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Can they send out global friend invites?
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Originally Posted by Corebreach
Since they are not going to leave the game after the upcoming email change, would anyone care to speculate on their next method?
I predict Help Channel spam. It reaches all zones, and some default windows start out subscribed to it. Any other ideas? |
Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.
I recently downloaded Rapplez... and OMG, I can just see the spammers now in game with a fresh copy of Auto-** to automatically spam about 100 messages all numbered so much the bubble remains over thier head constantly and NOBODY can talk ANYWHERE near the fools. (unfortunately I'm still trying to figure out how to petition or report anything inside that game)
Though I found it mildly amusing watching two toons right next to eachother broadcast competing websites for the better part of a hour it was all http://www.blahblahImafilthyspammerb...-gamemoney.com with 1 then, 2 then, 3 and so on and so forth tacked onto the end of it to prevent any sort of spam catcher from nabbing them.
But yeah after this email thing goes off I can imagine a couple of toons repeating the same site over and over again right next to liberty in AP.
Ragnarok Online has the same security problem. Actually, it's even worse, because every couple of days, their GMs append the forbidden domain names, plus all obfuscated combinations the spammers come up with, to a massive client-side censor list. That entire list has to be run through on every incoming message, slowing your computer to a crawl as long as you're within earshot of anyone sending ten messages a second, such as a spammer. (And no, the spammers don't care that they're making the game unplayable or locking up people's computers.)
Compare to CoH, where the devs know full well that dumb text matches are defeated by 0bfvs(at:0|\| in less time it takes to re-update the censor list, so instead opt for a simple form of chat throttling (auto-ban) and giving GMs tools to deal with spammers on a case by case basis.
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Honestly, if they stop usin email and going to spam in atlas, I think there should be a general throttling having to do with chat and emotes, anything that hits 20 of either chat or emotes or both within 30 seconds gets mapserved right off the server and back to the login screen. granted this could be worked around (no system is secure. NONE) But it would also kill some of that LFT spam and S/VG recruit spam that just blows up the chat box out of nowhere like 30 times in a row. basically making the spammers suck on a timer would be a start, but we need a way to report these spammers and such, I think they should make a copy of the current petition tool and re-purpose the copy and call it a "Report tool" for obscene names, harassment, spam, barbies and kens running around, explicit role-play in open chat. etc. etc. that can also log the last ohhh 50 lines of chat (from all points, sg/local/broadcast/help/coalition/tells/etc.) and send it with the 'Report' to a specific team of GM's to handle these issues who will then go over it, find out if theres a violation and punish properly.|
Originally Posted by Rigel_Kent
Ragnarok Online has the same security problem. Actually, it's even worse, because every couple of days, their GMs append the forbidden domain names, plus all obfuscated combinations the spammers come up with, to a massive client-side censor list. That entire list has to be run through on every incoming message, slowing your computer to a crawl as long as you're within earshot of anyone sending ten messages a second, such as a spammer. (And no, the spammers don't care that they're making the game unplayable or locking up people's computers.)
Compare to CoH, where the devs know full well that dumb text matches are defeated by 0bfvs(at:0|\| in less time it takes to re-update the censor list, so instead opt for a simple form of chat throttling (auto-ban) and giving GMs tools to deal with spammers on a case by case basis. |
(and to tell the truth, I used to be a SecondLife player and I really liked thier Police blotter idea. Whenever a infraction incurred and something was done about it, it went down on the blotter. A way to broadcast that they were indeed taking out the trash AND sending a warning to anybody else if they tried the same crap)
So yeah I got several Ideas, alot of them viable solutions but thats just in my mind. Discuss anybody?
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There's already a feature in place that cuts you off if you say too much in broadcast too fast. Most people don't realize it's there, because most people never hit the broadcast spam threshold. Safe bet RMT spammers will hit it frequently. (I'll test in a zone where I won't be annoying people to find out what the threshold is, maybe Boomtown or DA)|
Originally Posted by GibberingLunatic
I recently downloaded Rapplez... and OMG, I can just see the spammers now in game with a fresh copy of Auto-** to automatically spam about 100 messages all numbered so much the bubble remains over thier head constantly and NOBODY can talk ANYWHERE near the fools. (unfortunately I'm still trying to figure out how to petition or report anything inside that game)
Though I found it mildly amusing watching two toons right next to eachother broadcast competing websites for the better part of a hour it was all http://www.blahblahImafilthyspammerb...-gamemoney.com with 1 then, 2 then, 3 and so on and so forth tacked onto the end of it to prevent any sort of spam catcher from nabbing them. But yeah after this email thing goes off I can imagine a couple of toons repeating the same site over and over again right next to liberty in AP. |
Dealing with these clowns will be as simple as /gignore. If it happens like that, I'll break in occasionally telling people how to ignore them if they don't already know, if everyone in the zone is /gignoring them, they're wasting their time.
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Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately. |
Food for thought.
Okay, first of all, I seriously doubt that the RMT spammers are going to stand next to Ms. Liberty saying their spiel more than once every minute or so. You're never going to be able to detect that from normal conversation. Look for the same message, you say? They can simply use several macros to rotate messages. Look for rotating messages, you say? You're going to ban half the freakin' player-base when people like me use macros and binds to automate stuff like, "Teleporting $target to my location."
