We have been getting some SPAM that is hard to tell if it is or not. Some of you have been really helpful in discerning this. Thank you for your efforts. I'm pretty good at growing fruit but I don't really know a lot about computers. Some of you are adding specific details that makes it clear that they are SPAM. I don't know how to do that, but if you explain it to me, I can get rid of it. Awesome work!
John S
PDX OR
John,
The two posts from “mariahcarey” are more than likely spam. I know on the surface they sound almost legit, but I doubt it. In the July 1 “Thinning 2024” post at 11:40 pm, the poster stated they were in SE Georgia. In the July 1 “When to open your grafts?” post at 11:49 pm, they stated they were in northern Idaho. Kind of hard to be in two places at once, right? Also, if you highlight the “Thinning” post, there is another word at the end-- “wordle”. If you highlight the “When to open” post, the word “mapquest” appears at the end. Suspicious. The sentence construction of the two posts from “amorapotter” that just popped up while I was writing this is odd. Again, there are hidden words at the ends of the posts that appear if you highlight the posts.
JeanW
John, thanks for addressing these directly.
If I'm only 80% sure a new poster is fake, I'll delete to post but not bad the user. Perhaps we should edit the post with a blanket message like, "post deleted" author please follow up with clearly human generated relevant posts.
Sometimes I wonder if we're just helping train the spam AI to get smarter.
Good eye, JeanW.
This "hidden word" technique is created via hacking of the HTML code, that is beyond just AI text generation.
First, the background color of the text must be mined, then the text color is made equal to the background color.
In this case: "<span style="color: #f5f5f5">wordle</span>"
#f5... being light gray.
All dubious posts should be text-highlighted via mouseover-select to reveal a random and otherwise invisible keyword.
This is an old trick to associate the keyword with a website and improve its ranking by search engines.
So it doesn't even matter if no one sees and clicks on the keyword, there is still a benefit to the spammer.
These hidden link posts should be deleted as soon as practical as the Google (and other search engines) algorithm can easily detect them and penalize the HOS website.
https://loganix.com/hidden-links/
^ all the hidden link basics, a wordy article several minutes to browse, but it is relatively recent.
Apparently hidden links are still a thing.
Thanks for the help, people. I deleted the two from Mariah Carey. Thanks for the tip, @JeanW. She didn't respond to my question. You'd think with a voice like that, she'd be able to speak up. If you don't respond to a simple question, you're probably going to get deleted if it's suspicious, or suss as the kids would say these days.
John S
PDX OR
Both recent untidybalk posts are spam (February blossoms, Olive tree...).
Note that the hidden link text is now being placed near the right margin or some blank lines down, requiring a mouseover
of the entire webpage area to reveal the spam link text.
Such crude efforts will remain easy to detect and remove regardless of improvements in AI text portion.
I have not seen these latest. Actors posts usually contain outbound links to gaming sites and if using a PC the easiest way to see them (for me at least) is using the (a) mouse and invoking the posters image/icon of a slanted 8 (the servers permalink). Then all links in the users post hidden or not get found by invoking the (b) keyboard tab key.
I found out you would not have never understood my way that I use to see the links in actors posts that I described to you previously unless you're logged out. Sorry about that John. If your logged out many of the markups for jumping around that are there when logged in go away when logged out. So log out and you can go to Larry's post #9 for a practice, and mouse click the figure 8 icon next to his numeral 9 and start pressing the keyboards tab key. If it takes you twice to get to an object in the next post (ie. #10) then it's because an object is in there via Larry's post #9 that contains a hyperlink from the object. Then practice comparing any of the other trusted sources such as yourself as long as you know you never published a link the way Larry did and count again. So compared to his you while playing on yours should have one tab key less, and that's how you might best know how to quickly spot hidden objects (that are advertised hyperlinks) from new registered members.
The Rooney method described above does use the least number of keystrokes and mouse actions to locate links, hidden or not.
Plus not having to be logged in. But perhaps a moderator then has to log in to take action.
The tab key in this context will also pause on any posted images, and it also pauses on the "Visit my website" link below a member's profile area to the left of the main post.
So far I don't think any spams have included on-topic images, so this should not confuse the tab process.
The tab pause sequence on a forum page can be reversed using Shift+Tab, so you can work starting at the newest (last) post.
You all have been doing a fantastic job of letting us know about SPAM. Some of the SPAM is obvious, like buy these things! I have just been banning them by myself without help. Others have stuff hidden. You have trained me how to see some of it, which I appreciate. For example, quote or reply and it becomes visible. On others, I still can't see it, but you explain why it's SPAM. Great work! There are some uninteresting posts that seem banal and inane, but I don't necessarily feel empowered to ban them until you explain why. Keep up the great work.
John S
PDX OR
Recent first-timer posts of mid-Nov2024 do not have any hidden keyword links;
they are simply non-sequiturs or offer outdated advice that could waste the time of other readers.
If they do not clarify their postings within a couple of days after established member's rebuttals,
then deletion would not be a big loss to the Forum.
That's a fine line. I want people who are interested in growing fruit to have a place where they can learn more. I don't want the HOS forum to be an expert's only forum. "Go away kid, you don't know enough!" is not a motto I want to use. At the same time, if someone is suspected of SPAMMING the group, I wouldn't mind banning them. I'm trying to be careful about it, and I appreciate you all letting me know what they're doing. I 'm learning about it, but I'm sure I don't know as much as a lot of you.
John S
PDX OR
John, I am assuming your recent comment on your thinning pawpaws topic was the result of
a first-timer posting who commented on the time-consumption of hand-pollinating.
There were none of the typical spam markers in the post, but the first-timer, the brevity of the comment, the odd user name,
and the lack of any positive forum contribution of the text led me to do a Web search of the posters' forum name.
(Perhaps Jafar saw something I didn't.)
They appeared on quite a few websites, usually just one posting and all quite recent, and in an odd variety of topics unlikely for one person.
On one site their account had already been banned. I would be curious to know if the quoting function
of this forum can be automated, because that is what that poster did. So it could be someone just playing around.
Still, it adds nothing to the forum. I would not expect any moderator to take the time and search around as I occasionally do
just as a matter of curiosity. It might be quicker to just post a follow-up question to those posters, and if no response for days, delete them.
Topic: Fruitscape Designers, recent posting dated 20dec2024.
The keyword in this posting is the non-sequitur "Tucson".
username legacylandscaper can be traced to the website of the same name.
They specialize in landscaping and only mention use of "toolbox plants"
No mention of fruit or fruiting plants.
This is a Tucson landscaper/hardscaper.
First posting for the username and 9 years after the fact.
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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