Spam reporting thread #50

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING SPAM

Distinguish between the following, and flag the highest level of the violation:

-- Type 1: Irredeemable commercial spam: make sure to flag the member's profile, as well as the spammy activity. This type includes things selling strollers, pharmaceuticals, live-streaming sports games, porn, and/or trying to create traffic/links to sites for such things. Sufficient profile flags will automatically result in temporary suspension and deletion of the member's activity, so use your profile-flagging powers wisely and carefully.

-- Type 2: Teachable moments: DO NOT flag the member's profile, but DO flag the violating activity (e.g. self-promotional Talk post, group, or local venue). This type includes promotional activity that violates the Terms of Service (TOS), but where the member is potentially redeemable, e.g. overzealous authors, overzealous publishers, or other members with small TOS violations but who are otherwise using the site legitimately. These cases should be reported to staff (by sending a message or email to staff and/or or posting on this thread), so the member can be taught how to use the site.

Specific procedures:
-- Overzealous authors or publishers (these fall under type 2): do NOT flag the member's profile. Report to staff here or privately. You can also send the member a polite message pointing them to the terms, mentioning the "no promoting" language, and pointing them to the Do's and Don't page for authors: http://www.librarything.com/about_authors.php
-- Suspected sock-puppetry to promote a book, write fake reviews, and/or stack ratings: do not flag the profile, but report to staff here or by message, so staff can investigate. This is a serious violation for which members can be permanently banned.
-- Profile flags for commercial spammers only (type 1): On the member's profile page, click on the "report for spam" link, then follow instructions to flag the member. Again, this is only for commercial spam, not for "overzealous" authors, publishers, or booksellers, which should be reported to staff instead. See Talk post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85810
-- Spam or promotional posts in a Talk topic (type 1 or 2): flag the post as an abuse of the terms of service.
-- Spam or promotional groups (types 1 and 2): flag new groups using the "flag this group" link.
-- Spam lists: report in this thread, and flag the member if it's commercial spam.
-- Spam works (type 1 spam): flag the work as spam on the work's editions page, and then vote on proposed work spam. Make sure to read the guidelines before proposing or voting, especially for what is not spam. Voting page: http://www.librarything.com/spam_works.php
-- Spam in a review (type 1), or an explicitly promotional review (type 2): flag the review as an abuse of the TOS, using the red flag.
-- Spam or promotion in "published reviews," or other CK fields (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete.
-- Spam or egregious promotion/advertising in venues or events (type 1 or 2): post here and/or delete. Note that authors are permitted to add events for their books.
-- Spam in book links / quick links: post here and/or edit to remove spam.
-- Spam author names listed on a work: No current procedure. Tim has asked us not to change CK to indicate spammers, and not to combine spam authors together.
-- Not sure if it's spam? Post here, and explain why.

Please note that Tim has asked us not to use either CK or the combining system (whether works or authors) for spam fighting.

For more information see these wiki pages:
Procedures for flagging and reporting spam: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Spam#Procedures_for_flagging_and_repo....
Spam works, guidelines for flagging and voting: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/HelpThing:Spam_works

(A copy of these guidelines, for pasting in new threads, can be found here or at the top of previous threads.)

>1 davidgn:

A copy of these guidelines, for pasting in new threads, can be found here

David, you might want to edit your post to make "here" the link it's supposed to be: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Spam_Reporting_Threads

Whoops. Done. Thanks!

http://www.librarything.com/profile/ifixhybrid

The spam work was flagged away hours ago so now it's time to flag away the spammer.

Just in case this doesn't stop quickly:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/fgsd45
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225300#

Help?

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225301
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225302
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225303

There's now another one:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/knight758
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225304#

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225309#

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225310#

(This one is jumping groups each time)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225306#

Still more:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225305#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225307#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225308#

Only the first and third in >10 LyndaTrue2: still need flagging, and both profiles (I think).

Please, flag these two profiles (if they aren't already disabled):

http://www.librarything.com/profile/fgsd45

http://www.librarything.com/profile/knight758

Accidentally put this in the old thread first:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/bleylcarpetsblinds
http://www.librarything.com/profile/carpetandblinds

Robert

>12 Mr.Durick: I've flagged the profile, but now I'm wondering if something's off, considering those other two profiles I'd posted (in >11 Lyndatrue:) are still around. I see plenty of flags on the group (mine made 7), which has me a bit worried about those three profiles not getting suspended (my two, and your one).

