I've been on to the abuse desks of the two ISPs serving up the spam to the board.
It's very interesting looking at the logs. The spammers have hijacked a server on one ISP. That server is then scanning the board and sucking down pages. Selected pages are then passed to a routine that posts the spam to them via open proxies on a different ISP.

It's all automated, so the bastards don't realise that the text and liks are not actually getting posted now.
However, we're still seeing evidence of the attempts to post. *duh*

I've started locking out ranges of IPs.

BASTARDS!!! Strip their skin and dip 'em in salt water! Mwahahahaha....

Anáil nathrach, ortha bháis is beatha, do chéal déanaimh

- although it would help if I locked them out of the correct sub-folder ;)

Interesting, another 'Authentication Error' posting that came via a completely new source - and a different type of attempt.
Probably a different spammer.

While the messge board was sleeping for a few years, the Net changed somewhat. The explosion of blogs opened up a whole new Wild West for spammers. They automated 'comment spamming'. It was then logical for them to extend the same basic 'bot' technology to the spamming of widely-used message board software.

Now that the message board is awake again, their bots are finding it.

Time for Plan.B

Loose the Sentinels on em O Great One
Matrix their butts.....

Light-saber their servers obi-wan-accasbel, and terminate their 'bots'...

Keep their bots at bay anyhow!

It's like any other war. Each side has to keep coming up with something new.
I'll watch the server logs and see what they try next.

.... oh whatEVer... just do the politics with that "BeSeen" group and jump start/hack/lobotimize that server... and we'll all go back to the way it was 9 years ago.

There, that will solve the problem and that's the best suggestion of the night!

I'm tired, I'm taking a nap now.

Yours in Wenchliness Problem Solving

The server logs bring to mind scenes from that SciFi series/movie Stargate SG or whatever.
A bunch of military types looking a tad concernedly at the closed stargate, while the bad guys splatter themselves on the other side of the gate.

Not quite like Stargate however. Richard Dean Anderson isn't half hunky enough to play me.
- and the spammers are way nastier than the Goa'uld. (Hope I pronounced that right)

*cracking up here*...

Correction Your Pontiff Sir... NO ONE... isn't half hunky enough to play you.

*bowing and laughing*

*Sets up cameras to film the new series
S-tir na nOGate The Spam Chronicles starring Richard Dean Accasbel*

Opening scene: McGuire's is stuck on the outside of the gate with only his nose sticking through...

McGuire: Excuse me sir, but could you open the gate a wee bit, my nose is stuck in the middle of the lens eye thingie?"

Addendum: McGuire is speaking in a very nasally tone.

And don't forget, I've actually met the Innkeeper, up close and personal....so make sure the camera angles are nothing less than perfect - he has no "bad" side if you know what I mean.

*cheesy wink*

I think Al Yankovic is looking for work if you need help on the musical score!!

Sheesh

*Reaches from the 'safe' side of the gate...grabs the schnoze between two fingers and gives it a good old tweeking then runs away!*

Ahhmmmm.... You're in trouble

Hey thanks Silk! I can breathe again. No!! Wait!!! My nose!!!! Where is my nose???????????!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!

Somebody check the floor on that side of the gate.

Is there a nose on the floor in front of it?

What's that smell?

SIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLK!!!

How do you keep a skunk from smelling?

Cut off his nose

Wasn't that one Germany's entry in the Killer Joke competition of 1943...?

Well Mcguire ..I thought the go'ald ??? (sp)we looking for somewhere to live but really offering your nose?
*opens gate*

Beware of Goa'ulds bearing noses !!

Watch out! Those nostrils are full of warriors!

Are Goa'ulds any relation to Gonads?... And if so, should be be concerned?

:-O Gonads??!! Did she say gonads? Sheesh, what's this board coming to? :---->

*Snaps nose back on face and takes a breath*

Hmmm, sometimes it's good to have a detachable nose.

Detachable...nose?
As in a really bad pair of Groucho Marx glasses?
Sheesh

Ha ha *waggles eyebrows*

Can you waggle your tongue as fast as your eyebrows?

*smacks herself*....I'm not EVEN going to say a word!

What for goodness sake?! *grin* Tis just a simple question! I've heard that folk who can waggle their tongues real fast usually make very good singers! They can make their voices quiver and warble better that way and enunciate better than those who can't waggle!

Sheesh! *wanders off performing waggling tongue exercises* ;)

Ha ha ha....