Spam Bot Attack 03/08/2021

[Drew Dowdell]

Good morning,

 

We apologize strongly with regards to the Spam message you received overnight. We were attacked by Spam bots and they have been dealt with.   In addition to addressing the bot that attacked us yesterday, we've implemented the following changes.

 

• Manual approval of all new accounts, any new user is approved by me personally before they are allowed to post anything or send Private Messages.
• New Users cannot PM more than 2 members until they've made 10 approved posts in our forums. 
• New users cannot edit their About Me until 10 approved posts, this limits potential for profile link Spam.
• New Anti-Spam software subscription that bans messages sent from certain countries (all of the non-English speaking world) and also bans messages that contain commonly used Spam keywords.

We feel that these measures we've taken will eliminate this issue from ever happening again.  We are currently in process of cleaning up all 4,000+ private messages the Spam bots sent.

 

We have been an active automotive forum for nearly 20 years and will be celebrating our 20th in August of this year.  

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Drew Dowdell

Editor in Chief 

CheersandGears.com

[G. David Felt]

Awesome update Drew, WOW, 20 years has flown by. Thanks for all you do for us!

[oldshurst442]

6 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

We were attacked by Spam bots

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

and they have been dealt with.

 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

6 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

We have been an active automotive forum for nearly 20 years and will be celebrating our 20th in August of this year.  

Happy 20th CheersandGears!

 

[USA-1]

Thanks for update, Drew. 

[trinacriabob]

With regard to these annoyances, let's hope we've said, "Hasta la vista, baby."

[Drew Dowdell]

On 3/24/2021 at 11:47 AM, trinacriabob said:

With regard to these annoyances, let's hope we've said, "Hasta la vista, baby."

I think it was successful. The spam account signups have dropped way down. I’m getting way less spam in my admin email account. And comment spam is down to just 2 since the attack (typically runs around 100 a week, you just never see them)

 so I think we can call this a win.

[oldshurst442]

Ill just re-post a 20th Anniversary Trans Am again since it went...like the spam bots...

 

Maybe it was the spam bots that took away my Trans Am... 

Damn you spam bots

try to catch THIS one! 

 

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

I don’t know who that guy is but he looks one spare rib dinner away from a heart attack.

[oldshurst442]

Paul Bearer.  He was (passed away in 2013) a WWE wrestling character "managing"  The Undertaker.  The Undertaker being the wrestler.

The Undertaker.  Paul Bearer.  Get it?  

 

[Drew Dowdell]

About as subtle as a hemorrhoid 

[oldshurst442]

I take it you were/are not a wrestling type a guy...

I used to watch the stuff from time to time.  It was...interesting.  I  havent watched it since the early 2000s though. I grew up, I guess.  But then again, folk who read my posts will beg to differ...   

 

 

Yup...Im soooo more mature now than I was back then... 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

About as subtle as a hemorrhoid 

WOW, Amazing how @oldshurst442 is able to give two votes to the same person. Guess he wanted double the laugh on your comment.

[daves87rs]

Wonder how I missed this.....

[Drew Dowdell]

8 hours ago, David said:

WOW, Amazing how @oldshurst442 is able to give two votes to the same person. Guess he wanted double the laugh on your comment.

That’s..... not supposed to happen 

[USA-1]

18 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I don’t know who that guy is but he looks one spare rib dinner away from a heart attack.

That's @oldshurst442 himself! We know he's angry and he does own a hamburger hotdog restaurant up in Canuckada

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, USA-1 said:

That's @oldshurst442 himself! We know he's angry and he does own a hamburger hotdog restaurant up in Canuckada

Nah Ah!  

It aint me, babe!   NO! NO! NO!  

 

Im bald!  

And honestly, Im quite fit for a mid-aged Greek fella with a stay-at-home Greek wife that owns a hot dog joint. 

Because...after a certain age, certain Greek men pack the poundage, especially around the waist area...

But not me, babe. NO! NO! NO!  It aint me, babe! Its certainly  aint me, babe!

Here, this is what Im saying about poundage around the waist area.  

NOT...a stereotype.   

 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by oldshurst442