It appears that this N.G. has been killed

Anything we can do ??

On Tue, 3 Oct 2023 18:06:21 -0700 (PDT), MitchAlsup
<MitchAlsup@aol.com> wrote:

>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
>Anything we can do ??

Find this "ufa" moron and kill them

On 10/3/2023 9:15 PM, George Neuner wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Oct 2023 18:06:21 -0700 (PDT), MitchAlsup
> <MitchAlsup@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>>
>> Anything we can do ??
>
> Find this "ufa" moron and kill them

If you killfile all the Thai vowels or similar, it at least it hides the
problem... Not really a real fix though...

On Tue, 3 Oct 2023 18:06:21 -0700 (PDT), MitchAlsup
<MitchAlsup@aol.com> wrote:

>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
>Anything we can do ??

pwn and crash the websites this moron is promoting?
Take away the $ motivation for spamming.

MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> wrote in news:fc5652a3-1c35-4b43-8f8d-
1527e4257ac2n@googlegroups.com:

> It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
> Anything we can do ??
>

The annoyance posts for a few days and then moves on to another group.
Some kind of automated garbage.

MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> writes:
>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
>Anything we can do ??

Use a newsreader that supports kill files, and then killfile these
messages. For xrn I use (in News/comp/arch/KILL):

/^Subject: =?UTF-8?B?/:j

This may also hit one of your messages if you post a message with a
binary64-encoded Subject:, but then I probably do not want to read it
anyway.

- anton
--
'Anyone trying for "industrial quality" ISA should avoid undefined behavior.'
Mitch Alsup, <c17fcd89-f024-40e7-a594-88a85ac10d20o@googlegroups.com>

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9:55:27 AM UTC+1, Anton Ertl wrote:
> MitchAlsup <Mitch...@aol.com> writes:
> >It appears that this N.G. has been killed
> >
> >Anything we can do ??
> Use a newsreader that supports kill files, and then killfile these
> messages. For xrn

compiled on debian. worked. under 4 minutes time spent.

$ git clone https://github.com/jikamens/xrn
$ cd xrn
$ apt-get install autoconf-archive
$ ./autoreconf
$ make
$ sudo bash
# make install
# exit
$ xrn &
(barf about "no newsgroup server" but that's another story)

> I use (in News/comp/arch/KILL):
>
> /^Subject: =?UTF-8?B?/:j

awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
(oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
*and* allows postings?)

l.

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9:53:15 AM UTC+1, David LaRue wrote:

> The annoyance posts for a few days and then moves on to another group.
> Some kind of automated garbage.

it smells to me like someone is using newsgroups as a "public anonymous
file transfer" mechanism. you just don't persistently and regularly
spam a newsgroup with this many messages *then move on to another one*,
without a purpose.

can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to
report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification
such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume is)
google's automated "spam defense" systems?

if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.

if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"
the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying
attention and filter them out.

or am i just being naive, there? :)

l.

"luke.l...@gmail.com" <luke.leighton@gmail.com> writes:

> awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
> operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
> (oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
> *and* allows postings?)

news.eternal-september.org

You may need to create an account to post.

George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Oct 2023 18:06:21 -0700 (PDT), MitchAlsup
> <MitchAlsup@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >It appears that this N.G. has been killed
> >
> >Anything we can do ??
>
> Find this "ufa" moron and kill them

It's coming from Google Groups. You can complain to Google, and they will
try to contact the 'group owner' (who doesn't exist, but they don't know
that because they think it's a mailing list and don't understand Google
Groups supports Usenet or even what that is), and then they will drop the
group from their service, including the archive. It's happened to quite a
number of other groups. Customer service completely doesn't get that Google
themselves are the problem here.

Meanwhile, this tin killfile is pretty effective:

group=*
case=0
score=kill
msgid_only=*googlegroups.com*

but it kills everyone else posting from Google too, which includes Mitch :-(

I would recommend everyone doing so look for a different way to access
Usenet, because Google is asleep at the wheel and it's only going to get
worse :(

Theo

On Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:52:52 GMT, Anton Ertl wrote:

> MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> writes:
>>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>>
>>Anything we can do ??
>
> Use a newsreader that supports kill files, and then killfile these
> messages. For xrn I use (in News/comp/arch/KILL):
>
> /^Subject: =?UTF-8?B?/:j
>
> This may also hit one of your messages if you post a message with a
> binary64-encoded Subject:, but then I probably do not want to read it
> anyway.

The kill file rule suggested yesterday that only looks for Thai characters
in the Subject is working for me.

I'm using this regex:

"[ก-๛]"

On 04/10/2023 11:34, luke.l...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9:53:15 AM UTC+1, David LaRue wrote:
>
>> The annoyance posts for a few days and then moves on to another group.
>> Some kind of automated garbage.
>
> it smells to me like someone is using newsgroups as a "public anonymous
> file transfer" mechanism. you just don't persistently and regularly
> spam a newsgroup with this many messages *then move on to another one*,
> without a purpose.
>

More likely, the people behind this don't understand Usenet any more
than google does. Perhaps they've acquired a whole lot of messages from
somewhere, and are sending spam to all the addresses in the messages,
without realising that it's the same group all the time.

