URGENT: Regarding 'Porn Bus'...

[Spaceman Spiff]

OK, OK, time to cease allowing guest postings ASAP?

By the way, VERY IMPORTANT...

DO NOT click on the link posted by porn bus, or even follow it to the site concerned. It contains a unique tracking ID that tells that site that the visitor saw the site 'advertised' on the Celestia forum. I'd dare say that we now have three more postings (to date!) since the first one because someone followed the link.

Spiff.

P.s., can someone delete THIS post/thread after we've finished this matter? Ta.

[maxim]

The IP-adress of that server is 66.115.176.87 - just for the blocking filters.

maxim

[MKruer]

You could also block the "key word" porn.

Sure, I guess there could be a ?€?porn?€

[t00fri]

I wrote an email to Chris. Let's see what happens. Haven't heard of him since quite a while...

Bye Fridger

[Cham]

PLEASE Chris, stop this insanity !

Make the board messages accessible ONLY to registered users. I mean, only registered users should be able to post something here.

[selden]

Guys,

Get a grip.

Spam is a fact of life.

Getting all bent out of shape over it is a waste of time and energy.

I'll delete the threads shortly.
Unfortunately, banning an IP address requires Admin privileges. As a Moderator, I can't do it.

[Evil Dr Ganymede]

I'll delete the threads shortly.
Unfortunately, banning an IP address requires Admin privileges. As a Moderator, I can't do it.

Can Chris give Admin priviledges to other people (like you)?

[Michael Kilderry]

DO NOT click on the link posted by porn bus, or even follow it to the site concerned. It contains a unique tracking ID that tells that site that the visitor saw the site 'advertised' on the Celestia forum. I'd dare say that we now have three more postings (to date!) since the first one because someone followed the link.

Those spammers are just so sneaky... Even if not for porn, somebody might just go there out of pure curiousity.

Michael Kilderry

[Spaceman Spiff]

Spam is a fact of life.

... but that does not make it acceptable.

Also, there's a difference between spam in general and porn. Selden, if this were an adults only forum, I wouldn't be so bothered. What I'm concerned about here is that there seem to be some members who are probably minors.

Apart from the general problem of minors' exposure to this, there is also the potential problem that if and when their parents come across what their children have found, they may jump to the false conclusion that the Celestia forum is responsible for this. I suspect that some countries may have laws that do make affected parties responsible if they fail to take action against it.

I do feel slightly embarrassed to being raising the profile of this problem myself, but I'd like to see this taken care of sooner rather than later.

Spiff.

[t00fri]

Spam is a fact of life.

... but that does not make it acceptable.

Also, there's a difference between spam in general and porn. Selden, if this were an adults only forum, I wouldn't be so bothered. What I'm concerned about here is that there seem to be some members who are probably minors.

Apart from the general problem of minors' exposure to this, there is also the potential problem that if and when their parents come across what their children have found, they may jump to the false conclusion that the Celestia forum is responsible for this. I suspect that some countries may have laws that do make affected parties responsible if they fail to take action against it.

I do feel slightly embarrassed to being raising the profile of this problem myself, but I'd like to see this taken care of sooner rather than later.

Spiff.

Selden,

I completely agree with Spiff, here. You and your fellow citizens of the "world's greatest country (G.W.B)" may have been exposed to this unacceptable "fact of life" a little longer than us "Old Europeans (D.R))".

For my part, I continue to be unwilling to tolerate anything commercial inflicting on me that I did not order! Be it the guy at my door who wants to sell me the latest and greatest vacuum cleaner, or be it Spam. My lab has actually invested recently a lot of money for a really effective Spam and virus filter for our mail servers. Among my 50 professional mails/day that I typically receive, one Spam only (on average) manages to penetrate our new filters!

Last not least, after it started again with the Porn Bus yesterday, quite a number of further spammers have added in today! What next? Chris does not appear to react at all...

Bye Fridger

[Rassilon]

The root of the problem is not Chris' reaction or is apparent inability to do anything about it but a matter of better regulation on the web...For one IP addressing needs to pull itself out of the dark ages and become static NOT dynamic...This would reduce the amount of spam....banning would be effective and tracking of these individuals to the source would be effective....Of course IP masking will always exist as it should because privacy above all is important...but I believe that reducing the amount of dynamic IP addressing would solve this problem at the root instead of fighting a losing battle trying to ban, track and filter this incoming crap that seems to come out of nowhere...

[Spaceman Spiff]

I completely agree with Spiff, here.

Thanks for the support, Dr. S. However, I'd like to distance myself from the implied 'anti-americanism'. While I disagree strongly with the reasons given for the Iraq war and thought Germany acted honourably, I think america-bashing is not the answer. There is a large German-American community here in the Rhein-Main Gebiet, and several US citizens (civilians!) work at ESOC and EUMETSAT here (there are even some Canadians), and they enjoy having their minds opened to the European ways (plural!).

