Please. Captcha by default. Email domain filters. Auto-block federation from servers that don’t respect. By default. Urgent.

meme not so funny

And yes, to refute some comments, this publication is being upvoted by bots. A single computer was needed, not “thousands of dollars” spent.

  • Dessalines@lemmy.mlEnglish
    674·
    2 years ago

    This is all 100% correct. People have already written captcha-bypassing bots for lemmy, we know from experience.

    The only way to stop bots, is the way that has worked for forums for years: registration applications. At lemmy.ml we historically have blocked any server that doesn’t have them turned on, because of the likelihood of bot infiltration from them.

    Registration applications have 100% stopped bots here.

    • eyy@lemm.eeEnglish
      294·
      2 years ago

      You’re right that captchas can be bypassed, but I disagree that they’re useless.

      Do you lock your house? Are you aware that most locks can be picked and windows can be smashed?

      captchas can be defeated, but that doesn’t mean they’re useless - they increase the level of friction required to automate malicious activity. Maybe not a lot, but along with other measures, it may make it tricky enough to circumvent that it discourages a good percentage of bot spammers. It’s the “Swiss cheese” model of security.

      Registration applications stop bots, but it also stops legitimate users. I almost didn’t get onto the fediverse because of registration applications. I filled out applications at lemmy.ml and beehaw.org, and then forgot about it. Two days later, I got reminded of the fediverse, and luckily I found this instance that didn’t require some sort of application to join.

      • HTTP_404_NotFound@lemmyonline.comEnglish
        62·
        2 years ago

        Don’t read the first sentence, and then glaze over the rest.

        I am not saying captchas are completely useless, they do block the lowest hanging fruit currently. That- being most of the script kiddies.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.mlEnglish
      23·
      2 years ago

      But even then, however, what’s to stop an army of bots from just ChatGPTing their way through the application process?

      I went to a website to generate a random username, picked the first option of polarbear_gender, and then just stuck that and the application questions for lemmy.ml into ChatGPT to get the following:

      I want to join Lemmy.ml because I’m really into having meaningful discussions and connecting with others who have similar interests. Lemmy.ml seems like a great platform that fosters a diverse exchange of ideas in a respectful way, which I like.

      When it comes to the communities I’d love to be a part of, I’m all about ones that focus on environmental conservation, wildlife preservation, and sustainability. Those topics really resonate with me, and I’m eager to jump into discussions and learn from fellow passionate folks.

      As for my username, I chose it because I’ve got respect for polar bears and how they live with the environmental challenges they face. And throwing in “gender” is just my way of showing support for inclusivity and gender equality. Building a more just and fair society is important to me.

      I don’t know the full criteria that people are approved or declined for, but would these answers pass the sniff test?

      I’m just worried that placing too much trust in the application process contributes to a false sense of security. A community that is supposedly “protected” from bots can be silently infiltrated by them and cause more damage than in communities where you can either reasonably assume bots are everywhere, or there are more reliable filtering measures in place than a simple statement of purpose.

      • HTTP_404_NotFound@lemmyonline.comEnglish
        02·
        2 years ago

        As I said in my post-

        There are very intelligent people who make lots of money creating “bots” and “spam”. NOBODY is going to stop all of it.

        The only way to resolve this, is to work together, to identify problems, and take action.

        If I decide I want to write spam bots for lemmy- there isn’t much that is going to stop me. Even approvals, aren’t hard to work around. Captchas are comically easy to get past. Registered emails? Not a problem either. I can make a single valid email, and then re-use it once on every single instance. Writing a script that waits for approvals, is quite easy.

          • imaqtpie@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            12·
            2 years ago

            Btw, what’s the deal with your instance? I noticed you’re from one of the original servers from 4 years ago. Do you know why it was founded or can you direct me to some information?

            I’m from the reddit migration, although a bit more experienced than most (having been here over 2 weeks makes me a unicorn on my server).

            I’d like to spread some more knowledge about the history of the platform and what kind of different servers are out there. Problem is, I don’t have any knowledge! Help!

              • imaqtpie@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                12·
                2 years ago

                Ah, I see. So tchncs.de hosts other federated platforms, and someone probably decided to set up a Lemmy site when it was originally created 4 years ago. But it was likely pretty empty until the past couple weeks.

                Ok good to know, I don’t really know about XMPP/Jabber but I like what I see on wikipedia. Thanks!

      • HTTP_404_NotFound@lemmyonline.comEnglish
        01·
        2 years ago

        I admin a decent sized facebook group, at 10.8k members currently.

        Luckily, the facebook group is specifically for people living in a certain geographical area. As such, I am able to make questions, only somebody living in the area would know.

        You would be surprised, there are LOTS of spammers who answer all of the questions. (Just- getting the wrong answer on the area-specific questions)

        Duct-cleaning spam has been a real problem. lmao.

    • mohawk@kbin.social
      4·
      2 years ago

      Wait what’s the difference between the suggested auto block and you historically blocking instances without applications? Is there other criteria you use to determine the block?

      Not saying I know the answer, just curious.