Problems

[Mike Roque]

An alternative, used by some other forums, is having to have your registration approved by an admin before you can post. What volumes of new members are we talking about? Are the admins willing to do this?

phpBB has the image code functionality (you need to read a distorted code in an image, making it tough to automate registrations), but the current generation of bots seems to be able to get past that. We can turn on admin approval for new members, but there is a LARGE number of registrations everyday (many of them are bots), and it's tough to decipher which are bots and which are humans. At the moment, it's a lot easier to just clean up the forum en-masse (we have powerful tools).

[CNJ]

Yes, there may be a few less users on here but I may need to buy a new
computer if I can't get the problem cleared. If I end up buying a new
computer, you can bet that I will NOT be on railroaddotnet at all for any-
thing until the situation is fully cleared up to my satisfaction.
I do not have a lot of money to buy a new computer only to have
something like this happen again so I will have no alternative but to stay
in the clear.
As long as I am still using my present computer, I will continue to
participate.
Got some wierd stuff on here as I was writing this so there are major
problems here.
Noel Weaver

Mr Weaver, you may well have unknowingly picked up some spyware along the way. If you don't already have it, you should upload a good spyware preventer for your computer. About the best to get is a product called "Spysweeper".

You can upload spysweeper from the following site:

http://www.komando.com/bannerads/a.aspx ... mber=67755

This is money well spent...and if you upload from this URL, you can get two years of coverage for the price of one.

Hope this information is helpful for you.

Regards....

[umtrr-author]

Further to Mike's point, the subscription address for my UMTRR is in a "distorted" jpg file which supposedly can't be "read" either... and I am still getting an increasing amount of Spam.

The only other explanation is that a bot or spyware landed on one of my subscriber's computers, harvested the address and then started sending away.

Make a better mousetrap and... well, you know the rest.

Mike and Otto, thanks for your efforts which are, I am sure, largely thankless otherwise.

[crazy_nip]

We might, IMHO, also lose a lot of "foolishness" if railroad.net required a membership fee.

it would also lose 90% of its users

if you want a private members-only club, make your own yahoo group

look at that pitiful site trainoders.com, what a joke that forum has become

[Noel Weaver]

We might, IMHO, also lose a lot of "foolishness" if railroad.net required a membership fee.

it would also lose 90% of its users

if you want a private members-only club, make your own yahoo group

look at that pitiful site trainoders.com, what a joke that forum has become

I am not sure that I agree with this one. Trainordersdotcom has a good
group for the most part, there are a fair number of both active and
retired railroad people who think it is worth the annual fee.
I don't think it is a joke.
I still think an annual fee would stop a lot of the BS on here and would for
the most part stop the spam as well. It would also contribute to the funds
that the leadership on here has had to put out to allow us to enjoy this
site.
It would not bother me one bit if we lost 40 or 50 per cent because most
of that per cent would be trash anyway.
Incidentally, thanks to the people who gave this old timer some pointers
about getting rid of the unwanted spyware on my computer, I purchased
Webroot, Spy Sweeper today and programed it to my computer, it has
helped but it has not stopped the problems.
Noel Weaver

[Gilbert B Norman]

Here is an actual posting made at trainorders to a comment I made regarding the upcoming broken connection between Amtrak #30 and #91 at Washington that is also beingdiscussed here at RRNET.

• 2.5 hours and all that crap? Give me a break, even if 30 is a half hour late, if 91 is not too far across the platforms you can still make the connections, if you're smart do a multi city type deal Mr. Norman! If 30's on time that's over 2 hours of waiting, I don't see how that connection is gone for crying out loud!

Even if the Member over there is factually incorrect (it's 1.5hrs vice his reported 2.5) he is of course welcome to disagree - just as he would be if he were registered over here.

However, I don't think there is a Moderator here at RRNET that would be prepared to allow such a childish rant to stand; I guarantee you I would have not during my term as such.

I subscribe over there simply because I use; an annual donation here accomplishes the same objective.

[Otto Vondrak]

Noel- I am sorry you are havig problems with your computer, and yes, I agree the spam problem is troublesome. I think your computer issues are recoverable- consider the suggestions from our friends who posted above regarding the free virus checks and spyware sweepers.

We have considered making this a pay site to cut down on the "nonsense," but we consider that many "serious" posters would also be turned away, since "You can get everything on the Internet for free." However, we do appreciate your continued support and donations. Because of your donations, we've been able to move RAILROAD.NET to its own dedicated server. Your donations helped offset our out-of-pocket costs.

Here are some quick points for everyone to consider and review...

GENERAL NOTICES

- Even when Mike installs additional "security" updates for this site, the spam generators will find a way to get around them.

- The spam you see posted is generated by a computer program- these posts are not coming from flesh-and-blood members.

- Sometimes, the spammers sneak by even the most vigilant moderators.

- The moderators, with help from Mike and myself, work to delete spam as soon as it appears.

- In short, if you see suspicious activity, or have a questions alert a moderator.

WAYS TO AVOID HAVING SPAM AFFECT YOUR COMPUTER

- If you are not certain of the integrity of the person who has posted a link, do not click on it, alert a moderator.

- Most spam posts are nonsense- random english words strung together, or usually nothing more than a smiley face and a link. If you see a suspicious post, report it to a moderator.

