google groups and spam

[Rich Ulrich]

Since mid-December, this group has had a torrent of spam,
amounting to dozens of posts per day.

This likely will cease in February. However, if you read the group
from Google Groups, that will also need to change. I pay monthly
to use Giganews. Eternal-September is a cheaper option.

Announcement from Google --

Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
(at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe
to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content. You can continue to
view and search for historical Usenet content posted before February
22, 2024, on Google Groups

All the spam posts that I checked came from Google posters, so they
will likely quit. The REASON that these posts occur (which accounts
for some of them) is that Google does scan the groups and will
include the contents in their Internet searches, regardless of topic.

Many of the posts here have been in Indonesian (I think), and
Forte Agent shows me most of the characters as question marks.
Almost all the other posts (which started a bit later) have "Download"
in the title and include at least one download URL. Maybe we have
been invaded by spies?


AVOIDING SEEING THESE POSTS?
Forte Agent allows me to filter incoming posts. I've gotten rid
of all but a couple of posts a week by using two filters.
One eliminates posts with Download in the subject, the other
eliminates posts with four ? in the subject. The Agent filters:
{Download}
{/?/?/?/?}

I tell Forte to mark them as Read -- my standard view shows me
only the Unread, but I can bring up the Read by changing views.
I look at them to confirm they are still coming, then delete
them permanently.

[Rich Ulrich]

On Sat, 06 Jan 2024 19:27:23 -0500, Rich Ulrich

Post by Rich Ulrich
Since mid-December, this group has had a torrent of spam,
amounting to dozens of posts per day.
This likely will cease in February. However, if you read the group
from Google Groups, that will also need to change. I pay monthly
to use Giganews. Eternal-September is a cheaper option.
Announcement from Google --
Starting on February 22, 2024, you can no longer use Google Groups
(at groups.google.com) to post content to Usenet groups, subscribe
to Usenet groups, or view new Usenet content. You can continue to
view and search for historical Usenet content posted before February
22, 2024, on Google Groups
All the spam posts that I checked came from Google posters, so they
will likely quit. The REASON that these posts occur (which accounts
for some of them) is that Google does scan the groups and will
include the contents in their Internet searches, regardless of topic.
Many of the posts here have been in Indonesian (I think), and
Forte Agent shows me most of the characters as question marks.
Almost all the other posts (which started a bit later) have "Download"
in the title and include at least one download URL. Maybe we have
been invaded by spies?
AVOIDING SEEING THESE POSTS?
Forte Agent allows me to filter incoming posts. I've gotten rid
of all but a couple of posts a week by using two filters.
One eliminates posts with Download in the subject, the other
{Download}
{/?/?/?/?}

OOPS! Sorry, that second filger should have the slashes as
back-slashes.
{Download} and
{\?\?\?\?}

Slashes the other way will catch ALL messages, which I found
out and fixed. Then I posted wrong.

I can report that if you used the wrong slash, you will not have
missed anything -- until you miss this post? (Filter with high
priority on my name so that you always see me.)

Using the two filters, there are still a couple of spam that come
through on some days. Which shows me that they are still
happening. I have seen fewer since the 14th, but that might
be a problem in delivery by GigaNews, my provider.

Post by Rich Ulrich
I tell Forte to mark them as Read -- my standard view shows me
only the Unread, but I can bring up the Read by changing views.
I look at them to confirm they are still coming, then delete
them permanently.