The spam am getting out of hand. Three to four thousand per day.
I have therefore turned on the “Captcha” screen, which requires typing in letters and so on before a post is accepted, to weed out the got-damned bots. Regular – registered – users should not be affected.
To those who are not yet registered, please register. Your posts will then go through as soon as you post them (no Captcha rigmarole) and I will not have to waste my time dealing with hand-moderating dozens of posts – both spam and real – held in the “moderate” queue every got-damned day.
I swear on a stack of Smokey & The Bandit DVDs that I will never “share” your information or use it for any purpose other than to weed out the mahfuggin’ bix nood Buy! Cialis! Ugg Boots spam.
I don’t think it’s a lot to ask.
Anyone having problems getting hooked up, just shoot me an e-mail ([email protected]) and I will get it squared away, pronto.
I’ve tried to shoo several regulars – Bevin, PM Lawrence, Swamprat – behind the fence. But you’re not registered, so I could not do so. Please register!
Time to throw the bots – and the spam – in the Woods!
PS: I have been toying with the idea of giving posting privileges only to those who support EPautos with a monthly donation of $10 a month or more. This might solve the ongoing funding problem we’ve been dealing with. And it might be preferable to doing as some sites have and either limit the accessibility of the content to those who subscribe or lock the site down periodically during fundraisers. Your thoughts about the forgoing would be appreciated.
Meanwhile, let’s see how this goes (the tighter spam filtration). I wish it weren’t necessary, but these bastards make it so. I’d like to take a ball peen hammer to their heads, but since this is all I can do, it’s what I’m doing.
I’m also not really able to donate. I’m a college student, I don’t exactly have money. Sorry. Do whatever you need to do to make money.
I would love to be able to contribute financially, but commenting is the only way I can “pitch in” at the moment……………even ten dollars a month is not possible, I have to watch every cent that goes out these days. Wish it could be different. I do know what your going through though, and hope you don’t get to the point I am at now.
I had to close my business at Christmas last year 2013 (thankfully I had no employees). Its was in the red for a couple of years, and since the recession-depression isn’t really over for most people and there is no light in the tunnel, it’s time was over. I had to put it down and close it down.
So far this year (2014), outside of some odd jobs (including mowing lawns!) haven’t made any money this year. AT ALL. This is after years of not really making any money at my failing business. Financially I am back to where I was at 17 (I’m 40). In fact its worse now because I didn’t have student loans then, that I cannot discharge in bankruptcy. If it wasn’t for my family I would be homeless.
My profile has disappeared. Have no idea what happened, and can’t seem to find a way to register again.
Hi Rich,
Weird!
I have no idea what happened; is the registration screen not showing on your end?
My login is gone as well. There is no button to re-register that I can find.
I emailed Dom, but have not heard back yet. which is of course understandable.
Ok, I’m on it…. bear with!
All fixed now!
Cool. My bad. I deleted 23,000 users this morning then went out to do yard work for 12 hours. Thought I only got the spammer accounts. I obviously got more.
Excellent!
And just in time. Clover is blathering again.
I still can’t get logged on. Says my username is invalid
Don’t see a register link either……
Hi Rich,
We’re working the problem; please bear with. Over the weekend, we did a clean-up, deleting literally tens of thousands of accumulated spam messages and “users.”
It’s a huge PITAS.