- If you get an email from someone you don't know, don't open any attachments. Warning signs include subject lines like, "MUST READ!" or "You will like this!" or "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WIN LOTTERY!"

- DO NOT POST YOUR EMAIL AS VISIBLE TEXT. Spam robots scan websites looking for text with "@" inside it to harvest e-mail addresses. Nothing troubles me more than when I see someone sign their post, "Please email me at [email protected]," or when they make their email address part of their signature. Friends: If you want people to email you, put your email address in your profile- SPAM ROBOTS CANT GET IT. If someone wants to email you, they can either click on the little "email button" next to your post, or the email button that shows up in your profile. THIS IS THE SAFEST WAY TO STORE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ON THIS SITE. If you insist on displaying your email address as text, there's always the old standby "happyrailfan AT aol.com" and people know to replace "AT" with "@."

Hope this helps, sorry we've been having these problems lately.

[Rockin' Roller]

Get a Mac.

[Otto Vondrak]

Yeah, I was going to mention I don't know much about this virus and spyware stuff too much because I'm on a Mac (which tend to have fewer problems with that kind of stuff than PC counterparts).

[Gilbert B Norman]

Get a Mac.

Not if one feels turned off by the 'suit' (presumably Bill Gates) vs. "casual" (Steve Jobs I would guess) TV ad Apple is sponsoring.

I realize that Apple owners swear by their software even as we with Windows swear at ours, My first 1983 vintage computer was an Apple 2E, but time rolls on and I guess I'm not about to look back.

I understand that people who use computers for design, entertainment, and other "creative" purposes are more comfortable with Apple products, Mine is, however, railforums, e-mail, and business applications. YouTube, iTunes, etc, WAZZAT

That TV ad simply reinforces my continued allegiance, even if not love, for Microsoft products and hardware configured to support them (I'm in the market next year for a new system, BTW).

[CNJ]

We might, IMHO, also lose a lot of "foolishness" if railroad.net required a membership fee.

it would also lose 90% of its users

if you want a private members-only club, make your own yahoo group

look at that pitiful site trainoders.com, what a joke that forum has become

I am not sure that I agree with this one. Trainordersdotcom has a good
group for the most part, there are a fair number of both active and
retired railroad people who think it is worth the annual fee.
I don't think it is a joke.
I still think an annual fee would stop a lot of the BS on here and would for
the most part stop the spam as well. It would also contribute to the funds
that the leadership on here has had to put out to allow us to enjoy this
site.
It would not bother me one bit if we lost 40 or 50 per cent because most
of that per cent would be trash anyway.
Incidentally, thanks to the people who gave this old timer some pointers
about getting rid of the unwanted spyware on my computer, I purchased
Webroot, Spy Sweeper today and programed it to my computer, it has
helped but it has not stopped the problems.
Noel Weaver

Mr. Weaver...There is something else you can upload that would add an extra measure of security for your computer. Upload the ZoneAlarm firewall to your computer. Its an added measure of security for your computer, even if you already have a firewall in place. Its about as good a firewall as you can get...and you can upload it for free!

If you are interested go to:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/c ... opnav_zaav

Let us know how you make out with your computer.

Regards.

[Noel Weaver]

I have downloaded and saved the link provided by CNJ as well as having
purchased a spy sweep program all to no avail.
I am getting pop-ups on an average of every 15 seconds. Refers to
security alerts, net worm-i.virus@fp, trojan virus as well as other stuff.
This also prompts me to order a program to clear up the problem but I
suspect that if I do that, it will make the problem much worse and could
cause me major problems if I use a credit card to pay for it. I am also
getting some sexually explicit material which I would NEVER use on here
so this is a bigger problem than most of you realize.
It has totally removed my enjoyment of railroad net and the other
web sites that I have enjoyed over the past few years.
I will be in touch with somebody here who has a connection with a
"computer expert" who may be able to help. If this does not work, I will
probably go for a new computer.
As I stated earlier if I have to buy a new outfit, I will not be on railroaddot
net again until access is controlled so far as posting is concerned. I hope
I do not have to do that but I will not risk my computer (old or new) in
order to participate here.
Noel Weaver

[David]

Is anyone else having the same problems as Noel is having? Like Otto, I am using an Apple and am not aware of such serious problems since they do not get viruses and spyware. The new Apples now run Windows and OS X. They are the best of both worlds in one computer. Perhaps, Noel, buying this type of computer system might solve your problems. Sorry for pushing the Apples but like Victor Kiam once said about the Remington shavers, " I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company". The Apple stock is doing quite well now--LOL

[keotaman]

I use a windows 98x pc, & had no problems. But then, I didn't click on an obvious spam/prn url link in a doubled post from a brand new user who had made only two posts, both shown. Use a little safety-awareness, & control curiosity, it's safer that way.

PS - I also use an active firewall (to prevent internet attacks & behind-the-scenes communications on the web), & scan every day with AV.

[David Benton]

Noel , theres no need to buy a new computer . worst case would be a reformat of your hard drive if they cant remove the virus form your registry etc . but a computer expert should be able to remove the virus for you .
i , for one , value your contributions on here , and would like to see it continue .
As admin have said , you can have all the controls in the world , and this kind of thing will still happen .