I raise this point because I once saw on the IMDB Harry Potter forum a massive scrap start between US and non-US posters when an innocent US kiddie asked why those 'stupid' Canadians called the first movie "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and not "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" like in the US. (Answer: the US was unusual, the kiddie did not realise Hollywood changed 'Philosopher' to 'Sorcerer', because the Hollywood distributor decided on behalf of the average Joe Sixpack that they wouldn't know what a Philosopher's Stone was...)

For one IP addressing needs to [snip!] become static NOT dynamic...

That is a problem way beyond the forum's power to solve! There are separate good reasons to have dynamic IPAs, and also IPAs cannot be truly masked, because that is the internet equivalent of expecting people to telephone you without you having a telephone number...

We can only appeal to Admin/Moderator(s) in a reasonable manner to do what they can. I suspect selden is wondering about the escalation of workload as moderator. He only volunteered, and is not obliged...

The original reason I started this post is because of my experience of flame and spam beginning with newsgroups in 1993: I know these problems quite well. I think spam will escalate very soon, and the Celestia forum has a particular problem with a not totally adult audience.

Spiff.

[Evil Dr Ganymede]

We can only appeal to Admin/Moderator(s) in a reasonable manner to do what they can. I suspect selden is wondering about the escalation of workload as moderator. He only volunteered, and is not obliged...

I'm not even certain he volunteered for the job, from what he's told me in the past.

But only Chris can do anything about all this, and it seems he's not around. Until he can change the posting priviledges, we're going to be shafted by spam and Selden will keep having to delete threads.

[t00fri]

I completely agree with Spiff, here.

Thanks for the support, Dr. S. However, I'd like to distance myself from the implied 'anti-americanism'. While I disagree strongly with the reasons given for the Iraq war and thought Germany acted honourably, I think america-bashing is not the answer. There is a large German-American community here in the Rhein-Main Gebiet, and several US citizens (civilians!) work at ESOC and EUMETSAT here (there are even some Canadians), and they enjoy having their minds opened to the European ways (plural!).

...
Spiff.

Spiff,

I am very sorry if the impression arose above that I indended to make anti-american statements. Like in what you described about the US-German coexistence in the Rhein-Main area, in my scientific environment, I am in daily very friendly contact with plenty of American scientists.

Above, I have only used quotations of outstanding American politicians (G.W.B & D.R). Nothing by anyone from Europe /about/ the US. I guess noone doubts these quotations, since they are publicly documented. My remarks were exclusively related to Spam issues. Certainly I did never intend to allude to the war in Iraq. Sorry again if that impression arose!

Independent of our personal views, America is undoubtedly the forerunner of capitalism with all its good and bad implications. It is a matter of fact that in the past the majority of infalling Spam came from the US and Asia.

Bye Fridger

[Bob Hegwood]

I am very sorry if the impression arose above that I indended to make anti-american statements.

Doctor Schrempp,

As a disabled American veteran, I didn't infer any anti-Americanisms
in your statements.

You're probably correct about the source of most spam though... Here, in the
good old USA, the dollar has always been given more importance
than honesty, principles, integrity or self-respect. Sad, but true.

Take care, Bob

[t00fri]

I am very sorry if the impression arose above that I indended to make anti-american statements.

Doctor Schrempp,

As a disabled American veteran, I didn't infer any anti-Americanisms
in your statements.

You're probably correct about the source of most spam though... Here, in the
good old USA, the dollar has always been given more importance
than honesty, principles, integrity or self-respect. Sad, but true.

Take care, Bob

Thanks Bob for 'backing me up" on that...

Cheers
Bye Fridger

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hallo Dr. Schrempp,

please note that I'm not trying to 'tell you off' (and apols for inadvertent overbearingness), it's just that (re: from Harry Potter example) I've seen the smallest trivia on the US spark such large, but silly, flame wars. I'm advising caution. And I mean it's not what you wrote, but someone's response to it because references to Bush-baby and Rummy do that. I wouldn't want our spam problems to be added to by that.

As you continue to be exonerated by an American (Bob Hedgewood) you must still be OK by them! .

By the way, you might be the very man to know: Last autumn, there was a 'documentary' on NDR about how the USG and the CIA co-opted Stanley Kubrick to direct the 'Moon hoax landing'. I know the Apollo landings were not hoaxed. However, the programme is from the point of view the landings were hoaxed, and they 'uncover' the conspiracy theory by interviewing Stanley Kubrick's widow, Henry Kissinger, and... one Donald Rumsfeld. Actually, they play a lot of soundbite quotes out of context to make it appear they are all confessing, but the actual quotes are interesting anyway. I would love to know how I can find out from NDR how to find this programme.

