Spamming the search cloud

[Shaggy Hiker]

If you go to Advanced Search, there is a search tag cloud. One item appears larger than all the others when I view the area: Gold Investments. This is clearly not a programming item, nor is it a hot topic on any forum, which makes me think that a third party bot may have added it.

I have never paid much attention to that cloud, but I always figured that some factor influenced the size of the text. How did such an obvious spam item get in there and at such size?

[MartinLiss]

It's assiociated with a Chit Chat thread. I'll try to find out why it's so large.

[MartinLiss]

It's gone.

[LaVolpe]

As of this posting, it is back!

[MartinLiss]

Let's give it a while. Maybe there's lag between deletion and disappearance from the "cloud". I actually deleted the tag and there's no thread associated with the cloud entry for it now.

[Pradeep1210]

I see that too..


But when I click the link, I get this message:


So I'm notifying the administrator here

[MartinLiss]

That's what I meant by "no thread associated with the cloud entry" in post #5.

BTW since we feel this was bot-generated spam we've change it so that only Power Posters and above can add tags.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Cool.

I got distracted and forgot I had started the thread. Nice to see that:

A) It was probably bot generated spam, as I thought it might be.

2) It is going away.

III) Others had noticed the same thing.

[Nightwalker83]

I just looked and the cloud is still the same as pictured above.

[gep13]

BTW since we feel this was bot-generated spam we've change it so that only Power Posters and above can add tags.

Does this mean that we should make a conscious effort to tag threads with appropriate tags? So far, I have not been doing this, but rather leaving the OP to do this.

Gary

[Nightwalker83]

BTW since we feel this was bot-generated spam we've change it so that only Power Posters and above can add tags.

Cool! How can Power Posters add the tags?

[gep13]

Interesting, I don't seem to be able to add tags to threads anymore?!?

Gary

[MartinLiss]

Interesting, I don't seem to be able to add tags to threads anymore?!?

Gary

Did you click the Edit Tags link near the bottom right-hand corner of this thread?

[Pradeep1210]

Did you click the Edit Tags link near the bottom right-hand corner of this thread?

I also don't get the "Edit Tags" link there for any thread, except for threads started by me.
I'm using firefox 3.5.8

[MartinLiss]

Okay I'll have somebody look into this.

[gep13]

Did you click the Edit Tags link near the bottom right-hand corner of this thread?

Like Shaggy, I can't see this link either.

Gary

[Shaggy Hiker]

Wasn't me, I never added a tag in my life, so I don't know about the link nor miss its absence.

[gep13]

Wasn't me, I never added a tag in my life, so I don't know about the link nor miss its absence.

My bad, I glanced at the avatar on the post, and thought it was yours. Meant Pradeep.

[Pradeep1210]

Wasn't me, I never added a tag in my life, so I don't know about the link nor miss its absence.

I think he meant Pradeep

[MartinLiss]

I also don't get the "Edit Tags" link there for any thread, except for threads started by me.
I'm using firefox 3.5.8

I think we've fixed that now. Please verify it for me.

[gep13]

Yip, I can confirm that this now seems to be fixed.

So, back to my question, is this something that you would like PowerPosters to do on a regular basis my looking at threads?

Gary

[MartinLiss]

Yip, I can confirm that this now seems to be fixed.

So, back to my question, is this something that you would like PowerPosters to do on a regular basis my looking at threads?

Gary

No. They are meant as a way for you to be able to easily refer back to useful threads that you found.

[Pradeep1210]

I think we've fixed that now. Please verify it for me.

Yes, It's fixed now. I also tested by actually adding a tag and it adds ok.

Thanks.

[gep13]

No. They are meant as a way for you to be able to easily refer back to useful threads that you found.

Ah, ok, point taken.

Gary