Faker: GSA Application Services / GSA Preview are back

Another faker has been found.  The following threads were spammed with fake comments:

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-412-255-3700
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-727-247-1204
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-727-803-6890
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-813-343-7051
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-813-792-4592
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-813-792-4600
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-813-347-4829
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-864-297-4663
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-864-349-5114
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-864-551-2485

All these threads are about GSA Application Services, GSA Preview, GSA Processors, GSA Tampa, and a bunch of other GSA something names. We already wrote about them last year:

https://800notes.com/news/gsa-application-services

Now they are making nonsense posts

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-864-349-5114 and probably at any other numbers they're still using

Perhaps threads under attack could be put into a moderated status?  You could at least filter out the software licenses, [***] pills, and other off topic stuff.

Perhaps we should also have a limit on the size and number of posts coming from people who are not logged in ?  This would limit these denial of usability attacks, while still allowing unregistered users to post about their problems.

The chat boards I visit have the ability to block posters based on their IP address.  Or they can "moderate" someone - hold their posts until a moderator reads them, then only putting them on the board if they are acceptable under the rules of the board.  That might be worth considering here.

We can ban posters by IPs. It's not very effective though...

Two thoughts.  

You could take the approach Wikipedia did: show the IP address if the poster is not logged in with an account.  Or, you could delegate a banhammer/postkill capability to a few of the regulars here that you feel are trustworthy.  

At this point I am seeing a lot of shill activity on multiple threads.  The site is becoming a victim of its own (well earned) success. Maybe if we have a rapid response to junk posts we can discourage them a little.  Many hands make light work.

I could get behind IP tags being visible to a logged member, and also a time stamp for each message being visible to all. Those two elements go a long way toward pattern matching of suspect behavior.

Moderating contested threads and IP blocks could quickly turn into a great labor burden. That kind of thing works in a fully message-based forum, but here most "topics" are limited only by the number of possible ten digit numeric sequences.

Stranger's thought of deputizing the Few, Proud, and Loyal members is seductive but hazardous. I've seen other forums degrade rapidly when shadowy Junior Admins get a case of Hall Monitor Syndrome. They soon begin to work against the goals and purposes of that forum community and drive away its talent.

There is another thorny issue. When contributors are able to change or delete site content of any vintage, this can erode the safe harboring we all enjoy and which deflects all the huffy lawsuit threats this site seems to attract every quarter. Here you can facilitate like Admin or create like a member, but a whole group doing both can give the appearance of collusion against a given entity being discussed. Whiny business owners who cry foul on what they claim to be manipulated and manufactured commentary will still have no more legs to stand on, but that *appearance* is all they need to fog their raging arguments with doubt, turned in their favor.

I agree.

Also, as far as being "open" goes, I see its advantages, but we, as the community, want to avoid "teaching" the scammers how to cheat the system.... I actually think that cracking down on these posts empowers us. Like in the Newbrook Loan Brokers case (link below). We were one step behind them, turning each their post into a weapon against them.  

https://800notes.com/forum/ta-4d545a005c8fa31 ... ok-loan-brokers

If you stop allowing companies and third parties to post malicious things on this website, you would solve a lot of your problems. This "just respond to the malicious comments" is a joke.

"Stranger's thought of deputizing the Few, Proud, and Loyal members is seductive but hazardous. I've seen other forums degrade rapidly when shadowy Junior Admins get a case of Hall Monitor Syndrome. They soon begin to work against the goals and purposes of that forum community and drive away its talent. "

But Resident, it works so well on 4chan....  Okay, you win.

"We were one step behind them turning each their post into a weapon against them"

Hey Julia, I thought this website was USER CONTENT submitted which means THE USERS contribute the posts and NOT THE STAFF. Did you have a little Freudian slip here? It kinda messes up that legal theory that you are protected for your users content.

One day you'll slip up and this house of cards will fall down when the wind blows.

We obviously have a different understanding of the word "USER". Spammers and scammers are not welcome here.

For everyone's information: Julia Exposed = Just Wondering = GSA Applications= Hey Julia -> same person

Color me surprised. The spammer is fully qualified to discuss card house construction since he's using his own blueprints.

Nice try, but there is a difference between actual users contributing to the site, and disruptive individuals attacking the site through methods such as denial of usability, ddos, content poisoning, etc.,.  Enforcing the AUP and protecting site integrity does not impact Safe Harbor.

But then, you already knew that, didn't you?  

These guys are so cute with all of their dissembling and bluster.