How do we stop them?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by LadyBrooke

Apparently, the spam bots are preparing to fight a revolution...would somebody like to get rid of henryclinton15 before he gets his troops in line? It might be awhile though...apparently, the troops have to pay for airline flights with credit card rewards.

I'd like to zap them as soon as I see those worthless links in their sig line. It can be frustrating watching them setting up their profiles and being helpless. Neg-repping the ones that are brave enough to post gives some satisfaction, though.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'd like to zap them as soon as I see those worthless links in their sig line. It can be frustrating watching them setting up their profiles and being helpless.

Ditto. It's also frustrating having to wait until they post before you can do anything about it, even though you know they are spammers (a bit obvious, when they have all kinds of links in their siggies).

I don't really understand why they are doing all that. It's useles, and a waste of their time. I'm sure that they're sure they can profit from it, but hasn't it been proven worthless?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I don't really understand why they are doing all that. It's useles, and a waste of their time. I'm sure that they're sure they can profit from it, but hasn't it been proven worthless?

There are some who advertise the same website or company again and again. I've Googled the ones who look like legitimate businesses and verified that the URLs matched what was in the spam links, then I've e-mailed the business complaining about the spam (though I haven't specifically named the Downs as a victim).
To date, I've received a response from one company. The respondent told me they'd had a problem with competitors spamming their website on forums to somehow drive down their rating on Google and other search engines. Not being all that knowledgeable about such things, I wasn't sure if I believed them or not.

[satansaloser2005]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

To date, I've received a response from one company. The respondent told me they'd had a problem with competitors spamming their website on forums to somehow drive down their rating on Google and other search engines. Not being all that knowledgeable about such things, I wasn't sure if I believed them or not.

Except isn't it the exact opposite? The more pages you're on, the higher your results on Google, etc. Or at least that's how I understood it.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by satansaloser2005

Except isn't it the exact opposite? The more pages you're on, the higher your results on Google, etc. Or at least that's how I understood it.

You probably know more about it than I. At least they replied, though.

[satansaloser2005]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

You probably know more about it than I. At least they replied, though.

True. That's more than most companies will do. And I'm not sure if I'm right or not, but I'd heard that as an explanation for why spammers do stuff like this in the first place, so I don't know.

Also, look, we've got another one. Oh joy.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by satansaloser2005

Also, look, we've got another one. Oh joy.

Another 2, I think...

[LadyBrooke]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'd like to zap them as soon as I see those worthless links in their sig line. It can be frustrating watching them setting up their profiles and being helpless. Neg-repping the ones that are brave enough to post gives some satisfaction, though.

Very frustrating - I wish there was a way to report them, same as spam posts can be reported. Especially since a lot of them seem to join late at night...and it's just me and the spammers, all alone.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by LadyBrooke

Very frustrating - I wish there was a way to report them, same as spam posts can be reported. Especially since a lot of them seem to join late at night...and it's just me and the spammers, all alone.

I wish so too. And it's not only you: very often I see 2 members on the Online list - me and a spammer whom I can't report because they haven't posted yet.

Zil: I'm also not so sure I believe them.