A request for seeds that doesn't make sense.

14 years ago

I asked this question before, but since the header had a possibly-automatically-deleted word in it, I'm guessing it probably got blipped. C'est la vie....but I'd still like an answer.

In my post below (columbines (and maybe swt willian): finally successful!), a couple of people asked for seed. Happy to oblige! One SASE is on my desk, waiting for the seedpods to ripen and dry, and the other will join it whenever it happens to get here. No rush, and plenty to go around.

Then there was the third request. From someone callled "huanic"". And it set off my BS radar pinging like mad. Have a look, it's easy to find. My answer pretty much explains itself.

My question: is it even remotely possible that a "normal" (real) member is behind the name and their account was .... I don't know the exact term, I'm not a technocrat, so let's say "hacked". Or is it just another one of those jerks or jerk-robots that longtime GW members keep warning me about, and I've just been lucky so far?

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Comments (6)

oilpainter
14 years ago
It's spam--huanic joined and the same day entered and wrote in many posts in this forum all advertising his escort service. It made my blood boil too and I reported him. Just ignore everything he said
merricat
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, oilpainter. MORE than happy to ignore the idiot, AND to report him.

Question is, how do I report posts like this? I'll go back and have a look again. Maybe I've just missed a button.

Thanks again!
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coolplantsguy
14 years ago
I'm not convinced that huanic is the culprit re the escort service ads. He/she may in fact be a legitimate member. I'm fairly certain there was a decent posting re Echinacea, and it simply (and obviously) had these links inserted into the text.

I would assume his/her computer may be infected with a virus, or messages are comprimised by the server as they get posted.

But who really knows?
ianna
14 years ago
Someone has certainly been using the name huanic to post inappropriate spams in various threads. However there had been earlier spammers using yet other names. Who exactly knows what is going on. I bet these spammers do create fake accounts and will change it from time to time. The best way to combat it is to report the problems to the webmaster. They may be able to figure out what to do there.
oilpainter
14 years ago
coolplantsguy:
When I spotted and reported this one I checked his join date and it was August 11,2009 the very same day all his spam notices were put in several posts in this forum. The guy knows something about plants because they were inserted in very reasonable answers. That seems very suspicious to me
ianna
14 years ago
oilpainter,

it's all computer generated responses. It may look cohesive but it's part of a programmed response. I think they probably copied other responses and used it for these purposes.

And the reason I can be certain the account is a spammer is becuase all of his contributions were spam.

Another problem is several more folks have actually been actively advertising their products here. We do need to act by complaining to the webmaster to block off such spammers. Beware though becuase they will show up once again under different names or accounts.