Or maybe they think they are making lots of new webpages with each copy
of the message, and that this will affect the rankings on search engines
so that their sites will turn up when people search for whatever it is
they are advertising. That's not how search engines work these days,
but we are not dealing with smart people here.

> can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to
> report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification
> such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume is)
> google's automated "spam defense" systems?
>
> if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.
>
> if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"
> the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying
> attention and filter them out.
>
> or am i just being naive, there? :)
>

You are being naïve. Google doesn't understand that /they/ are the
problem, and that /they/ are the only ones that can fix it. (It would
be extremely easy to do so - simply add a delay between creating a gmail
account and being allowed to post to a Usenet group.)

Google will either ignore the situation entirely, or remove the group
completely from google groups. While that would stop the spam, it would
also make archives harder to find and search, and block legitimate
google groups posters like Mitch.

Robert Swindells <rjs@fdy2.co.uk> writes:

> The kill file rule suggested yesterday that only looks for Thai characters
> in the Subject is working for me.
>
> I'm using this regex:
>
> "[ก-๛]"

Thanks, works in Gnus too. Better than blocking all of Google Groups.

MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> writes:
>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
>Anything we can do ??

Use a kill file.

On Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 8:06:24 PM UTC-5, MitchAlsup wrote:
> It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>
> Anything we can do ??

Links to individual topics work OK:
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.arch/c/usDP7HCbdj8
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.arch/c/fEjfdQ7pKmc

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 4:42:44 PM UTC+3, JimBrakefield wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 8:06:24 PM UTC-5, MitchAlsup wrote:
> > It appears that this N.G. has been killed
> >
> > Anything we can do ??
> Links to individual topics work OK:
> https://groups.google.com/g/comp.arch/c/usDP7HCbdj8
> https://groups.google.com/g/comp.arch/c/fEjfdQ7pKmc

Three problems:
1. The whole point of using google groups is mobility - not to be tied
to one particular device. That's lost when you have to mainain the
list, supposedly on one device.
2. How do you see new topics?
3. How do you know that the topic was updated?

anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) writes:
>MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> writes:
>>It appears that this N.G. has been killed
>>
>>Anything we can do ??
>
>Use a newsreader that supports kill files, and then killfile these
>messages. For xrn I use (in News/comp/arch/KILL):
>
>/^Subject: =?UTF-8?B?/:j
>
>This may also hit one of your messages if you post a message with a
>binary64-encoded Subject:, but then I probably do not want to read it
>anyway.

xrn rules. Pun intended.

I've not seen anyone other than myself using xrn recently. I've been
using it since 1990 or thereabouts.

"robf...@gmail.com" <robfi680@gmail.com> writes:
>On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 7:22:19=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, David Brown wrot=
>e:
>> On 04/10/2023 11:34, luke.l...@gmail.com wrote:=20
>> > On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9:53:15=E2=80=AFAM UTC+1, David LaRue =
>wrote:=20
>> >=20
>> >> The annoyance posts for a few days and then moves on to another group.=
>=20
>> >> Some kind of automated garbage.=20
>> >=20
>> > it smells to me like someone is using newsgroups as a "public anonymous=
>=20
>> > file transfer" mechanism. you just don't persistently and regularly=20
>> > spam a newsgroup with this many messages *then move on to another one*,=
>=20
>> > without a purpose.=20
>> >
>> More likely, the people behind this don't understand Usenet any more=20
>> than google does. Perhaps they've acquired a whole lot of messages from=
>=20
>> somewhere, and are sending spam to all the addresses in the messages,=20
>> without realising that it's the same group all the time.=20
>>=20
>> Or maybe they think they are making lots of new webpages with each copy=
>=20
>> of the message, and that this will affect the rankings on search engines=
>=20
>> so that their sites will turn up when people search for whatever it is=20
>> they are advertising. That's not how search engines work these days,=20
>> but we are not dealing with smart people here.
>> > can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to=20
>> > report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification=20
>> > such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume =
>is)=20
>> > google's automated "spam defense" systems?=20
>> >=20
>> > if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.=20
>> >=20
>> > if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"=20
>> > the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying=20
>> > attention and filter them out.=20
>> >=20
>> > or am i just being naive, there? :)=20
>> >
>> You are being na=C3=AFve. Google doesn't understand that /they/ are the=
>=20
>> problem, and that /they/ are the only ones that can fix it. (It would=20
>> be extremely easy to do so - simply add a delay between creating a gmail=
>=20
>> account and being allowed to post to a Usenet group.)=20
>>=20
>> Google will either ignore the situation entirely, or remove the group=20
>> completely from google groups. While that would stop the spam, it would=
>=20
>> also make archives harder to find and search, and block legitimate=20
>> google groups posters like Mitch.
>
>I looked up the keyword UFABET which seems to be in most posts and it is an
>on-line gambling platform. I would guess that someone using the platform is
>having gambling results/messages sent to comp.arch. Likely typed in the
>wrong address for email. Better address filtering in the app would help.
>

They are going to a bunch of groups, not just this one.

