Okay, after finding several spammers posting stolen content, the latest one being Pintu (SEO for redirected domains) I realized that finding these screwups at the server level would not be that difficult en masse.

A script could be written in a matter of minutes to grep the database of posts and grab a certain length (say up to 250 chars) of text from the middle of each post, as thats the least likely to actually contain anything but stolen content, and run a simple google search for that exact snippet using double quote operators around the text, and cross referencing the member table to associate a members name with flagged items. Mods could then go thru the 'found' items and get rid of offending spammers.

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization

Actually William that is something that I think all mods do. The minute I see a fairly obvious 'cut and paste' I simply enter it into a Google search box, then you get loads of forum posts, and normally the original. So, I do wish they would stop being so childish. Part of the overall problem is the 'paid poster' syndrome. Half of them are kids on the poverty line and are simply given a log in name and told what to post and where.
Moderators are not paid, we do this (as you know yourself as a moderator elsewhere) out of love of the game. Yes, it's annoying, yes, we all wish it would stop. But the simple fact is that certain factions have one ambition in life. Spam at any cost.
Thanks, as always for your incisive and practical thinking.

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http://www.newhistoricalfictionbooks...-michael-fane/
http://ctab1.wordpress.com/2009/05/1...ity-mortgages/

I was bored, so went thru the first page of Pintu's posts. all of them except one liners were stolen. Over 12 and counting :/

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization

Looks like someone made William cross

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Modified car parts and accessories | Landscape and Garden

Not a bad idea at all. I will look into this and we'll see what we turn up.

Thanks

Glad you like it. It is at any rate what I would do as a coder. Just seems far easier than having to manually wade thru the multitude of posts.

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization

Nah, I just happened to see him/her post something I had JUST read elsewhere a day or so before they posted it here. After that I just did a little checking. That user is now gone as are all their stolen posts.

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization

You've no sense of humor, no? William ... Cross ...

Seriously though there seems to be a wave of that happening at the moment. It seems some people are just looking for the post count and posting the same crap questions all over the net.

Like this thread: Bing Versus Google

This is the first forum I've come across that's doing something about it.

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Modified car parts and accessories | Landscape and Garden

I got the intended pun, which is why I said 'Nah' I was not cross at them. Maybe the slight sarcasm was lost on you

And yes, ranga227 is spamming every forum with this crap. http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...+about+Bing%22

His public reputation is already gone to red, and I suspect a mod/admin will see this and take out the trash shortly.

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization

@Will... good suggestion.

@Modified... thanx. We do try and keep on top of things as best we can.

Dave

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Religious-Jewelry Blog - Deep Link Directory - Religious Jewelry

Thanks Dave.

Modified: See? Ranga227 didn't last an hour before he was banned

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William Cross
Expert Search Engine Optimization