Copybots, Offlines, etc...

I'm getting really tired of these.  I'm sure you all are.

There was another thread posted a few minutes ago.  The content is very vague and general.  The poster doesn't mention autism or anything else specific, and doesn't have a proper username.  Is it worth spending time on a reply?  Or should I first spend time searching to see if it's actually a copy of an earlier thread?  I really don't feel I have the time to waste for either. 

And now I can't even post this yet because I've been 'temporarily disconnected' - which happens an awful lot, too.  It's all doing my head in.

Until this gets sorted out properly, I'm going to be taking time out.

All the best, folks.

Tom

  • If it helps to know... I agree with DongFeng5, there is absolutely no need for apology, there. I explain my response further... Apple versus Windows is an argument as old as Spectum versus Commodore (or Atari)... that was what I meant by it maybe starting another Thread. Again for this night, I say to anyone, Please do not worry about it...

    ...But I still miss my EEE-PC!     :-)

  • Well, it was blunt, anyway.  And certainly not something I would otherwise have said.

  • Dunno why you're apologising, really. I hadn't thought of it as rude. 

  • Thanks, DongFeng.  Sorry... I really don't remember making that earlier comment, and I've changed it.  It's very strange.  I saw it and thought 'Why would I say that?'  I'm very sorry for any misunderstanding there.

    I had a shameful amount to drink last night, but that's no excuse for rudeness.

  • (Look, I'm sure you know this already, what with your brilliant writing and all, but maybe it'll help someone else on here...):

    Ok, so you could open "notepad", switch on "word wrap" and type your post in that. 

    You can save the file locally with Ctrl-S. 

    Posting to the forum then becomes:

    Ctrl-A

    Ctrl-C

    Ctrl-V (in the editing box on the forum)

  • I'm hoping not to annoy people with too much techie stuff, particularly Tom who started this thread.

    I've done a bit more research into Copybot (and posted it under 'What is...' and 'Technical countermeasures' here). Having found Copybot spamming other forums, I now think requiring a username would only be a short-term stopgap, and I'm not sure there's even an option for requiring it or an avatar on this forum, although requiring a profile or banning IP ranges may be possible. It's something we could ask @WebPM to look into, as we've been getting about two deceptive posts per day over the last week. It's clear to me now that copying threads is preparation for posting spam, and that there are automated ways of screening new posts better.

    Chatbots - Not sure if there are any here anymore... There are still many suspicious Posts though, as you say.

    Were there ever any Chatbots on this site? I think it was just spammers, Copybot and one suspected replicant who turned out to be human after all.

    Write your post off-line in an editor. 

    I wish I'd done something like that when I wrote a very long response on 'my' thread about sleep. Rather discouraged to add to it now. What I do sometimes is when I realise I've written a lot, copy and paste it all to an email window. A 'clipboard manager' is also a useful thing for keeping multiple bits of text - there seem to be Ditto and Shapeshifter for Windows.

    The 'trying to reconnect' pop-up is a bit oversensitive (i get it with iffy wi-fi), but I can't see it can be adjusted in the documentation. What does the main page of the forum show when this is happening?

    would use Linux, but I am waiting as if for-ever for them to bring out Hardware dedicated to it

    I think Dell do some with Ubuntu GNU/Linux preinstalled. You could also ask anyone techie to install it on your old hardware - one of the great things about particularly Lubuntu or Xubuntu is you can keep old hardware running securely for several extra years without spending more money or all the natural resources that go into a new laptop (and you don't need to wipe off Windows or MacOS if you still want it).

    I think we should raise Copybot on the copybot thread with NAS people next week, like  to ask if there's anything the web team can do.

  • I think the requirement for an alias or profile or avatar would be a very good idea and would drive Copybot away.

    I like this idea, too (sorry to bother you)! Might WebPM soon be reading, although it is the weekend now. (I am just posting support.) A unique picture or UserName would delay for the longest time.

  • Sorry if I am butting in, but... a reply like this could start the sort of thing which would make up a Thread of its own.

    I only use Windows (now) because Apple is too expensive, but given a choice I would use Linux, but I am waiting as if for-ever for them to bring out Hardware dedicated to it, rather than installing it. (Android is not the same thing, really.)

    Anyone can ignore this Post if they want. I just miss my old EEE-PC, that is all... *sniffle*...

  • Yes, Windows.  I usually write in Word first, then cut and paste.  It just keeps logging me out.  I use Firefox, so that might be the issue.

  • Write your post off-line in an editor. 

    Then you only need the site to be online for a few seconds. It's a pain, but better than losing content or getting frustrated. 

    What platform are you using? Windows?

  • Then don't. I hope you would still feel able to reply to people you know or start your own conversations.

    I'll stick with that for now.  I was just very frustrated last night.  It's not the 'Service 503' error.  I keep getting a pop-up from the NAS to say I've gone offline - attempting to reconnect.  There's nothing wrong with my internet connection.  It just seems to be this site.  Last night, I was attempting to post something for 20 minutes, but it kept going offline, then reconnecting briefly, then going offline again...

  • Until this gets sorted out properly, I'm going to be taking time out.

    To Mr Tom... good idea, but solving these things may take a while. A very long while.

    should I first spend time searching to see if it's actually a copy of an earlier thread?

    ...This is the thing to do, yes, and alas, it IS VERY ANNOYING!! 

  • the person

    ...(...!) Greetings TrainSpotter, speaking as one "friend" of "the person" to another (we two, so far)... it got interesting today, what with links to other Sites and their detailing "Ethnicity" and all...! As you know, "The Person", and "ChatBots", and CopyBots... are three different Topics, now. All very confusing, if one has more important things to think about - seriously!

    The Person (R) - I have still not responded directly since. And they are asking for PMs again, now.

    Chatbots - Not sure if there are any here anymore... There are still many suspicious Posts though, as you say.

    CopyBots - Still unrelenting, so much so that it has another Thread about it.

    ...As I say, I can only let you know that you are certainly not alone. (Bad and Good occur, here as in real life). From my own point-of-view, I learn, wait, and learn and wait... over and over...)

  • What if the copybots aren't misappropriating content at all? Perhaps the forums are a process for therapy, something akin to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loTIzXAS7v4

  • I think the requirement for an alias or profile or avatar would be a very good idea and would drive Copybot away. At least until they bring out Copybot 2.0 who says he's Geoffrey from Hove and likes abseiling, cross-stitch and meringues.

    I think the person you're talking about is a genuine person with communication difficulties. I can't know for sure, but I'm beginning to build up a consistent idea of her.

  • Usenet

    How do you even access it nowadays? It used to be a standard part of an internet connection, but ISPs now seem to assume now all you want is the web, and not necessarily all of that.  I used to get free posting accounts, but don't know where now. Are there good autism newsgroups? Have you tried alt.support.autism ?

    I'm getting really tired of these.  I'm sure you all are.

    I think there should be some long-term solution to copybot. I don't mind doing a public service helping vet things, but it would be more satisfying if we could stop it.  I'm wondering what Telligent (who make the forum software) are saying about it. Is 'Telligent' the opposite of 'intelligent'?Grinning

    There was another thread posted a few minutes ago.  The content is very vague and general.  The poster doesn't mention autism or anything else specific, and doesn't have a proper username.  Is it worth spending time on a reply?  Or should I first spend time searching to see if it's actually a copy of an earlier thread?  I really don't feel I have the time to waste for either. 

    Then don't. I hope you would still feel able to reply to people you know or start your own conversations.

    And now I can't even post this yet because I've been 'temporarily disconnected' - which happens an awful lot, too.  It's all doing my head in.

    I don't think they're expecting any more long offline periods. I haven't seen a 503 error since 5 July.

    Until this gets sorted out properly, I'm going to be taking time out.

    Always nice to see you here.

    Paging @WebPM. Which doesn't work. Paging  instead.

  • I know what you mean Tom.

    This 'copybot' thing seems to be a little out of hand.  Part of the problem seems to be the 'number' identity of the copybots.  They don't have proper identities.  I know some 'number' identities are genuine, but perhaps it should be a requ frirement to use a 'proper' alias, (if there is such a thing).  I don't  know whether this would drive the copybots away but they would be more memorable perhaps.

    As well as 'copybots' there are the strange few word statements made by some posters.  I feel very uneasy about these, they do not make much sense and replies from the same person always seem to be very cryptic and often contradictory.  I am not going to name the person, I am sure we all know who it is.  Yes, it may be someone who doesn't understand English but another possiblity is someone having their joke at our expense. 

    We just don't know as there is never much response from the perpetrator, just a few disjointed words which do not make sense to me and in another post the statement appears to be at odds with what was posted before.

  • For some reason, there's a word in my head:

    Usenet