What I remember is that the key part was that a meeting was held between the then President Nixon, a general who headed the CIA (I forget the name), Henry Kissinger and a junior political adviser. Henry Kissinger recounts that it was late April 1969, and the head of the CIA tells Nixon he has intelligence the Soviets are about to launch a manned moon mission possibly within weeks, beating the planned launch for Apollo 11. Nixon is alarmed: can he let the US suffer such humiliation? ... Did you see it? If you don't know about this programme, I'll repost this query in Physics and Astronomy as a general plea...

Anyway, I mention those other things in the hope/knowledge that this thread will one day disappear...

Spiff.

[t00fri]

Hallo Dr. Schrempp,

please note that I'm not trying to 'tell you off' (and apols for inadvertent overbearingness), it's just that (re: from Harry Potter example) I've seen the smallest trivia on the US spark such large, but silly, flame wars. I'm advising caution. And I mean it's not what you wrote, but someone's response to it because references to Bush-baby and Rummy do that. I wouldn't want our spam problems to be added to by that.

I am certainly aware that within Europe there is plenty of "constructive criticism" of American foreign policy. Clearly, one has to be careful not to stimulate overreaction and other kinds of rather negative emotions over here.

So let's keep it at that...

By the way, you might be the very man to know: Last autumn, there was a 'documentary' on NDR about how the USG and the CIA co-opted Stanley Kubrick to direct the 'Moon hoax landing'. I know the Apollo landings were not hoaxed. However, the programme is from the point of view the landings were hoaxed, and they 'uncover' the conspiracy theory by interviewing Stanley Kubrick's widow, Henry Kissinger, and... one Donald Rumsfeld. Actually, they play a lot of soundbite quotes out of context to make it appear they are all confessing, but the actual quotes are interesting anyway. I would love to know how I can find out from NDR how to find this programme.

What I remember is that the key part was that a meeting was held between the then President Nixon, a general who headed the CIA (I forget the name), Henry Kissinger and a junior political adviser. Henry Kissinger recounts that it was late April 1969, and the head of the CIA tells Nixon he has intelligence the Soviets are about to launch a manned moon mission possibly within weeks, beating the planned launch for Apollo 11. Nixon is alarmed: can he let the US suffer such humiliation? ... Did you see it? If you don't know about this programme, I'll repost this query in Physics and Astronomy as a general plea...

Sorry, I am the wrong person to ask about this issue...No idea.


Bye Fridger

[Evil Dr Ganymede]

By the way, you might be the very man to know: Last autumn, there was a 'documentary' on NDR about how the USG and the CIA co-opted Stanley Kubrick to direct the 'Moon hoax landing'. I know the Apollo landings were not hoaxed. However, the programme is from the point of view the landings were hoaxed, and they 'uncover' the conspiracy theory by interviewing Stanley Kubrick's widow, Henry Kissinger, and... one Donald Rumsfeld. Actually, they play a lot of soundbite quotes out of context to make it appear they are all confessing, but the actual quotes are interesting anyway. I would love to know how I can find out from NDR how to find this programme.

I saw something that sounds very much like that on the Passionate Eye documentary series up here in Canada... and it was a hoax documentary. It was as you say full of soundbites and set up to make it look convincing, though it went progressively more wacky as time went on (things like Nixon signing assassination orders on anyone involved in the 'fake' moon landing to stop it getting out, sending 70,000 troops to vietnam to find someone who had ran off, etc).

The point was that it's important to pay VERY close attention to what you see and hear and always have a critical mind. Thing is, some parts of it seemed so convincing (because they used factual footage in there) that they even had ME fooled for a few seconds...

Sounds like it's the program you saw...
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/f ... 61103.html

[Spaceman Spiff]

Evil Dr Ganymede! That's exactly it! The programme was shown on a north German regional channel (NDR) last autumn, dubbed over in German. The title was also transliterated. I caught it by chance, so only saw the last half of it.

The footage of Henry Kissinger and Donald Rumsfeld is real, but their utterences are clipped very short and their soundbites are inserted out of context after 'claims'. However, picking away the 'rigging up', what HK seems to be saying is that (and this is what apparently happened in the meeting with Nixon) is that Nixon asked about the possibility of NASA advancing Apollo 11's launch. Everyone was hesitant, but then the young political advisor suggested (HK states!) that they should just fake the landing. Nixon thinks in silence for two minutes, then says 'tell them they have six weeks'. The programme tries to make out Nixon is telling Kubrick he has six weeks to make the landing film, but it's probably Nixon saying NASA has six weeks to be ready for launch. And the young advisor who momentarily suggested faking the landing? Donald Rumsfeld...

Spiff.