They are among us...

[GHoosdum]

Prime's discovery of a paid shill (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showpost.php?p=360499&postcount=17) brought this to mind:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/02/10
http://www.penny-arcade.com/news/show/21589 <- Detail info
http://www.penny-arcade.com/2006/02/01 <- Even more detail, below the "contest" stuff
To be honest, that idea has come to mind for me on a couple of abortretryfail's posts, such as the PSP thread and the one Brian locked...

Since the comic was so recent, I'm wondering if this phenomenon is just starting to get bigger, or if it's always been there and has been beyond our notice for a while... what do you all think?


Using one of the hundreds of shill accounts they have across the net, they post a new thread that says something like "hey guys, I've been looking for some new web comics to read. Anybody have any recommendations?" This is non-threatening, and gets the community engaged.


//edit: To be fair, I hadn't previously noticed drasnor's post (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showpost.php?p=360409&postcount=14) in the T9 thread, but he noticed the same thing I did, he just noticed it first! ;)

[QCH]

Grrrr.... that's just WRONG. Time to be even MORE diligent!!!

SPAMMERS STAY OUT

[Sledgehammer70]

Well my new site update I asked for awhile ago was legit :) you know where i needed to test the tracking system :)

[GHoosdum]

We know you're legit. ;)

[RWB]

We know you're legit. ;)
Or is he....:hrm:



:buck:

[Lincoln]

We know you're legit. ;)
Well now let's not go too far... ;D ;)


//edit: RWB was a faster smartass ;D

[Jengo]

Well now let's not go too far... ;D ;)


//edit: RWB was a faster smartass ;D

LMAO!!

;D

[leishi85]

hahaha, i'm glad none of you guys noticed about my behaviors!!!

[muddocktor]

hahaha, i'm glad none of you guys noticed about my behaviors!!!

Friggin spammer!!:Pwned:










;D;D;D

[RADA]

Well my new site update I asked for awhile ago was legit :) you know where i needed to test the tracking system :)


We know you're legit. ;)


Or is he....:hrm:


:buck:


GET HIM!! BURN THE MONSTER!!!


*RADA turns the world a grainy black and white, throws Sledge in a erie castle, and grabs a torch and pitchfork.....

[Buddy J]

I'm starting a campaign against spammers here, the Anti-Spam Inquisition. No one expects the anti-spam inquisition.

Spammers be warned. We will find you.

[Lincoln]

I'm starting a campaign against spammers here, the Anti-Spam Inquisition. No one expects the anti-spam inquisition.

Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as surprise, fear, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the forums.

...and a nice software package. Oh damn. I'll come in again...

[shwaip]

As a long standing member of SM, I feel required to refer you to the best shill detection site I've ever seen... http://www.anti-shill.com/

[pseudonym]

I'm starting a campaign against spammers here, the Anti-Spam Inquisition. No one expects the anti-spam inquisition.

Spammers be warned. We will find you.

Speaking of that, don't forget that Monty Python special is on PBS tonight!!!

/me runs

[Armo]

this sounds like the perfect time to show you my new job:

Are you depressed? Has high interest rates got you down? My name is Meatwad and today I'm here to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sell your organs, live, over the internet. Get money back on your baby! …That doesn’t sound right, where’s my sheet?

[Leonardo]

We don't always find them right away, but we do get our man (or woman). The rodents get returned to their rat holes.

[Qeldroma]

Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as surprise, fear, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the forums.

...and a nice software package. Oh damn. I'll come in again...

BTW, Keebs- you have the Keebler Elf (yes?) and the army helmet in your avatar but ... are you planning on changing your name to Captain Keebler? The double bars are a captains' insignia. Generals have stars. :smiles:

[Lincoln]

BTW, Keebs- you have the Keebler Elf (yes?) and the army helmet in your avatar but ... are you planning on changing your name to Captain Keebler? The double bars are a captains' insignia. Generals have stars. :smiles:
That avatar my pal Lasse (lsevald) made for himself way back in the Icrontic days. He stopped using it on this site about a year ago, so I scooped it up with his blessing. I'm afraid I'd be pushing my luck to ask for stars ;D I'm just glad to finally have an avatar I really like that matches my handle well enough :p

[drasnor]

w00t I got my first confirmed spammer kill!