Right now, a second from now things could be different, the two in your message are gone. I'll just wait, I think.

Robert

http://www.librarything.com/groups/qwechat207634573sits
http://www.librarything.com/profile/huangjiuhuan

Topics are in the special folder.

Chinese diploma mill

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225470#
http://www.librarything.com/profile/vbnm150

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225474#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225475#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225476#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225477#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225479#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225480#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225481#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225482#

http://www.librarything.com/groups/nfratjuriya
http://www.librarything.com/profile/nfratjuriya

http://www.librarything.com/groups/savenjiibond
http://www.librarything.com/profile/savenjiibond

http://www.librarything.com/groups/elasticityandfirmnes
http://www.librarything.com/profile/oberjuriam

EDIT: Never mind; all are gone already :-)

They've hit the NYC events... again. http://www.librarything.com/local/place/New+York%2C+New+York

http://www.librarything.com/profile/gdgd951
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225509
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225510
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225511
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225512
-->gone

>24 davidgn: That one may be worse than it looks? I went to the page to see what was going on and my antivirus alerted me to a threat, some kind of .gif, although I didn't see one. Sending a message to Lorannen just in case.

>24 davidgn: I'm on it, and thanks for the report.

>26 Taphophile13: I didn't have any issues when I opened that URL, myself. So, one of three scenarios is likely: false alarm on Taphophile's antivirus software, my antivirus software is crap, or the offending material has already been removed from that particular page. Definitely report to me if you ever see antivirus warnings triggered by LT, though. That's something we definitely want to know about.

>27 lorannen:

They did manage to embed images on the page, though, which really shouldn't be permitted.

Further update: as I'm cleaning up these lovely, spammy events, I've noticed that these most recent ones claim to have been added by Eventkeeper (an event calendar feed that we can tap into), although they do not appear on that library's actual Eventkeeper page. It looks like the spammers are editing existing events on LT, which is incredibly frustrating. I'm working with Tim to see if I can't find an easy way to discover which members have done the editing—at which point we can block their IP.

Enthusiastic author:

Please do NOT flag the profile. I've left a note.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225521#

http://www.librarything.com/profile/JJRavens

NYC event(s), again. http://www.librarything.com/local_add_v2.php?event=2425459

http://www.librarything.com/groups/sunpijiibond1
http://www.librarything.com/profile/sunpijiibond (same as before, I think)

Enthusiastic publisher? I'm heartless. Flagging the profile as well.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/sprucealleypress
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225814#

Publishers should be treated like authors and not flagged. See Type 2 in >1 davidgn:

>54 MarthaJeanne: Yep. I understand that rule. I still flagged it. I considered it to be drive by spam. YMMV.

>55 Lyndatrue:

It's Tim's mileage that varies. I think that if the owner of the site has specifically stated that he does not want us to flag publishers and authors, we should respect that. There does not appear to have been anything so exceptional about this instance that would warrant a flag. It was, as I understand it, one post. Hardly seems sufficient justification for an exception.

>55 Lyndatrue:

Tim has specifically requested that we not flag overzealous publishers or authors, and has also stated that misuse of flags is a violation of the TOS. That's not a risk I would be willing to take no matter how much I considered a particular post to be drive-by spam.

Yep, what they^ said. It is just as much against TOS to abuse the flagging feature as it is to actually make the spam that needs flagging. The rules explicitly forbid doing that.

>53 Lyndatrue: The point is apparently moot as the post and user are both gone.

"services for students"

http://www.librarything.com/topic/225830
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225831
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225832
http://www.librarything.com/topic/225833#
http://www.librarything.com/profile/estgedyg

>60 Taphophile13: Topics gone, profile still around, and needs more flags

>61 Lyndatrue: Gone now.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/sdgdfh

Back in a minute with topics

Hah. That was quick. Never mind.

>69 Lyndatrue:

I was starting to post that, and when I went to the topic to copy the URL, I saw "user has been deleted as spam". Very fast work!

>71 Mr.Durick: They are at least honest this time:

The allegations made by means of the producers of the -------- cream are totally unfounded. They haven’t proven their products, and they haven’t bought many either. In the absence of a well-made website, we can’t believe that this product presents any outcome. There’s no complete record of materials, either. Those acknowledged are not backed by proof, and there are no standards in what quantities these effective elements are integrated within the cream.

