Combating spammers

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7
10-13-2010 07:54 AM
by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: whuber

How do we flag posts that are obviously fraudulent and abusive?  I found a somewhat subtle spam attempt (which could easily be much nastier, if it linked to a malformed web page) at http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/14634-property-tax-map?p=45968#post45968 but could find no link from that page to warn moderators, flag the malicious intent, or at least nullify it.
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7 Replies
DonovanCameron
Occasional Contributor II
At the bottom left of every post is a Report button (looks like the Caution symbol). You can use that to report spam, I've done so on several occasions already.
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WilliamHuber
New Contributor III
Thanks, Donovan.  However, I've never seen that link or that symbol.  It's not there now: I have scoured the page for anything like it.  FireFox 3.6.10, Win 7 x64.
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by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: jakubsisak

Thanks, Donovan.  However, I've never seen that link or that symbol.  It's not there now: I have scoured the page for anything like it.  FireFox 3.6.10, Win 7 x64.


See attached for a screen shot Bill. I have firefox 3.6.9 and the button Donovan speaks of is there. I've reported spam before and ESRI deleted the posts and the user within minutes. Perhaps as an MVP you have a different setup?
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JoshWhite
Regular Contributor III
How do we flag posts that are obviously fraudulent and abusive?  I found a somewhat subtle spam attempt (which could easily be much nastier, if it linked to a malformed web page) at http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/14634-property-tax-map?p=45968#post45968 but could find no link from that page to warn moderators, flag the malicious intent, or at least nullify it.


I visited that link and wonder what about that would be spam, perhaps you meant to post a different link?
Josh White, AICP
Principal Planner

City of Arkansas City
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by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: SaultDon

I visited that link and wonder what about that would be spam, perhaps you meant to post a different link?


It was reported so its been removed, along with WH comment regarding it being spam.


EDIT: I am also using 3.6.10 Firefox and have seen the report button using Win7 x64 and x32 and XP x32.
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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus
Perhaps the icon could be enlarged and/or text appended, if it got much smaller, it might vanish
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by Anonymous User
Not applicable
Original User: whuber

See attached for a screen shot Bill


Thank you very much, Jakub!  Those icons have been there all along but I never recognized that they linked to anything--they were just part of the background.

(I think I just personally experienced something found long ago in the computer-human interface literature: icons really don't work at all well for conveying information or for doing so reliably.  A little text can go a long way...)
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