COWWS Site Trashed!

[+MtnMutt-ProDuckShins]

I was checking the COWWS Site today and it appears that a Aldonza643 added several thousand JUNK TOPICS. It seems as if it a BOT has taken over.

 

So sad........

[chickendude]

I was checking the COWWS Site today and it appears that a Aldonza643 added several thousand JUNK TOPICS. It seems as if it a BOT has taken over.

 

So sad........

 

That is sad!

[Pup Patrol]

It's an easy to remedy problem, if there is an active admin/moderator team.

 

If not...too bad.

[+TotemLake]

It looks like the site was abandoned right after GW VIII.

[+Dgwphotos]

It looks like the site was abandoned right after GW VIII.

 

From what I've heard, the goal of the organization was to bring Geowoodstock to the NW. Since that goal was accomplished, I presume the organization no longer exists.

[+TotemLake]

Then take the site down.

[+Dgwphotos]

I've asked dsvaughn about the status of the organization on Facebook.

[+dsvaughn]

Thanks Dave for bringing this to our attention. I have blocked Aldonza643 and a few other offenders. I'll have Joey look into it further when he returns from vacation.

[Pup Patrol]

Thanks Dave for bringing this to our attention. I have blocked Aldonza643 and a few other offenders. I'll have Joey look into it further when he returns from vacation.

 

You need to grab the IP's of the bots and ban those.

 

Delete the accounts of the bots and their posts (it's possible to delete the account and leave the posts, but you don't want to do that).

 

Absolutely imperative is to disable the automated registration approval. If you don't do that, you'll spend all your waking hours manually deleting bot accounts and their posts.

[+dsvaughn]

Thanks Dave for bringing this to our attention. I have blocked Aldonza643 and a few other offenders. I'll have Joey look into it further when he returns from vacation.

 

You need to grab the IP's of the bots and ban those.

 

Delete the accounts of the bots and their posts (it's possible to delete the account and leave the posts, but you don't want to do that).

 

Absolutely imperative is to disable the automated registration approval. If you don't do that, you'll spend all your waking hours manually deleting bot accounts and their posts.

 

Thanks Pup, I only have Moderator rights, not admin, so I am unable to make such changes. We'll get it taken care of.

[Pup Patrol]

I know your pain. I couldn't do anything for a long time, either, with only moderator permissions, other than just keep deleting those horrid spammer posts/threads. So many of them were absolutely...ick....it got to the point where I hated to even look at the forum at all. I just dreaded seeing how sick some of these spammers could be. We even had one utilize the private message system and send some of us disgusting images.

 

The joy of admin permissions was deleting those scum of the earth accounts.

 

Disabling the auto-approval was the biggest step forward for our forum. Our site admin took care of that real fast. For the last few years, I've approved (or deleted) each registration.

 

Good luck to you and your forum community. I hope you get the situation resolved, and can enjoy the forum again.

[+coreynjoey]

The forums have been removed for now, but the COWWS website is still up.

[+coreynjoey]

Then take the site down.

 

No

[+coreynjoey]

I've asked dsvaughn about the status of the organization on Facebook.

 

Thank you so much for letting us know!