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

[Riepah]

I don't know for sure, but I don't remember getting any friend requests when I'm set for Busy.

Busy blocks friend requests. It sadly also blocks party invites and whispers from friends, FC members and LS members. So we need a status that only blocks whispers from strangers and friend requests.

[DoctorPepper]

Which requires us use a 3rd party tool which SE has told us not to do. I'm down for add-ins. I used them all the time in WoW, but there isn't currently any "blessed" way of doing it and I'm leery of dealing with 3rd party. Also worth noting that they change up their spam periodically to mess with the filters now. So that's a temporary solution or a high maintenance one.

People keep saying this, and I will keep responding. WE AREN'T ASKING FOR THEM TO ELIMINATE RMT! We want the spammers dealt with. Most of us understand that RMT isn't going away, I don't want to be bothered with the spam. Two different issues.

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 (just requests, not tells and numerous other things at the same time like busy status).

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.

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. The guildworks option also doesn't work for PS3 or PS4 players, which is another reason I'd like an official filter that actually works rather than some 3rd party tool.

[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.

[Magusrex]

Busy blocks friend requests. It sadly also blocks party invites and whispers from friends, FC members and LS members. So we need a status that only blocks whispers from strangers and friend requests.

I use busy, but I have to remember to type it, I want 3 toggles that I do not have to set every time I log on.

Check box to auto-decline friend requests
Check box to only receive whispers from friends/Free Company members
Check Box to auto-decline Free Company Invites

This takes little effort and crushes the RMT harassment issues. It's done The only reason they do not do this is because they must be profiting off this in way I do not understand.

[Teryaani]

I use busy, but I have to remember to type it, I want 3 toggles that I do not have to set every time I log on.

Check box to auto-decline friend requests
Check box to only receive whispers from friends/Free Company members
Check Box to auto-decline Free Company Invites

This takes little effort and crushes the RMT harassment issues. It's done The only reason they do not do this is because they must be profiting off this in way I do not understand.

I like the idea (throw in LS members into that list) and that sounds like something that would possibly be added to your character settings.

I'm not so sure about the level of effort involved though. Also, it's pretty obvious that mitigating RMT spam isn't (or hopefully it's now "wasn't") on the top of things for the developers to work on, my own guess is not that it's profitable to leave it in, but that they didn't realize that it was an issue (the JP data centers don't see the problem as much). Given the yelling going on about it now, you can be pretty sure that they're aware of it. How they respond is what I want to see.

[Riepah]

I use busy, but I have to remember to type it, I want 3 toggles that I do not have to set every time I log on.

Check box to auto-decline friend requests
Check box to only receive whispers from friends/Free Company members
Check Box to auto-decline Free Company Invites

This takes little effort and crushes the RMT harassment issues. It's done The only reason they do not do this is because they must be profiting off this in way I do not understand.

Yep, just add "Linkshells" to point 2 and everything would be peachy. That's what players have been asking for for months, but SE doesn't act.