On 10/4/2023 4:40 AM, Anssi Saari wrote:
> "luke.l...@gmail.com" <luke.leighton@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
>> operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
>> (oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
>> *and* allows postings?)
>
> news.eternal-september.org
>
> You may need to create an account to post.
>

Yeah, eternal-september is the one I am using.

I used to be using news.albasani.net, but this one seems to have gone
down a few years ago and never came back.

Mostly accessing usenet via Thunderbird.

>

On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 02:34:14 -0700 (PDT), "luke.l...@gmail.com"
<luke.leighton@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9:53:15?AM UTC+1, David LaRue wrote:
>
>> The annoyance posts for a few days and then moves on to another group.
>> Some kind of automated garbage.
>
>it smells to me like someone is using newsgroups as a "public anonymous
>file transfer" mechanism. you just don't persistently and regularly
>spam a newsgroup with this many messages *then move on to another one*,
>without a purpose.
>
>can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to
>report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification
>such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume is)
>google's automated "spam defense" systems?

Happy to help. Only hiccup is you have to log into Google to do it.

>if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.
>
>if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"
>the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying
>attention and filter them out.
>
>or am i just being naive, there? :)
>
>l.

On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 02:34:14 -0700 (PDT), "luke.l...@gmail.com"
<luke.leighton@gmail.com> wrote:

>can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to
>report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification
>such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume is)
>google's automated "spam defense" systems?
>
>if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.
>
>if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"
>the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying
>attention and filter them out.
>
>or am i just being naive, there? :)

Don't know about "naive" ... Google does whatever it wants regardless
of the wishes of its users.

Anyway, I reported all the Thai messages up to now as "spam" because
they don't belong in this group and their membership in the other
reporting categories are questionable.

It would be nice if Google would allow reporting a group of messages
en masse instead of having to do it individually.

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 8:08:48 PM UTC+3, George Neuner wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Oct 2023 02:34:14 -0700 (PDT), "luke.l...@gmail.com"
> <luke.l...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >can i suggest that everyone (who has the patience) take the time to
> >report as many of these messages as "spam" or other classification
> >such that they at least reach some sort of threshold in (what i assume is)
> >google's automated "spam defense" systems?
> >
> >if only one person (me) does that it is ineffective.
> >
> >if however a *dozen* of us classify these messages as "spam"
> >the theory goes that it triggers google's systems to start paying
> >attention and filter them out.
> >
> >or am i just being naive, there? :)
> Don't know about "naive" ... Google does whatever it wants regardless
> of the wishes of its users.
>
> Anyway, I reported all the Thai messages up to now as "spam" because
> they don't belong in this group and their membership in the other
> reporting categories are questionable.
>

I did, too.
Also reported many hundreds of LSD/mushroom messages in comp.lang.c
as promotion of regulated goods.
Not that I expect any reaction from google. I am doing it more for myself, to
have better visibility of non-spam.
> It would be nice if Google would allow reporting a group of messages
> en masse instead of having to do it individually.

Anssi Saari <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> writes:

> "luke.l...@gmail.com" <luke.leighton@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
>> operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
>> (oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
>> *and* allows postings?)
>
> news.eternal-september.org
>
> You may need to create an account to post.

Sadly, no. That's the one I'm using, and I'm also getting Thaidal wave.

On 04/10/2023 22:22, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Anssi Saari <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> writes:
>
>> "luke.l...@gmail.com" <luke.leighton@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
>>> operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
>>> (oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
>>> *and* allows postings?)
>>
>> news.eternal-september.org
>>
>> You may need to create an account to post.
>
> Sadly, no. That's the one I'm using, and I'm also getting Thaidal wave.

Same here. Actually, since I switched to ES, the amount of spam I have
run into has been much higher than what I had before. So I'm not sure ES
is particularly good at filtering it. But certainly this recent Thai
flood has been literally killing several newsgroups, which is why I
wondered whether this was not the goal, as the potential revenue from
this spam looks excessively questionable particularly on Usenet. Unless
of course the idiocy factor is at play here and they are just spamming
newsgroups not knowing what they are and what kind of people read them.

So is that idiocy or malevolence? Bets are open.

On 10/4/2023 3:02 PM, Opus wrote:
> On 04/10/2023 22:22, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
>> Anssi Saari <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> writes:
>>
>>> "luke.l...@gmail.com" <luke.leighton@gmail.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> awesome. does anyone know a "free" nntp server that's still
>>>> operational and not itself overloaded by spam?
>>>> (oh and as an added bonus, actually provides comp.arch
>>>>   *and* allows postings?)
>>>
>>> news.eternal-september.org
>>>
>>> You may need to create an account to post.
>>
>> Sadly, no. That's the one I'm using, and I'm also getting Thaidal wave.
>
> Same here.

Me too. I looked at at their web site to see their spam policy, and I
can't figure out whether this stuff qualifies, nor it it does what to do
about it. I also don't know if they would be receptive to any changes
that might help. :-(

--
- Stephen Fuld
(e-mail address disguised to prevent spam)