Spammers

Important forum announcements.
User avatar
MJE
Posts: 2534
Joined: 15 Nov 2006, 12:24
Favourite book/series: Famous Five series
Favourite character: George; Julian; Barney
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Spammers

Post by MJE »

Moonraker wrote:What? Do you mean all spam? Crikey, you need some anti-spam software.
     Well, I don't think anti-spam software, filters, and the like can always be trusted, so some people may not like to use them. I don't myself.
     I have an uncle it is impossible to e-mail, because he has some kind of filter which is set incorrectly, and anything I've ever sent for years has been rejected because it is deemed spam. But, even set correctly, they *can* reject legitimate mail.
     But if someone *suddenly* gets that much spam, I have to wonder if there is a specific cause, such as (probably inadvertently) letting someone get your e-mail address who shouldn't have.

Regards, Michael.
Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Spammers

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

MJE wrote:      What about the Yahoo groups idea of asking applicants to write a few sentences about why they want to join? Would that be a good measure to introduce? Of course, a spammer may write a couple of sentences referring to their interest in Enid Blyton - but would someone joining only with the intention of spamming bother to do that? It might be a deterrent, at least, and I assume Yahoo groups introduced that idea because it works at least sometimes.
     What other measures are you considering? Is there much you can do about this?
We've only just started talking about it (as we're suddenly getting more spammers than we used to) and we won't really know what's possible until we've had a chance to discuss it with Keith. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
lwindrush
Posts: 191
Joined: 14 May 2012, 23:45
Favourite book/series: Famous five of course!
Favourite character: Dick, he is so me
Location: Teesside

Re: Spammers

Post by lwindrush »

I'm a lucky guy I keep winning the Spanish lottery and having long lost relatives in Nigeria who are recently deceased and need to transfer millions of dollars to me for my bank details.
User avatar
MJE
Posts: 2534
Joined: 15 Nov 2006, 12:24
Favourite book/series: Famous Five series
Favourite character: George; Julian; Barney
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Spammers

Post by MJE »

     I just heard from a Sudanese princess the other day (didn't even know the country was a monarchy, unless it's a kind of unofficial princess of a tribe that considers itself a separate nation even though not recognized as such by the world at large); and I don't know how many Nigerian businessmen, ex-Presidents, and the like have been referred to me for assistance because of my outstanding credentials.
     It's just odd how many of these eminent people have such bad spelling and grammar - and how many barristers apparently use the word "Barrister" as a title before their surname, like "Mr." or "Mrs." or "Dr.", and so on.
     And judging by all the lotteries I've won, I must surely be a multi-trillionaire by now! But it's strange how the organizers of them don't even know my name.

Regards, Michael.
Society Member
User avatar
poddys
Posts: 541
Joined: 30 Aug 2011, 16:51
Favourite book/series: The Famous Five
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Spammers

Post by poddys »

Some of the emails are just classic - the English and the addresses etc are so obviously wrong.

I had one several years ago from the Bank Of England in Buckingham Palace!

Maybe there should be a quiz for people who want to join...

What is the name of Noddy's best friend?
Complete the titles... The xxxxx Seven + The xxxxx Five

If someone wants to join and can't get those right...
I went on some great adventures reading the Famous Five books.
Enid Blyton Creator of The Famous Five
lwindrush
Posts: 191
Joined: 14 May 2012, 23:45
Favourite book/series: Famous five of course!
Favourite character: Dick, he is so me
Location: Teesside

Re: Spammers

Post by lwindrush »

There was a quiz question to join the forum it was something about a rabbit I had to google the answer, so I guess I'm here by fraudulent means!
Jake
Posts: 20
Joined: 15 Jul 2012, 18:28
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George

Re: Spammers

Post by Jake »

I feel sure that Enid would not have had much time for these people - after all we know how she felt about people with darker skin LOL.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Spammers

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

You mean like Mafumu, Oola, Tala, Sam and Boobanti, not to mention the thousands of children who wrote to her from countries like India and Malaysia? :roll:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Spammers

Post by Moonraker »

You beat me to it, Anita! I thought Jake's comment was rather strange. One of Enid's great strengths as an authoress was how she managed to relate to children from all over the world - indeed, our forums and especially the posts over on enidblyton.net are subscribed to by many from the Indian sub continent. Enid certainly wouldn't have "had much time for these people," not because of their race, but due to their lack of morals.
Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Spammers

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Well said, Nigel. In Enid Blyton books it's not colour that matters, but character!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Eddie Muir
Posts: 14566
Joined: 13 Oct 2007, 22:28
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers and Dog
Favourite character: Fatty
Location: Brighton

Re: Spammers

Post by Eddie Muir »

Well said indeed! I couldn't agree more. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

Society Member
User avatar
Julie2owlsdene
Posts: 15244
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 20:15
Favourite book/series: F.F. and Mystery Series - Five get into Trouble
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Cornwall

Re: Spammers

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Jake wrote:I feel sure that Enid would not have had much time for these people - after all we know how she felt about people with darker skin LOL.
I'm pleased this has been answered. Many people seem to believe the rubbish they've read about Enid Blyton. And all of it probably printed by people who haven't got a clue anyway! It just sells papers!!

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

Society Member
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Spammers

Post by Moonraker »

Maybe Jake was referring to sunburnt skin. She really thought that it was healthy to be as brown as a berry. We now know that not to be true. Keep in the shade, your health will it aid. Sleep in the sun and your life will it run.
Society Member
User avatar
Lucky Star
Posts: 11485
Joined: 28 May 2006, 12:59
Favourite book/series: The Valley of Adventure
Favourite character: Mr Goon
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spammers

Post by Lucky Star »

He did put a LOL at the end of it. Its a puzzling remark and he doesn't seem to be about to return and explain it but I took it as a bit of a pun on the stereotype about Blyton and how her criminal characters were often "swarthy". and the fact that most of these scammers seem to originate in Africa and/or Asia. A joke that misfired perhaps?
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero

Society Member
Post Reply