Advertisers Reporting Topic

[Utsuho Lazy]

As you might have noticed, recently we've been having a lot of advertisers registering on our site. They might be either spambot (programs written to register and then post advertising contents in forums automatically) or human, who intentionally register then post advertisements. I'm not sure as to why they do so, but most likely because they receive some sort of income for any successful piece of advertisement (that is, for each time someone clicks on the advertising links that they post, they get some money). We've already had clear rules about how we are against such advertisings in our forums.

There seem to be two types of advertisers registering in our forums recently. The first type make new topics where they post obvious advertising contents, those are very easy to recognize and deal with. The second type post in existing topics with on-topic contents, however the way they word their sentences will be strange and completely unlike us normal internet users (ex. too polite, saying random things, etc.) And this second type always have a link (and only a link) in their signature that leads to a profitable website (ex. sites selling memory cards, human translation service sites, etc.)

Hence, if you spot any advertiser of either type, please make a post in this topic with a link to either the advertiser's post or profile. Then the board staff will take care of them as soon as possible.

Of course, this topic can also be used to report advertisers and spammers who write meaningless or advertising contents into our board's Wiki (some of them even register 10 new accounts at once without doing anything else, wasting some of our server capacity). You can also use it to report any sort of normal spammers in the forums too. With everyone's support, we'll be able to keep our forums well-organized and clean of advertisements.

[wizzardx]

Thanks for making this topic
I've subscribed to it, so I'll get mails if there are updates here.

Also a quick note: The links aren't really for people to click on (though there is that too), but rather to try to fool search services like Google into giving those spammy sites higher search result rankings. It's basically a really annoying form of Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO), called spamdexing, specifically link spam.

[Osric]

Here's another one:

http://artonelico.isisview.org/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1001

Even if this time the post is somewhat InTopic, the sig leaves little room for doubts.

[wizzardx]

Thanks for the notification.
Deleted the sig, and warned the user.

[Utsuho Lazy]

A new spammer here: wiki/index.php/NFL_-_The_Basic_Story

It's most likely the same guy as before, judging by the article title.

[wizzardx]

A new spammer here: wiki/index.php/NFL_-_The_Basic_Story

It's most likely the same guy as before, judging by the article title.

Already handled (in the wiki topic in Observatory)

[Kiari]

Spammer?
wiki/index.php/NFL_Super_Bowl_XLIV_Tickets

[wizzardx]

It looks like Aquagon handled it

[Joel Dunamis]

1 advertiser found!
Warning! Warning!

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=938

The signature is linked to some kind of translation service or something like that.

[wizzardx]

Thanks for the report
I've deleted the sig and warned the user.

[veil13]

There's another new advertiser:
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1014
It's selling anything related to dog, such as dogs' bed, dogs' crates, and many things.

[wizzardx]

Thanks for the report, sig deleted, and user warned.

I wonder if we should also put a capcha on the forum registration? (iirc, you can chat immediately after signing up, though you do also get an email).

Also, dog products is a change from translation services and cheap electronics . I wonder if it's partly because of my recent Shun+Wizzard posts?

I'm annoyed for some reason, I hope it isn't a new trend

[L-Voss]

I wonder if we should also put a capcha on the forum registration? (iirc, you can chat immediately after signing up, though you do also get an email).

I think, given all those spammers, that we should.

[wizzardx]

I think, given all those spammers, that we should.

I'll take a look at it soon then, hopefully by this weekend.

I hope it will be simple to add like the wiki's was, though in my experience some phpbb mods can require quite a bit of manual PHP editing to install, and our registration page already has some of Deci's customizations .

[veil13]

I found something new, and this time it's a spam page:
wiki/index.php/NFL_Merchandise_Products

Edit: Aquagon-sama already took care of it. He was in ARMchat when I told everyone about this page.

[Altivarde]

OK,looks like I find this advertiser...
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1035

Spoiler for "rants":  [ Open ]

First online translator...Then dog product...Now kitchen...
WhatisthisIdon'teven

[wizzardx]

Thanks, deleted sig, and warned user.

Spoiler:  [ Open ]

I think it's mainly random customers who're paying for "search engine optimization" services. ie tricking Google into giving those sites better search rankings, when lots of forums/blogs/etc have links to them.

[Joel Dunamis]

Look what I found when I was aimlessly wandering in Site-related Project Discussion!
It's an advertiser!
Ugh, why did they always appear every now and then? I bet most of them don't even know what Ar tonelico is.

[wizzardx]

Thanks, warned user and deleted sig.

Actually this is the second time for this account. In the warning I said I'd ban them if they did it a 3rd time. Not that it makes any difference.

(and, I seriously need to get around to adding the forum new user capcha).

And yeah, I don't think that the spammers know or care about AT - we're just random forum #100,000 or so that they spam on.

[Altivarde]

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1039
Another,I think,after checking the page...