Bot Time

Discussion in 'Site Feedback' started by Plazma Inferno!, Jun 24, 2007.

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  1. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    Dear SciForums members!

    Due to growing number of bots and their posts on SciForums, here is couple of guidelines how to recognize bot:

    1. They usually have strange random generic names (not necessary, they could use some ordinary name) which cannot be connected with some common term.
    Recent bots: Loghikeels, Teesejult or MariaTereza

    2. They open threads in General Science & Technology forum mostly (97%)

    3. Their threads have Post icon (like this thread)

    4. Content of their post is mostly:
    • "Hi! I'm new" (without further text and further interaction)
    • "I found this thread is very informative" (Although, their post is first and only in that thread)
    • "I very much like design of your site. Who is the owner? I would love to know much about this topic. Contact me on [e-mail address provided] (Using this method they gather e-mail addresses from the users who are naive enough and they use them in future spamming and registrations)
    • or some other generic content which has no much sense.


    What you should do:

    1. Do not respond in their threads, not even just for fun (They will never respond you back anyway)
    2. Instead of that report the suspicious thread, so it could be checked and deleted.
    3. For your own good, never send them your e-mail address.


    Cheers!
     
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  3. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    How to tell a bot from a young teenager?
     
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  5. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    I found this thread is very informative!
     
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  7. sandy Banned Banned

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    Me too. And now I know what a bot is.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    And I also like the design of the site.
     
  8. lucifers angel same shit, differant day!! Registered Senior Member

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    how do you know for fact that the person is a bot!
     
  9. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    We need to put a 'Voight-Kampff' button next to the 'report' button.

    Actually, I bet it would be really easy to eliminate bots by requiring new users to answer a random, but extremely easy question prior to being emailed the link for making their userID active.
     
  10. Ripley Valued Senior Member

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    1,411
    So it's forbidden to speak to a robot?

    And so, as the story goes, the seeds of revolt are, at the threshold of 21st century Earth, being sowed as we speak. Extraordinarily odd.
     
  11. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    How do they register? Don't we have a thing where a human has to type a sequence of letters in order to register?
     
  12. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    we didnt when i signed up.
     
  13. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    There are some basic tips I left in my first post. Also, bot will not respond to your post.


    I say black and you say white.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    I suggest that you start nice little conversation with a bot, next time when you noticed one.
    Also, send your e-mail when he/she/it ask you something about the board.
    I suggest that you send your active e-mail address.


    Well, we have Image verification during the registration process, but bots still find the way to enter. :shrug:

    domesticated om

    Actually this is good idea. Some versions of CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) I saw, already have these kind of questions:

    "How many red lines you see in the image?" (Row of different coloured lines in the image)
    "If you add 5 to 3, which number you will get?" (Result should be entered in a form of digit in blank box), etc.

    Obviously, simple entering the digits or letters isn't efficient.
     
  14. sandy Banned Banned

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    I have seen the bots here on other sites. Same comments. Same m.o.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  15. Ripley Valued Senior Member

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    God you people take things literally, it aches—no wonder you claim this site solely for the pedantically "scientifically" minded stilted bore. Regardless. The point is that an operating robot in our midst can only go so far as humans will program it to, such as answering stupid questions and culling for email addresses, until, that is, it can find a method to "understand" independence. Nonetheless, as many science fiction themes suggest a futuristic insurrection involving androids, I find it interesting that current robots might be "reading" the "sci" in Sciforums and registering it as "friendly" territory. I mean, that is funny. [noparse]

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    [/noparse]
     
  16. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah--- but what if we end up giving it ideas

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    Than again.....I seem to recall one of the i-robot stories being about a robot who created a religion around its central operating purpose, then led what it believed to be a revolution .... but it's idea of a revolt turned turned out to be whatever it was designed to do anyway, so they left it alone.
     
  17. Hercules Rockefeller Beatings will continue until morale improves. Moderator

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    It’s difficult to tell whether “sandy” is human. If someone programmed a bot to constantly dribble out the same intolerant racist bigoted ignorant right-wing warmongering religiously-brainwashed crap, I’m not sure I could spot the difference. Same comments, same mo.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  18. Lord Hillyer Banned Banned

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    In other words, almost all threads and posts.

    Yes, I have noticed that the only ones who respond to my posts are moderators. Perhaps all of the members are bots, except the moderators and I?

    My report finger will be awfully busy henceforth, professor.

    It's touching to see a moderator finally aware of and concerned about my own good.
     
  19. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    Is This a Bot?

    Have a look at the "New Virus" thread on Free Thoughts.
    (If it's not been removed)
    Don't know if its a bot but the subject matter is a hoax.
     
  20. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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  21. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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  22. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    S.A.M. said so but im having trouble believing that. I think i didnt understand correctly and she just meant that they can (ofcourse) use the info you post.
     
  23. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    The Nokia one has got an email address you can click on, but the Virus one is just a message. Possibly it's someone whose been alarmed by this hoax and has decided to post a warning :shrug:
     
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