-drasnor :fold:

[TheHeartSmasher]

General Keebler- I liked your old avatar better it made you seem more powerful.

So what did you guys do with the spammer?

[primesuspect]

We drove to his house and threw eggs at his car.

[RADA]

...Then I held him down as Prime let Snuffie lick their face after eating a big can of warm tuna.....

[bikerboy]

General Keebler- I liked your old avatar better...
me too...i dont look at the names of the people posting. i look at their av. then when people switch them i get confuzzled.

bikerboy

[tmh88]

this sounds like the perfect time to show you my new job:

Are you depressed? Has high interest rates got you down? My name is Meatwad and today I'm here to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sell your organs, live, over the internet. Get money back on your baby! …That doesn’t sound right, where’s my sheet?


aqua teen is awsome!!! my favorite episode is MC Pee Pants. I want candy, bubblegum and taffy.....

this technically isnt spam is it? lol

[Thrax]

I also track who's posting visually. When the avatars got swapped around in a Shorty's avatar randomization insanity, I had no idea what was going on.

[tmh88]

i just changed my avatar/sig last night...new look, i kinda like the blue AMD logo

[profdlp]

I prefer Lt., err... General Keebler's new avatar. That dirty old man in the raincoat he had before was awfully creepy. :-/

[QCH]

That dirty old man in the raincoat he had before was awfully creepy. :-/Flashbacks, Prof? ;D...

[tmh88]

so what were the names of the people on here that were paid?

i wanna see if i can recognize any of 'em

[primesuspect]

read the links, it's all in there :wtf:

[airbornflght]

im guessing the banstick got a good workout?

[primesuspect]

I don't get to do it often, with staff like kwitko and leonardo, et al. on the job.... But when I do, it feels good. And this one felt real good :ninja:

[tmh88]

read the links, it's all in there :wtf:


oops sorry, i forgot to check.

[Sledgehammer70]

Ewww I found one I found one! I found a spammer!





****.....






That Sledghemmer70 Guy?







Oh crap thats me? :eek:

[RWB]

I hope this kinda news doesn't start an internet forum wide witch hunt. Just be cautious of whom you call a "shill"(where did that name come from BTW?) cause sometimes new people do sign onto a forum for legit reasons ;)

[Thrax]

H3y guy5 u can get FREE* C1AL|S (www.cialis.com) 2day!

[primesuspect]

How did that work out for you, Thrax?

[airbornflght]

a shill is can be a number of things, i think it started in live shows or in casinos, if you wanna do a little more reading on it like i did this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill) pretty much explains it all.

lmao.. 36 hours...i wouldnt be taking my time if it'd last 36 hours. Id have a waiting list. itd be kinda like that mtv show called NEXT!:tongue2:

[Armo]

H3y guy5 u can get FREE* C1AL|S (www.cialis.com) 2day!

AWESOME! and check this out you can own a R0||e>< (http://google.com) for free!

[Deano]

I hope this kinda news doesn't start an internet forum wide witch hunt. Just be cautious of whom you call a "shill"(where did that name come from BTW?) cause sometimes new people do sign onto a forum for legit reasons ;)

Occasionally..

I'm no shill..unless shill has another Definition: "some fat ugly guy who sits at a computer trying to make sense of stuff he can't even read properly or pronounce."

if thats the case, then hell yeah, i'm the shill god.

[Thrax]

This thread is almost a year old. WTF?

[Deano]

if that questions aimed at me, i dunno. i was just randomly flicking through, saw it, thought i'd post :P

[Thrax]

Flicking through posts from <i>a year ago?</i>

[Armo]

i didnt know teh archives were this old, lol

[Annes]

How did you know that they were spammer shills?

*trying to keep the thread alive...go old!*

[primesuspect]

we're just that good. :ninja:

[profdlp]

How did you know that they were spammer shills?...

If you've ever been married, you can spot a line of BS a mile off. :vimp:

[Leonardo]

we're just that good. Or we are just that good at faking it!
:eek::D

[csimon]

If you've ever been married, you can spot a line of BS a mile off. :vimp:
:csimon:
Or we are just that good at faking it!
:eek::D
And if you've ever been married you can spot someone "faking it" from a mile away too! :bigggrin: