[wp-hackers] New(?) anti-spam technique

[John Watson]

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 15:59:42 -0400, Robert Deaton <false.hopes at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, the problem is that the access to zombie networks with 100
> computers is fairly open now adays, considering the amount of
> vunerabilities being fonud in certain software, and the vunerability
> scanners to find them. I'm sure within a few days, a potential spammer
> could compromise 100 boxes, upload the program to each of them, and

That may be true.  This could still lower the total amount of spam
those spammers could get out by an order of magnitude or more.  Using
the numbers from my original post, those 100 boxes could send 100,000
spams/3 seconds.  But without the anti-spam technique it would be
100,000 spams/0.1 seconds.  If the limit was 10 seconds it would be
100,000/10 seconds vs. 100,000/0.1 seconds.

> mass comment spam over a short period is to make counters that count
> the number of spams per...say 5 minute period, and if it exceeds a
> certain number, turn off comments on that post all together until the
> owner of the blog can return and set it back up, hoping that the
> spammers will have given up and moved on.
> 
> Another simple, easy to implement idea. Comments on that one?

In general I'm opposed to anti-spam methods that require legitimate
commenters or site owners to change their behavior or do very drastic
things like turning off comments.  Also, I don't think we can count on
spammers giving up and moving on.  It'll only get worse from now on...
eventually it'll just be a steady unending stream of spam all day and
night -- just like email.