Curious number of "views"

Discussion in 'Site Feedback' started by quantum_wave, Nov 11, 2012.

  1. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    I am wondering about the number of views shown for some threads and the curious user names that seem to correspond to the new viewers. In the past various unremarkable posts/threads might go days with only a few new viewers, but lately there has been a marked increase and they don't seem to be real viewers. Is the increase coming from the advertising bots that seem to be registering? Why would they be "viewing" threads and not posting automated ads? Do you know the explanation?
     
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  3. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    For example, the following "curious member names" viewed this thread in the first 20 minutes: blipamlileced, PexSlemable, geanianex. They probably aren't really human members are they?
     
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  5. arauca Banned Banned

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    So old timer did your wife read your letter ?
     
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  7. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Oh yes, lol. She thanked me for the sentiment. I know the thread got off topic but I did mention her response. Oops, here we are getting off topic here now.
     
  8. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, she thanked me for the sentiment.
     
  9. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    Web content is surfed by Spiders (bots) who review as many pages as they can.
    This can be for
    - significance in advertising
    - To decide what pages to serve by your server
    - Search Engines sort relevant content regularly. When you start a website it cannot be found in a search engine until after you have submitted an application to the search engines and they have sent a spider to your site(s).

    There are spam bots around like you say, but I don't think they are very good yet. It is unlikely you will see much advertising from bots here.

    People can also misrepresent views by using back and forward functions as page mechanics can be unforgiving when adding. The page does not know you are backing out of the thread it is just opening the pages again and adding views.

    If you notice anything to spectacular then perhaps a glitch has occurred and the programmer needs to review how his calculations occur.

    I cannot answer your question entirely though. If you think this could describe what you have seen then problem solved, but maybe not.
     
  10. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    I don't know. Look at the names of people regestering, look at the names of people online at any given time, look at the names of the people who are viewing threads. Are you saying that a search engine bot will register and linger on line, viewing threads that have no activity, etc.?

    I have a thread that had 100 views overnight and look at the names of those who were members who have viewed the thread overnight: Speenoxommoth, ciugyevf, Yhzkdmtn, Xyymhpph, Duerwenue, Garymooyson, hpiupd9ud, uphokeBuh, xvggnv4le, Xqktinsk, Tickinvek, blipamlileced, FeniaidereFum, Utiplysymmeme, JosephTQ, WeeceVotApeno, edissiodo, PexSlemable, buysaxuh, geanianex, TorAlarkgok, Gnsnonro, Cyslergere, CabdiubbalBIC, Rptnzfhy, gxlsip0ul, slorgownego, Baicaoccugs, agreedspasH, pymnerymn, Atghqkoc, ReroNuremew, Pineepayday, Temivertami, temyCecyGrory, Gojqfmab, Vilkirldarp, zoortiliotiaw, Nusyzeshy, HauttyChooppy, kileLeate, lorireutlet, Oxymncync, Pyielqsf, Aknbudxv, Hepteenesarie, edullieli, kerrynego, Zlbfzcjs, eaocsdfg, Nammhuaz, gbkkfu0ck, cxznlabfiluk, rspyqh1bo, alefSwile, awawHeita, Heelryfribe, PoornekedWeef, autoffquero, RispPraipsy, steseSkiffkit, CWFrank

    Do you recognize any of them? I don't see any posts by them? Who are they and why are they registering, viewing, but not posting. I would like to understand it.
     
  11. Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    kwhilborn, don't be so sure - we moderators remove dozens of spam posts daily that never show up only because they require "moderator approval" before they are visible to the general population (for users under a certain postcount anyway). The fun thing is, if you were to look at the main page through a moderators eyes... you would see a wall of "thread deleted by XXXXXX" and not much else XD
     
  12. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    OK, so let me see if I can make out a scenario about what is happening and get it confirmed or modified by you to make sense. Anyone who wants to spam a product across the internet, say to any and all forums or even any websites, what they do is purchase a spam bot, fill in the various fields and attach ads and pics and links, etc. and turn it loose. Supposing there are thousands and thousands of products and websites that have an inclination to do this, then there would be an endless stream of spam bots. Presumably they are patterned after the search engine spiders and web crawlers but with the intent of not just gathering info, but leaving ads and posts, etc.

