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Spam Handling

By Keith Cross on Feb 18, 2008

Flying Lab has posted a new devlog which provides an overview of the various techniques they are using to turn the tide against the gold spammers.

While I knew that we’d be facing trouble from goldfarmers and goldselling spammers from the moment we launched, some part of me was still surprised at the volume and aggressiveness of the spammers. Our GM staff is keeping up with them, but every minute they spend dealing with spammers is a minute longer someone with a legitimate problem is waiting in the queue.

The thing about spammers is that they’re adaptive. You shut down their access at one point, and they pop up again somewhere else, whack-a-mole style. This means you have two options for dealing with them: you write systems that adapt along with them, or you involve humans in the process. We’re going to be doing some of each.

I want to point out, by the way, that I’m not going to talk in any detail about system approaches to dealing with spammers, for a very simple reason: if I tell you what steps we’re taking, I’m also telling the spammers, and giving them a head-start on adapting to our plans before they’re fully underway. I don’t believe obfuscation can actually stop spammers, but it can give us a little more time, during which we can firm up our defenses.