Gone now.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/ehsanjuriya
http://www.librarything.com/profile/ehsanjuriya

and a second one coming

http://www.librarything.com/groups/shockedwith
http://www.librarything.com/profile/aithjuriya

more Chinese spam - itunes link

http://www.librarything.com/profile/gaigai
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226165#

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226161

http://www.librarything.com/profile/NovelTeas
( DO NOT FLAG this account. It is for the future refference only. )

>82 Yamanekotei: I wouldn't flag this account -- overzealous publisher of tea canister literature, you might say?
See https://www.librarything.com/topic/222812#5633742 --- but someone should report and/or make contact

>83 davidgn: You know what? I didn't flag this account myself. I should have added "DO NOT FLAG this account. It is for the future refference only." Please see above.

Two groups

http://www.librarything.com/groups/alysonijuri
http://www.librarything.com/profile/alysonijuri

http://www.librarything.com/groups/ngmajiibond
http://www.librarything.com/profile/ngmajiibond

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226205#

(Author http://www.librarything.com/profile/bobrichart)

Overzealous author/publisher's promoter. Talking about "a book that has fallen into my hands". In Spanish; whose written Spanish is good?

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226201
http://www.librarything.com/profile/Trapotte (do NOT flag)

>89 davidgn:

I don't see anything to suggest that that is either the author or the publisher. Although the member has only three books catalogued so far (he just joined today), two are by other Argentinian writers. So this seems to be right in line with the rest of his library.

>90 lilithcat: Maybe I'm just a bit cynical; might be some innocent sap flogging the hell out of a book he/she likes. But the tone is pretty spammy; reads like a goddamn infomercial.

ETA: "Why do I think this novel deserves to be taken into account?

Because it is pure literature in the wild. Worth every euro you pay for it. You realize in the first pages that it is an investment and you do not regret it."

>91 davidgn:

I guess I just don't see any reason someone like Becerra would come to a site like this to flog his book, either himself or through an intermediary. He may not be well-known in the U.S. (I'm not sure that any of his books have been translated into English), but as near as I can tell, he's a quite well-known writer in his own country. Seems to me that if he or his publicist (assuming he has one) were going to promote the book anywhere, it would be on an Argentinian site.

>92 lilithcat: I'm in the process of adding all the bookstores and libraries in Argentina (and South America generally, but focusing on the Southern Cone; Uruguay is already basically complete) into Local. The point was to get LT onto Latin Americans' radar. I might have succeeded...

ETA: OK, maybe the point was really to make really pretty maps. :-p Check out Buenos Aires on Local. Only Paris beats it... and I'm not done yet. They don't call BA the Paris of the South for nothing.

ETA: At this point, I'm skipping Brazil, since it would single-handedly double the size of the project. And they speak Portuguese, which is yet another step removed from my French and Latin. :-p

All right, I'll concede: maybe this should have gone to "Is This Spam?"

Hey, "really pretty maps" are a good thing!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226212

(author http://www.librarything.com/profile/justlen)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226216

justlen is back with another one

>96 MarthaJeanne:, >97 Marissa_Doyle: He has also uploaded images of his books in his member gallery. I don't think that is flaggable, but it makes it look very much like he is only interested in advertising the books.

>99 MarthaJeanne:

Definitely NOT flaggable. You can upload pretty much whatever you want to your member gallery. (No x-rated stuff, but that's about it.)

ETA: that's why you actually CAN'T flag images in another member's gallery

>99 MarthaJeanne: Read the copy he's attached to the books. It's pure advertising fluff.
Tempted to flag the profile now, because he has two warnings posted there already.

>101 gilroy:

It's not attached to the books, it's comments on his own images. He's talking to himself; I find that rather amusing. He hasn't even added the books!

He's obviously not clear on the concept, which is just as well.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/kniasdje
Back with topics in a second

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226255#

Already headed to history.

Presumably this member doesn't remember the title of ANYTHING she reads. This many posts in so short a time looks suspicious to me, especially with so many of them bearing thin descriptions:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226247
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226248
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226246
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226228
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226227
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226226
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226225
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226224
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226222

>107 Cecrow:

I agree it's odd, but I don't see anything spammy about it. One to keep an eye on, perhaps, but there's certainly nothing flaggable at this point.

>107 Cecrow:

Forgot to add:

If you are uncertain whether something is spam or not, it's best to use the "Is this spam?" threads: https://www.librarything.com/topic/222812

Huh. Middle profile/group of >109 MarthaJeanne: is still there.

Never mind. All fixed.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/226330

Loranne has already left a profile note.

>115 2wonderY: Still needs the fourth flag. Gone now.

Chinese diploma mill needs another flag

http://www.librarything.com/profile/ytryres1
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226382#

>118 Taphophile13: Topic's gone, but the profile is still around.

>119 Lyndatrue: Gone now. ;-)

https://www.librarything.com/groups/zirjashelly
https://www.librarything.com/profile/zirjashelly
gone

Overzealous author.
https://www.librarything.com/profile/TheWormholeJourneys (do NOT flag -- note that profile shares name of book)
https://www.librarything.com/topic/226472 - promoting book

>125 davidgn: I left the standard comment on the profile.

>125 davidgn:

Also
http://www.librarything.com/topic/224124#5640192
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226249#5640193
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226461

>125 davidgn: There's also http://www.librarything.com/topic/226477 (but do not flag that one; it looks completely innocent).

Huh. Pretty prolific. I also flagged this:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/224124#5640218

The content on at least one of those has changed. My guess is that he's a quick learner:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226461

>130 Lyndatrue: https://www.librarything.com/topic/226472 -- also changed, and I now counterflagged.
ETA: ...except, now deleted.

All remaining of the above have now been edited. Counterflagging probably in order.

>132 davidgn: He has now deleted those messages.

>133 Taphophile13: (and others) I'd sent him the comment, and he replied quickly with an apology. I note that he made an introduction over on Hobnob, and in general seems to be trying to fit in. I may suggest a profile name change to him, later. That may be one of the quickest turnarounds I've seen on the enthusiastic author syndrome.

48 spam works http://www.librarything.com/spam_works.php
and their super-spammer http://www.librarything.com/profile/Vij_Vg

>139 Collectorator: If the account gets suspended, all the rest will be taken care of. Did you flag the profile?

>138 rybie2: Profile could still use a few flags

>139 Collectorator: >140 Lyndatrue: >141 gilroy: I flagged the profile when I wrote >138 rybie2:. If the 4 of us, at minimum, have flagged the profile, I'd have expected it to be squashed by now, but maybe because the profile has so many works cataloged, we need more spam fighters to pile on flags. Just a guess, though.

>142 rybie2: I just left a note on lorannen's profile. If she's around, she'll show up to help out (or explain why we can't have the pony -- either one is possible).

http://www.librarything.com/groups/sivdashelly

Well, I can't get my Surface to paste the culprit in, but it should be flagged.

Robert

http://www.librarything.com/profile/sivdashelly. dammit

http://www.librarything.com/groups/httpwwwhealthybookle
http://www.librarything.com/profile/thaddeusrameys

>145 Mr.Durick: - 148 All profiles gone. Some groups still around.

>143 Lyndatrue: Sorry I wasn't around yesterday to help out with the pernicious spammer reported in >139 Collectorator: !

It looks sufficiently squashed now. Good work, all, and thank you!

As for the why it took so long to disappear—enough flags will get an account put into "provisional spam" status. Which should be enough to wipe their Talk topics, but, Tim tells me, does not take care of their spam works or tags. Only LT Staff have the power to enact regular ol' "spam" status, which does knock out this other activity. I'm sorry I wasn't around to do that for you.

In the past, as some of you know all too well, Talk was hit much harder by spammers than any other part of the site. Lately, though, I've been seeing grounds to make "provisional spam" a more powerful block/removal of activity on a member's account, and I've passed this recommendation on to Tim.

>150 lorannen: Spam disappears from talk so quickly now, I think the spammers are trying new tricks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226612
http://www.librarything.com/profile/congbao2208

Translates: Tree black radiation of valuable medicinal plants line assistance and effective cancer treatment , diabetes treatment , conditioning blood ... As valuable medicinal plants will be used effectively , is widely used to treat trusted illness , prevention of chronic diseases . Previously , when the trees are far less well known source of radiation much black is mainly due to people gathering in the forests and hills . These products are grown naturally . However, when it is known to have miraculous medicinal , natural tree black radiation can not meet the needs of users, numb

gone.

Now they're just trolling us.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/canbrush
http://www.librarything.com/profile/ogersvaxer
"You can brush your teeth after the whole process to clean those lubricant effects."
Eww.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/kbuhjiibond
http://www.librarything.com/profile/kbuhjiibond

"Beard Czar is genuinely a quantity one distributor of the form of beard treatment and grooming Beard Czar products for you to help you to boost, tend and trend for your beard"
Seriously?

Overzealous author. Account created within last few hours.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226649
http://www.librarything.com/profile/ColetteKebell (do not flag)

http://www.librarything.com/profile/dsghfdhd

http://www.librarything.com/topic/226759#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226758#

Already suspended. I'm sure the topics will disappear momentarily.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/perticular
http://www.librarything.com/profile/needlas7
http://www.librarything.com/topic/226939

User gone

https://www.librarything.com/profile/Guntina
https://www.librarything.com/work/18045046

spam work, review, quick link in Latvian for dishtowls

http://www.librarything.com/groups/smbhjiibond
http://www.librarything.com/profile/smbhjiibond

more to come

http://www.librarything.com/groups/thebodyands
http://www.librarything.com/profile/aulsovaxer

Gone.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/ghn159
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227026
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227027
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227028
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227029
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227030
(gone!)

Osteopath
http://www.librarything.com/profile/Josephgreen
http://www.librarything.com/work/book/132298686

has now added advertising profile picture

https://www.librarything.com/groups/hurtjuriya
https://www.librarything.com/profile/hurtjuriya

https://www.librarything.com/groups/hemijiibond
https://www.librarything.com/profile/hemijiibond

https://www.librarything.com/groups/effectivelywhatalldi
https://www.librarything.com/profile/aqkervaxer

While I'm at it, https://www.librarything.com/topic/227158 needs another flag
(but not https://www.librarything.com/profile/sumeetmathur)

Chinese ads

http://www.librarything.com/topic/227206#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227207
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227208#
http://www.librarything.com/profile/huangjiahung

http://www.librarything.com/groups/joeashelly
http://www.librarything.com/profile/joeashelly

"Ingesting you have to seek advice with the physician. It's the best muscle building resolution that provides excessive force and patience to the body.The field of Alpha Tren contain pills/capsules and … "

http://www.librarything.com/groups/yadfjuriya
http://www.librarything.com/profile/yadfjuriya

more coming

http://www.librarything.com/groups/kurnjiibond
http://www.librarything.com/profile/kurnjiibond

With a view to be certain the nontoxic functioning of this complement, they'd finished quite a lot of testes and screened it on certain best parameters.

Overenthused author
profile https://www.librarything.com/profile/docmiteow
out-of-the-blue comment, off topic https://www.librarything.com/topic/226809#5661312

This "author" also spammed various people via the comment system (including me), and I cannot imagine why I was so fortunate, but it's before coffee, so I'll refrain from further commentary. I don't classify this as an overly enthusiastic author, either. I flagged the account.

The same idiotic garbage in that comment on the thread was what I saw (and I'm deleting the comment, now, because one copy of that in the world is more than enough). Wonder if he ever heard of paragraphs, or punctuation?

I also note that there must have been multiple people hit, since the account's now suspended.

Yeah I got a comment as well.

https://www.librarything.com/profile/volumepills01
https://www.librarything.com/profile/vmax8000

erectile disfunction

>196 Lyndatrue: I got one as well. Maybe he targeted people in Spamfighters? ;)

>200 Marissa_Doyle: Targeting people in spamfighters seems somehow stupid. Then again, making me look at spam before I've had ANY coffee is downright lethal.

I didn't get one. Why am I being left out? (Throwing big hissy fit.)

If this comment really left out punctuation etc., why would anyone buy a book on the basis of proof that the author can't write? I have often wondered that as I read author spam, author profiles, ...

left out punctuation etc., why would anyone buy a book on the basis of proof that the author can't write? I have often wondered that as I read author spam, author profiles, ...

Urgh tell me about it! Like, you can't even write a few lines to try and cold-sell me your book, you really think I want to willingly subject myself to pages upon pages of that?! :|

Just in case it isn't gone before I finish typing this:

http://www.librarything.com/profile/dgdfghfh
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227465#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227466#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227467#
http://www.librarything.com/topic/227468#

Taken care of, now.

Self-promo https://www.librarything.com/topic/227471#
Author - https://www.librarything.com/profile/george72358

http://www.librarything.com/profile/Amerishades
http://www.librarything.com/profile/supermodel
http://www.librarything.com/profile/mark785
http://www.librarything.com/profile/upvcwindowderby

All are recently joined members with no works catalogued, spam on their profile pages, and spam links attached to their profile photos and/or attempted live spam links on their profile pages.

>199 Collectorator: Well, it's definitely what happens when you lose at Jenga.

>210 rybie2: I'm actually shocked "supermodel" wasn't an already-taken username. Zapped all of those, in any case.

>211 lorannen: "Superdupermodel" will be next ;-)

Time for a new thread.