliver, for paying attention to this problem. There are members here willing to help, should you need it.

Dubious
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#56 Post by Dubious » Fri Nov 04, 2022 3:22 am

imkap wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:31 pm
Now it is working again... The weeds have been pulled out.
Hopefully it stays this way :D
I think we're in dire need of a broken focus mechanism, a fallen or at least a bit misaligned trinocular head, or a new old scope :!: to get our minds off of Fentanyl (whatever that is :?)
Amen!

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admin
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Re: Large number of spam messages

#57 Post by admin » Fri Nov 04, 2022 5:38 am

Hello everyone,
A big help would be reposting spam posts by clicking the small report button (like many of you have done before). It is then easier for me to remove them.
Oliver
Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to imagination.
(Bertrand Russell)

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