Five RMT messages in 20 seconds.... :(

[Teryaani]

Did you miss the point of my reply or not read the last paragraph? What I'm saying it that it would be easier and more effective for them to create a chat filter (that actually works, and doesn't just filter duplicates) and update it regularly than the OPs proposed solutions. The friend request issue that remains is easily solved by giving people an option to auto-decline friend requests.

SE currently uses a chat filter. It worked until the spammers started using pseudo-random crap in their messages. They will keep switching up their messages making the chat filter a hopeless game of whack-a-mole.

Not sure how else to respond because you simply took points out of my reply and turned them into something they're not. I was simply giving examples of why I didn't think some of the OPs suggestions would be good solutions. I'm not defining what you, or anybody else, is asking for. It's clear that the issue is chat and friend request spam and that can be solved a lot easier than trying to do things like ban buyers.

No, you never stated who you were addressing. Had you said "OP, I don't think your solutions are good solutions" you can fault me for that. Clarity helps. To clarify my position on the OP's argument, I agree that banning buyers won't work on the spam. That's why I, like others, are pitching something else. You're replying on page 6 of the thread (based on default forum settings), so you should try to be clear who you're talking to.

Whether you like it or not, the 3rd party guildworks option works and is very easy to use. I don't endorse it either myself, but I wish SE would look at that solution and put something similar in place of their current filter, which is 100% useless.

Again, whack-a-mole. Once it became common use, the spammers would circumvent it.

[DoctorPepper]

SE currently uses a chat filter.

No, you never stated who you were addressing. Had you said "OP, I don't think your solutions are good solutions" you can fault me for that. Clarity helps. To clarify my position on the OP's argument, I agree that banning buyers won't work on the spam. That's why I, like others, are pitching something else. You're replying on page 6 of the thread (based on default forum settings), so you should try to be clear who you're talking to.

I replied to a thread and made an opening statement that I didn't agree with the solutions. I didn't quote you or anybody else, so blame me for your misunderstanding if you want, I don't care and I'm not going to argue with you about it.

As for the chat filter, like I mentioned in my post, the current chat filter literally ONLY filters duplicate messages sent in high frequency. It is easily bypassed by simply changing a few characters in the advertisement every 2-3 messages. This is not effective at all and I'm sorry but I disagree with your whack-a-mole statement because if it was properly monitored and updated the RMT will eventually hit a wall, there are only so many ways you can say 1000k $10.

I agree that it would take some time to get the filters to a point where most of the spam is blocked because obviously they have to be careful when adjusting filters in order to not block real messages, but just like dynamic spam filters on an email server, if you keep at it and update them regularly, most (not all but most) of the spam disappears.

[Teryaani]

I replied to a thread and made an opening statement that I didn't agree with the solutions. I didn't quote you or anybody else, so blame me for your misunderstanding if you want, I don't care and I'm not going to argue with you about it.

As for the chat filter, like I mentioned in my post, the current chat filter literally ONLY filters duplicate messages sent in high frequency. It is easily bypassed by simply changing a few characters in the advertisement every 2-3 messages. This is not effective at all and I'm sorry but I disagree with your whack-a-mole statement because if it was properly monitored and updated the RMT will eventually hit a wall, there are only so many ways you can say 1000k $10.

Be unclear then.

You're right. There are only so many ways. Each 0 could be 0 or O or o or use the special O with a dash through it or include extra spacing, the $ could be a $ or an S or an s or a USD or a US D or they could change their prices. The point is that they can do this with an external tool that scripts it and does it randomly for basically no extra cost to them.

My approach may be wrong, admittedly as I'm a casual pitting myself against a person who does this for money, but for me the trick here is to make it less profitable to do the spam in the first place. Close down the paid and compromised accounts faster. The account blacklist Anneliese mentioned would help in a similar way and may be easier for SE to implement.

[DoctorPepper]

You're right. There are only so many ways. Each 0 could be 0 or O or o or use the special O with a dash through it or include extra spacing, the $ could be a $ or an S or an s or a USD or a US D or they could change their prices. The point is that they can do this with an external tool that scripts it and does it randomly for basically no extra cost to them.

My approach may be wrong, admittedly as I'm a casual pitting myself against a person who does this for money, but for me the trick here is to make it less profitable to do the spam in the first place. Close down the paid and compromised accounts faster. The account blacklist Anneliese mentioned would help in a similar way and may be easier for SE to implement.

Yup, they can definitely use a scripted tool to do the job for them and that's a step in the right direction. Until they got it under control, they would most likely need somebody to monitor and adjust the filters either way though. It's like you said, they will adapt, especially when the filters are first put into place, and there will be things that the automated tool doesn't catch.

As for the account wide blacklist, I'm in 100% agreement with that, not just for spam but in general. Odds are if you blacklist somebody you don't want to talk to or play with their alts either.

[Teryaani]

As for the account wide blacklist, I'm in 100% agreement with that, not just for spam but in general. Odds are if you blacklist somebody you don't want to talk to or play with their alts either.

I wish SE had taken the time to do that part right. I'd like to think that had it been account wide to begin with, this problem would have been a lot less prevalent. That's probably wishful thinking though.

Maybe we'll get a chance to see if 3.0.