Request for feedback to Forum members re recent SPAM attack

[rmacfarl]

Jacques,

I wonder if you could take the time to update Forum members of whether measures are under way to address the recent spam attack, where members received personal messages of a particularly objectionable and pornographic nature from a recent new member, in clear breach of the Forum Agreement.

There has been some discussion of the incident on sci.anthropology.paleo - Daryl Habel mentioned you are approaching the webmaster - but it would perhaps assist us if you could give some feedback here as to what is happening.

Just a suggestion, & thanks for your efforts to provide such a high-quality forum for internet discussion of paleoanthropology...

Cheers,

Ross Macfarlane

[lagarvelho]

Ross and all:

I found that spam in, of all places, my inbox for this forum.  I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but then I remembered seeing, out of the corner of my eye, what appeared to be a good protion of the members of this list.  I deleted it, thinking that the moderators would "do something" about it.  Maybe they have.  I don't know.  But if they haven't, maybe there should be a method of screening people who sign up for this forum(can they be moderated for one or two posts, just to filter spammers out?) .  Other than that, I don't really have any suggestions.  I suggest the above method, because that's hyow I rid myself of spammers on my Palanthsci list.
Anne G

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

Jacques,

I wonder if you could take the time to update Forum members of whether measures are under way to address the recent spam attack, where members received personal messages of a particularly objectionable and pornographic nature from a recent new member, in clear breach of the Forum Agreement.

There has been some discussion of the incident on sci.anthropology.paleo - Daryl Habel mentioned you are approaching the webmaster - but it would perhaps assist us if you could give some feedback here as to what is happening.

Just a suggestion, & thanks for your efforts to provide such a high-quality forum for internet discussion of paleoanthropology...

Cheers,

Ross Macfarlane

Ross,

Sorry for this belated reply, but, as you certainly know, late July/early August (Summer, here!) is not exactly the best time of the year for dealing with the kind of incident you are referring to. People (including myself) who have the means to rectify such situations are not readily available.

At this time, I’ll just say that the Forum Manager, our Webmaster, Dar, and I are presently doing our best to deal with the issue to the satisfaction of all. When we will have arrived at a satisfactory solution, I’ll provide the Forum members with a complete briefing.

Finally, thanks for your kind words regarding the quality of the Forum.

Best,

Jacques