Second of all, spammers' accounts don't last more than a little while. That's the problem with the e-mail system now. You can /gignore until you're blue in the face, but it's not like they use the same account to send out their spam every day, or even every hour. They'll simply register new account after new account, and you'll be /gignoring several dozen people a day. (After so many of which, the list fills up, and the people's chat you /gignored a while ago will start showing up again.)
And incidentally, I doubt they'd stand next to Ms. Liberty. It might be one of their popular haunts, but they'll be in all of the popular hangouts. Architect Entertainment, Peregrine Island, Pocket D, Fort Darwin, by the train stations and ferries, etc.
I'm sorry to sound so pessimistic, but there is simply no question whether or not we'll be spammed. The only question is how. Every time I saw people call for doing away or crippling the e-mail system, I posted a warning that if that happens, the spammers will move off to different--and likely more irritating--means of conveying their message. At least with the e-mail, it's easily ignored and easily reported. Now, though... Well, we'll see, but I just really think it's not going to be pretty. 
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)
Starting to see a pickup in broadcast spam.
HOWEVER, this ALSO makes them MUCH easier to petition.
Code:
Easy, simple, fun./getglobalname LOCALNAME /petition User spamming broadcast for RMT Local Name: LOCALNAME, Global Name: GLOBALNAME, Server, Zone, my local time. [SEND] /t LOCALNAME, You have been reported for spamming RMT. /gignore GLOBALNAME
Essentially, most of the ways that these users have left to them opens them up to being reported rapidly and being removed quickly.
Not that they're not stupid enough to TRY. But the upcoming measures should wipe out a goodly chunk of these bottom feeders.
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
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Doesn't /ignore_spammer do all of that in one command? Well, apart from giving the spammer a warning that this account is compromised, of course.
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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Starting to see a pickup in broadcast spam.
HOWEVER, this ALSO makes them MUCH easier to petition. Code:
/getglobalname LOCALNAME /petition User spamming broadcast for RMT Local Name: LOCALNAME, Global Name: GLOBALNAME, Server, Zone, my local time. [SEND] /t LOCALNAME, You have been reported for spamming RMT. /gignore GLOBALNAME Essentially, most of the ways that these users have left to them opens them up to being reported rapidly and being removed quickly. Not that they're not stupid enough to TRY. But the upcoming measures should wipe out a goodly chunk of these bottom feeders. |
Aegis Rose, Forcefield/Energy Defender - Freedom
"Bubble up for safety!"
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There's a ton of factors you're overlooking here. It's not as simple as "spammer sends email to uninterested person who now has it blocked so nothing changes." There are a lot of ways that the email block will cut down on their business.|
Originally Posted by Quinch
I don't think so. There's no profit for them in working around the "interest blocks", because someone who turns their spam filter on isn't going to give them money in the first place so there's no loss to them either way.
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First, ignoring stuff isn't the same as blocking. There are a lot of people who will be universally blocking email. That means that no matter what the situation or outcome, they won't see the details. There IS a certain portion of the playerbase, whether we want to admit it or not, who just need the right motivation. Say a player is frustrated that their friends keep getting purple drops. They save up some money and try to buy something. They get outbid and don't get it. In annoyance they go to buy something else and overbid by accidentally hitting an extra 0 and lose all their money. After a scream and yell they look at that red "email" button and notice that influence prices are pretty cheap right now.
With a total block, that will never happen. It works the same way with email spam outside of the game. You try to set up a full block so you don't get any spam at all. The thing is, eventually something might slip through that catches your attention. Some people are gullible and might believe that they really won a contest, or realize they actually do need ch3@p m3d5 n0w. If you're totally blocked, there's never temptation and never an "impulse buy." If there's no product, there's no purchase. However, if you occasionally glance at the thing, temptation may eventually overtake you. The spammers don't want it blocked. They want to keep sending spam to people who don't want it in the hopes that one day they will break down. Then they've got you.
Secondly, having to deal with spam is free advertising for them. Doesn't matter to them if you want it or not. You have to deal with it. You have to delete emails and spend part of your day messing with it. Inevitably, what happens after that? You complain about it. Maybe just to your friends, but maybe in broadcast or on the forums. You complain that the email spam has gotten out of control. Someone comments that people must be stupid enough to keep buying because they're still in business. You may have just made a sale for them, because of all the people hearing you complain about it, someone may just try it out. Even bad publicity is good publicity.
Thirdly, there are people who will block email on principle and not because they've had any issues in the past. This cuts down the spammers' potential audience. There may be people who WOULD have bought things if they had seen the rates or how "easy" the spammers claim it to be. But when this is introduced, it never happens. It's a pre-emptive anti-spam ability that may influence what you would have done otherwise. Maybe if you heard from a friend, "use this to prevent all spam dealing with medication in your email inbox," you'd jump on the idea. But if they hadn't offered that, you might have bought the stuff. There are new players who will join the game who block email as soon as possible, preventing the influence of the spammers from ever touching them, even though it may have lead to a sale.
Believe me. The spammers want to hit everyone. Not just the people who seem to want their service.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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And if their accounts have to be replaced less often, they'll just raise their prices. The extra money for accounts is just another business expense that they will pass along to their consumers.