In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
ASCII.

Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?

Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.

Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
very effectively and quickly.
--
Tciao for Now!

John.

John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:

> In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
> and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
> script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
> ASCII.
>
> Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
> that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
> waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
>
> Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
>
> Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
> very effectively and quickly.
>

It's part of the Googlespam Tsunami that's giving the News Admins a lot
to do keeping their NoCeM antispam measures up to date. It should end
when Google finally pulls the plug on their Google Groups to Usenet
gateway in late Feb. (not before time).

--
^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000
John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:

> In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
> and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
> script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
> ASCII.

If it's in HTML a common trick is to put junk like that inside tags
that prevent it from being visible in an HTML viewer while the scam text is
visible. The quoted junk is to mess up spam detection software by drowning
the dodgy stuff with stuff that won't raise alarms.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
Host: Beautiful Theory meet Inconvenient Fact
Obit: Beautiful Theory died today of factual inconsistency

On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000, John Williamson
<johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:

>In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
>and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
>script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
>ASCII.
>
>Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
>that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
>waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
>
>Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
>
>Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
>very effectively and quickly.
>

I'm still seeing 1000 + per day in the woodworking group -
- I've stopped checking for legit posts and simply purge it all -
.. 2 mouse clicks.
The other groups that I follow are not infected, thankfully.
John T.

<hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000, John Williamson
> <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> >In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
> >and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
> >script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
> >ASCII.
> >
> >Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
> >that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
> >waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
> >
> >Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
> >
> >Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
> >very effectively and quickly.
> >
>
>
> I'm still seeing 1000 + per day in the woodworking group -
> - I've stopped checking for legit posts and simply purge it all -
> .. 2 mouse clicks.
> The other groups that I follow are not infected, thankfully.
> John T.

I don't think binary NSPs are doing NoCeM, try one that's participating,
like Eternal September.

--
^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:23:58 +0000, snipeco.2@gmail.com (Sn!pe) wrote:

><hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000, John Williamson
>> <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>> >In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
>> >and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
>> >script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
>> >ASCII.
>> >
>> >Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
>> >that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
>> >waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
>> >
>> >Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
>> >
>> >Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
>> >very effectively and quickly.
>> >
>>
>>
>> I'm still seeing 1000 + per day in the woodworking group -
>> - I've stopped checking for legit posts and simply purge it all -
>> .. 2 mouse clicks.
>> The other groups that I follow are not infected, thankfully.
>> John T.
>
>I don't think binary NSPs are doing NoCeM, try one that's participating,
>like Eternal September.
>

To what end .. ?
I'm simply hoping that the google groups demise will end it
and that the few regulars return after that ..
John T.

<hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:23:58 +0000, snipeco.2@gmail.com (Sn!pe) wrote:
>
> ><hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000, John Williamson
> >> <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
> >> >and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
> >> >script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
> >> >ASCII.
> >> >
> >> >Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
> >> >that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
> >> >waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
> >> >
> >> >Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
> >> >
> >> >Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
> >> >very effectively and quickly.
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> I'm still seeing 1000 + per day in the woodworking group -
> >> - I've stopped checking for legit posts and simply purge it all -
> >> .. 2 mouse clicks.
> >> The other groups that I follow are not infected, thankfully.
> >> John T.
> >
> >I don't think binary NSPs are doing NoCeM, try one that's participating,
> >like Eternal September.
> >
>
> To what end .. ?
> I'm simply hoping that the google groups demise will end it
> and that the few regulars return after that ..
> John T.
>

When the GG battle is won the spammers will move on to another
open server and the war will continue. It is in the nature of things.
Be thankful that there are people who care fighting the war for you.

--
^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:19:15 +0000, snipeco.2@gmail.com (Sn!pe) wrote:

><hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:23:58 +0000, snipeco.2@gmail.com (Sn!pe) wrote:
>>
>> ><hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:23:09 +0000, John Williamson
>> >> <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files
>> >> >and links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
>> >> >script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
>> >> >ASCII.
>> >> >
>> >> >Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
>> >> >that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK
>> >> >waterways, even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
>> >> >
>> >> >Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
>> >> >
>> >> >Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
>> >> >very effectively and quickly.
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I'm still seeing 1000 + per day in the woodworking group -
>> >> - I've stopped checking for legit posts and simply purge it all -
>> >> .. 2 mouse clicks.
>> >> The other groups that I follow are not infected, thankfully.
>> >> John T.
>> >
>> >I don't think binary NSPs are doing NoCeM, try one that's participating,
>> >like Eternal September.
>> >
>>
>> To what end .. ?
>> I'm simply hoping that the google groups demise will end it
>> and that the few regulars return after that ..
>> John T.
>>
>
>When the GG battle is won the spammers will move on to another
>open server and the war will continue. It is in the nature of things.
>Be thankful that there are people who care fighting the war for you.
>

Bless their hearts
Those stout and stalwart
Defenders of the realm
Where would we be
With dear old usenet
Without them at the helm

Hear them roar
Forever more
In righteous indignation
As to the throes
Olde usenet goes
Along with google nation

John T.

I thought Google no longer ran a gateway to Usenet?
Some of the crud you get is there to try to fool filters so the short
message of the spammer gets through.
The ones I see are mainly from scammers or illegal services. In fact none
of them may be actually real and just designed to get your money or details.
So far its ripped off valid cards, drugs, a guy who is recruiting women for
his Mexican torture farm, some kind of glorified pyramid enterprise, and
messages that say almost anything after assuring you it is not a scam.
No I don't want a load of adult toys thanks very much, if they actually
exist which is debatable. We are also seeing a new wave of ladies
advertising their phone sex lines, with video if you pay more.
Luckily, you can kill them with a kill file, as they are not very
imaginative with their spam avoidance.
It kind of makes me wonder if people are still falling for this crap, if
not why bother?
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"John Williamson" <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:l0sn1tFg5dhU1@mid.individual.net...
> In some usenet groups, I am seeing a lot of what seem to be text files and
> links nicked off the web. One this morning was part of a Doctor Who
> script, posted as unformatted text showing the formatting codes as plain
> ASCII.
>
> Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble of finding something like
> that, downloading it, and then uploading it to a group about UK waterways,
> even if they do use Gurgle Gropes?
>
> Another group keeps showing subject lines in Thai? characters.
>
> Luckily, someone has worked out how to mark most such posts as expired
> very effectively and quickly.
> --
> Tciao for Now!
>
> John.

Brian Gaff wrote:

> I thought Google no longer ran a gateway to Usenet?

About a month left ...

On 19/01/2024 11:03, Brian Gaff wrote:
> I thought Google no longer ran a gateway to Usenet?

It is still there, but will be de-peered from their end on the 22nd of
February.

Their own private Google Groups will still work, but posts made there
will not propagate to usenet. Old posts will still be visible and
searchable.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.