    If that is anywhere near right, why is it so hard to screen them out? How do they get past the scrambled word screen?
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2012
  13. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    @ Kittamaru,

    I was referring to robot spiders that run from search engines like google. I also referenced how back arrows and forward arrows used in navigation can add false math in some web pages depending on programming. I in no way was referring to moderators or even humans. I guess it could be confusing.
     
  14. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Aliens then, right, lol. I mentioned in another thread that if you try to pronounce their names it comes out in alien tongue. But still, I would like a response to my supposed scenario and questios posed in the post right above yours, i.e. if it is web bots and spiders, "why is it so hard to screen them out? How do they get past the scrambled word screen?" And let me add this question, how is it that hundreds of them view threads day after day and leave no posts. I check often to see if they post and then the posts get deleted and I don't see any posting, just viewing. Is there any explanation and is there a plan for a fix?
     
  15. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Seven o'clock and there are 100 members on-line. Of those, only ten are real people. We are down to a small core of regular participants, and the rest of the members are fake. I am wondering if the forum is going to make it through this spamming onslaught, and if not, are we likely to lose our archives? Should we be downloading the threads we want to keep?
     
  16. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    2,088
    I am not sure how spiders work at their core, but every website submits applications to these engines when they are created. You often simply subscribe to a service which will sign you up for many search engines. It is frustrating waiting for your websites to show up on google and can take 1-6 weeks.

    I wish I could be more helpful, but have only seen this from the side of a website developer.
     
  17. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    That's fine, and thank you. This forum is for site feedback, and I expect someone in management is following it. Are there no answers to my questions.
     
  18. scheherazade Northern Horse Whisperer Valued Senior Member

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    I have noticed the same kind of activity, Quantum.

    One reason for registering even if one does not post is that one can view more of the forum content. One cannot look at member profiles etc. without being registered and signed in on many forums and there are often some sub-forums that are likewise only for members. Just a thought....
     
  19. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    They probably don't post due to the moderation anti spam software installed. However they are now installed on the data base and their must be literally thousands of spam usernames waiting to pounce
    To remove them they would normally have to be done one by one [ only to be replaced by a few thousand more]
    The membership has grown tremendously over the last 3 months or so... obviously nearly all growth in a "declining" forum is spam usernames. [increased 30,000 members in the last few months - most are spammers]
    The problem is not that they are not posting but that they are filling the database with spam usernames instead.
    I recommended a free cloud based DNS anti spam system ages ago but to no avail. [ I use it myself and so far over 2000 spam bots have been blocked in less than 2 months, some of which were extreme threats.]
    There are ways to erradicate the spam usernames but I am not particularilly keen to offer free help any more...so I am just waiting to see what happens.
     
  20. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, I see your point. However, if these are spam bots that are gathering profile data then that adds a whole new concern :yikes:.

    I did make another observation of the "curious viewing". Not to draw attention to my pseudoscience leanings, but that has to be one of the least active sub-forums and yet I was getting hundreds of views a day on my thread. All of a sudden a few days ago the views dropped back to the more normal almost none. The difference was that while I was getting hundreds of views my thread was at the top of the list in the sub-forum. As soon as another thread was moved to the top, that thread started getting all those views. My premise is that the top thread in the pseudoscience forum, and maybe in other forums though I didn't check, is viewed by these spam bots for some reason but they stop there and don't view on down the list of threads.
     
  21. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Who is kukisis? It is viewing every thread and post it seems. Also I have noticed some of the 'alien" members members viewing profiles and creating threads, though I guess that is what they do. Any updates on a resolution to the spammers?
     
  22. Quantum Quack Life's a tease... Valued Senior Member

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    Suggestion:
    A mail out has be organized so that legit members can re-authenticate their membership. Then delete all usernames not authenticated after say a 7 day period. [ or something similar ]
    Create a special group called " post- spam group " and move all authenticated members to that group. then after a certain time delete the original registered members group. this would quickly and easily clean up most spammers.
    [you would also find out who actually wants to be an active member here as well..... scarey hey?]
     

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