DT Update Log and TODO

[kbdfr]

The spy appears to not include posts made in the "Other languages" section.

[derzemel]

I hope that this is a good place to report a potential future Chrome on Android bug (or feature - depending on how you see it): if the experimental option dark web contents is activated on Chrome Android, some images from threads and most likely all the black and white headers are colour flipped. Also all other coloured elements on the pages are affected in one way or another

I know that the dark web contents option is experimental but it might be worth to pay attention to it.

Ok so here are the details: to activate the dark mode on Android, in Chrome, I entered chrome://flags in the address bar, searched for dark mode in the search box and activated the options Android Chrome UI dark mode and Android web contents dark mode

Here are the results for Deskthority:

black and white colour flipped headers:

Spoiler:

and

Spoiler:

Here is the home page with a colour header, with the other 2 images, one colour flipped, and the other one not:

Spoiler:

The behaviour is not consistent though, as I refreshed the home page and the 2 images are displayed correctly:

Spoiler:

[kbdfr]

Obviously the spy function omits posts in the "Other languages" section.
I think it should not.

[kbdfr]

There seems to be no way to actually write and send an email to a member.
Or can the reason be related to my Firefox settings?
.

DT-Send email.png (219.2 KiB) Viewed 52135 times

[matt3o]

There seems to be no way to actually write and send an email to a member.
Or can the reason be related to my Firefox settings?
.
DT-Send email.png

I had to do that because of fucking spammers

[Muirium]

I’m guessing their IP addresses are evilly randomised? They’re winning the arms race!

The spam here seems a bit low tech, and certainly low intensity, to be actual bots. But what would I know. It just looks more like one guy to me. A post an hour or so, presumably working on dozens of forums.

[listofoptions]

even if their IP's are randomized, detecting them should be as "simple" as a well trained statistical model. they make some pretty obvious patterns. im pretty sure they're also not fully automated.

[Redmaus]

Yeah the spammers are definitely getting annoying. Nice to look at the forum spy and see a bunch of chinese or russian bullshit characters spammed relentlessly.

I love how even on a mechanical keyboard forum you can't be free of spammers, they have to ruin everything.

[Muirium]

Like winkeyless keyboards: we need more mods.

I’ll get my coat.

[snacksthecat]

im pretty sure they're also not fully automated

Um yeah bro, spamming is an art.

Have some respect!

[Muirium]

Spamming is a mechanical Turk. And so too, sadly, is deleting them!

[matt3o]

even if their IP's are randomized, detecting them should be as "simple" as a well trained statistical model. they make some pretty obvious patterns. im pretty sure they're also not fully automated.

So I made a simulation using a very famous black list. If I had to ban by IP what the blacklist says is spam, I would also ban some of our legit users. I did a quick test by simply performing a search on the registered users' IPs. Even if the list were 100% fail-safe there would be no plugin for phpbb, and if there is, it's outdated, buggy and unmaintaned.

IP ban can be effective if performed manually and anyway it won't last more than 24 hours.

there's nothing simple, automated or obvious in anti-spam.

[andrewjoy]

Did we turn off new user authorisation ?

[listofoptions]

even if their IP's are randomized, detecting them should be as "simple" as a well trained statistical model. they make some pretty obvious patterns. im pretty sure they're also not fully automated.

So I made a simulation using a very famous black list. If I had to ban by IP what the blacklist says is spam, I would also ban some of our legit users. I did a quick test by simply performing a search on the registered users' IPs. Even if the list were 100% fail-safe there would be no plugin for phpbb, and if there is, it's outdated, buggy and unmaintaned.

IP ban can be effective if performed manually and anyway it won't last more than 24 hours.

there's nothing simple, automated or obvious in anti-spam.

I was more referring to some kind of content based detection, like whats commonly used for email detection (iirc hidden markov model?) but i guess a short term IP ban, and maybe just make it so that new users have to have their posts approved (though it looks like they get posted from the user point of view)

[xxhellfirexx]

Even simpler, can't there be a minimum post limit before users can include links or text that is formatted like a link?

[matt3o]

maybe just make it so that new users have to have their posts approved (though it looks like they get posted from the user point of view)

we tried, it's a very tedious and time consuming task that mostly damages legit users that have to wait days before being approved.

Even simpler, can't there be a minimum post limit before users can include links or text that is formatted like a link?

that can't be done on the current software

[photekq]

Do you think anything could be done on the registration side of things to deter bots?

[elecplus]

Maybe if they had to answer a keyboard related question, like how many keys were on a US XT keyboard? Something easily researched if they do not know.

[matt3o]

Do you think anything could be done on the registration side of things to deter bots?

yes, but hardly with phpbb

Maybe if they had to answer a keyboard related question, like how many keys were on a US XT keyboard? Something easily researched if they do not know.

we already have that

[Muirium]

That particular question would have been enough to stop me registering in the first place. “What’s a USXT keyboard?” Searching the internet would all too likely lead me the wrong direction. Give it 60 seconds and I’d give up, forever.

My shitty, uneducated and unsolicited opinion here is we need more people on this. We could enable new user first post moderation (including sneaky spammers who go wild soon thereafter) if we had many more moderators. It’s a matter of manpower.

[HzFaq]

Whilst I'm not posting much these days I am on the forums every fews hours, happy to help out with moderating spammers if needed.

[Findecanor]

I would love to have moderator privileges. I would totally not abuse it ...

[andrewjoy]

I would love to have moderator privileges. I would totally not abuse it ...

You dont know how tempting it is to randomly edit Mu's posts and put English flags all over them

[photekq]

Also happy to help with moderating. I check here very frequently (every 15-30 minutes).

[Muirium]

C’mon, Matteo. Your new mod team is ready!



As the ancient wisdom goes: a problem shared is a problem more people have.

[matt3o]

we have a new mod

PS: thanks everyone, we picked a mod on the other side of the ocean to have the 24h covered. we'll add more mods if needed

[Muirium]

Hope they like the mellow taste of 24 hour Spam!

[mr_a500]

C’mon, Matteo. Your new mod team is ready!

[Compgeke]

we have a new mod

PS: thanks everyone, we picked a mod on the other side of the ocean to have the 24h covered. we'll add more mods if needed

Other side of the ocean? You mean the correct side! finally some help

[Muirium]

Thanks Compgeke. I couldn't count if I tried the number of times I've hit the report button on spammy posts and you've followed up, zapping the buggers. Appreciated.