schlitt.info - php, photography and private stuff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :Author: Tobias Schlitt :Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:29:46 +0100 :Revision: 1 :Copyright: CC by-nc-sa ============== ICQ spam sucks ============== :Description: Since 1996 I'm using ICQ as an instant messaging service. While I was satisfied with it all the time, I'm now getting into real trouble with ICQ spam. Blocking unwanted messages from users that are not on your buddy list is not a problem (at least in Gaim, although this tools seems to forget the privacy settings now and then). But lately I receive constant masses of authorization request spam. It's a real annoyance to get about 50-200 of these messages per day and to reject all of them manually. I would be really near to leaving the ICQ network, if there weren't so many of my non-geek friends on ICQ. Since 1996 I'm using `ICQ`__ as an instant messaging service. While I was satisfied with it all the time, I'm now getting into real trouble with ICQ spam. Blocking unwanted messages from users that are not on your buddy list is not a problem (at least in `Gaim`__, although this tools seems to forget the privacy settings now and then). But lately I receive constant masses of authorization request spam. It's a real annoyance to get about 50-200 of these messages per day and to reject all of them manually. I would be really near to leaving the ICQ network, if there weren't so many of my non-geek friends on ICQ. .. __: http://icq.com .. __: http://gaim.sf.net Does anyone have a solution here? Else I would have to consider writing a plugin for Gaim on my own, to specify UINs which should be constantly blocked, no matter what message they send. Although I did not find anything like that on the web: Is anyone out there who has it already? Or someone who could write it by a tip of his finger? .. Local Variables: mode: rst fill-column: 79 End: vim: et syn=rst tw=79 Trackbacks ========== Comments ======== - James at Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:12:48 +0200 I have no solution to the problem, but I can say that I have been experiencing exactly the same in the past few weeks (I use GAIM in GNOME on Ubuntu). - Toby at Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:26:12 +0200 Yeah, it's Gaim on Gnome on Gentoo here. Really annoying. Maybe those spammers look especially for Gaim currently? - Nico Edtinger at Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:14:47 +0200 I have the same problem with AdiumX on Mac OS X. So at least they must be looking for libgaim. - Ben at Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:41:22 +0200 I have the same problem except I use Trillian on Windows. I have had no choice but to just sign off ICQ every once and awhile... - unclebob at Mon, 10 Apr 2006 23:21:00 +0200 I totally agree, in fact I searched for a solution and that's why I ended up here. Gaahh .. just received one as I typed this! This must stop! I have tried blocking everything except buddy list in gaim but it unfortunately does not seem to block authorization requests. Sucky! - Thomas Wrobel at Sat, 22 Apr 2006 03:07:16 +0200 Ditto. I get it on trillian. I tend to leave the request in the corner and ignore it. Turning it down only means it will come back a few minutes later. - Johnny Carlsen at Sun, 21 May 2006 00:19:47 +0200 Let me know if you write a GAIM anti-spam plugin, I would be glad to test it for you. My current list of known spam sources: 154289467 154989529 175916447 176249764 177405758 177429233 178490837 178504967 179066893 230926895 244265933 244641080 244771030 244872954 245244047 259246230 269736663 323819965 326013501 332343586 Much of it comes from a guy with this ICQ number 821428. - Nielo at Tue, 23 May 2006 12:12:25 +0200 Hey, if you need help with this I could perhaps put in a few hours here and there - I think having a central online spam register would be best - that way if a number is spam blocked it's spam blocked... hmmm, although the option should probably be given of whether one wants to synchronize with the online list or not. I use gaim and just close the authorization request windows automatically without accepting or denying by now, but it's a real nuisance, especially when I'm working! I see on the ICQ website that they have a 'report spam' button on the accept/reject window... maybe a plug-in could hook into that mechanism... - Me at Thu, 25 May 2006 13:56:03 +0200 use QIP and its antispam control it will help, 100% guaranteed www.qip.ru - Toby at Thu, 25 May 2006 14:34:40 +0200 This one is not open source, so I'm not going to use it. Actually I dunno if this post is spam... But maybe someone likes to use it. - Gilligan at Tue, 30 May 2006 00:58:10 +0200 I find it sad that AOL doesn't seem to give a darn about this. They really could be doing something on their end to stop this, but they don't. Sad to see that they've basically forgotten about the ICQ network. I may be forced to do the same soon. - lazor at Thu, 01 Jun 2006 13:37:01 +0200 I've got the same problem, im just thinking about writing a little perl script to block EVERYTHING. So you add all your buddies manually and no strangers could send you stuff ever. Sadly, i have no idea how to do this, but here's a starting point: http://gaim.sourceforge.net/api/perl-howto.html - Jay at Wed, 21 Jun 2006 18:07:03 +0200 Same issue happens for me Win XP SP1/Gaim. every now and then i get spammed. A friend of mine, also is getting about 200 messages a day for the last 2 days about 'being hacked' and your IP is hacked etc ... total crap spam, and gaim blocking doesn't do squat. I wish they'd push the 2.0 release and hopefully there's a fix. jeez. - necromcr at Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:05:48 +0200 my idea was a plugin that rejects authorization automaticly with a message for the user to repeat the message. 2nd time the autorization request is made, it would open up the window. - Dimann at Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:18:05 +0200 The user right about QIP too bad its not for Linux and for the lists its useless spammers buying 1000's of new numbers every day. AOL got to do something that is. And for those who still have nothing keep low profile dont change user settings or search for new contacts:) that should work - Pollywog at Sat, 04 Nov 2006 00:20:16 +0100 I get the same type of spams, often in the Cyrillic alphabet. This is using ICQ with clients Licq, Gaim, and Kopete. It would be nice to have some means of stopping the spammers. Most people don't even know what Jabber is, so it's hard to get people to switch to Jabber. - Sly at Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:52:24 +0200 Using qip and receiving couple of spam authorisation request a day too. So not really true qip is bullet proof. - mick at Sun, 03 May 2009 19:41:02 +0200 i have in my list too a few spams.. :) 326133466 - Luke at Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:32:33 +0100 551250436 SPAM IT!!!!!