Counter spam project entries

[david-a-wheeler]

Unfortunately we have started to get more spam entries of projects.

We need to find ways to help automatically counter them. Anything from simple notices that adding a project will NOT help SEO (because of the way we announce links), to checking that URLs exist, to requiring repos & checking that they are actual repos. I'd like to hear ideas.

The idea is to make it harder for spammers (not impossible just more annoying), while not making it harder for legitimate projects.

[david-a-wheeler]

We have added a delay for logging in to new local accounts, and are working to delay activation emails. That should help.

[jdossett]

It appears as if our countermeasures are working. I am going to close this for now. If the issue arises again, we can revisit this issue.

[david-a-wheeler]

Huzzah!

They were primarily your ideas. Thank you.

[wolfgangwalther]

It seems like there are quite a few spam entries in the database by owner KOSASIH.

[david-a-wheeler]

@wolfgangwalther - thanks for reporting this!

It looks like KOSASIH is intentionally working to evade our automated checkers, and is making plenty of false claims. For example:

• https://github.com/KOSASIH/Lineax claims to meet all sorts of crypto requirements, but there's no source code at all.
• https://github.com/KOSASIH/Bitcorps - no code, no docs, the repo's last commit was in 2021 so there's been time to post them.

I think we should just delete all these projects' badge entries, without trying to contact the developer, as they seems clearly fraudulent.

@jdossett @wolfgangwalther - any thoughts?

[wolfgangwalther]

I think we should just delete all these projects' badge entries, without trying to contact the developer, as they seems clearly fraudulent.

+1

Probably delete / block the developer / account, too. All of the repos look the same.

[david-a-wheeler]

We need to be able to lock out individual users. We could trivially delete the account on our site, but then the attacker could come back on the same account. That's an easy add, since we don't need a UI for it.

This is why we can't have nice things :-(.

[david-a-wheeler]

Here's a quick summary of current badge entries owned by KOSASIH

| Name | Description | Website | License | Owner | Last achieved at | Tiered % | Badge
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
5239 | Bitcorps | Workspace, Marketplace, Online store, Business autobuilder system that provides payment services using bitcoin and other digital currencies. | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Bitcorps | Apache-2.0 | KOSASIH |   | 15% |  
5240 | Ceemot | Data infrastructure connector management system | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Ceemot | Apache-2.0 | KOSASIH |   | 24% |  
5276 | MATH-MASTER | System development of science education programs in the field of mathematics. | https://github.com/KOSASIH/MATH-MASTER | Apache-2.0 | KOSASIH |   | 30% |  
5479 | RECOVTECH | Disaster auto recovery data base management system. | https://github.com/KOSASIH/RECOVTECH | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 02:22:43 | 300% |  
5480 | Crypto-Revolutiona | Marketplace for new innovations in blockchain technology and Crypto currency, NFT, API's and mining technology. | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Crypto-Revolutiona | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 02:36:21 | 300% |  
5482 | Lineax | Digytal asset management tools | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Lineax | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 05:37:10 | 300% |  
5483 | REMACS | Disaster Recovery dabase management system | https://github.com/KOSASIH/REMACS | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 06:01:57 | 300% |  
5484 | Betto | NFT marketplace that serves transactions with cryptocurrencies | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Betto | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 06:36:40 | 300% |  
5485 | Tonbox | Miner new innovations technology API's Marketplace | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Tonbox | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 07:05:31 | 300% |  
5486 | Minertech | Mostly a graphical frontend for mining Cryptocurrency by providing a handy way to perform cryptocurrency mining using a graphical interface. | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Minertech | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-23 07:33:19 | 300% |  
5495 | Metazone | NFT Marketplace which provides transactions with cryptocurrencies | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Metazone | MIT | KOSASIH | 2021-12-31 08:48:15 | 300% |  
5513 | Neocorela | NFT marketplace that provides transaction services using cryptocurrencies | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Neocorela | MIT | KOSASIH | 2022-01-08 10:05:42 | 300% |  
5520 | BOTANOID | AI project | https://github.com/KOSASIH/BOTANOID | MIT | KOSASIH | 2022-01-11 11:11:56 | 300% |  
5528 | SMU-G | Global virtual museum | https://github.com/KOSASIH/SMU-G | MIT | KOSASIH | 2022-01-13 10:42:37 | 300% |  
5530 | Gallerio | NFT Marketplace | https://github.com/KOSASIH/Gallerio | MIT | KOSASIH | 2022-01-15 05:04:05 | 300% |  
5532 | MPM | Merciez Project Management | https://github.com/Merciez/MPM | MIT | KOSASIH | 2022-01-16 04:51:51 | 300% |  

Name Description Website License Owner Last achieved at Tiered % Badge
5239 Bitcorps

Workspace, Marketplace, Online store, Business autobuilder system that provides payment services using bitcoin and other digital currencies.
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Bitcorps Apache-2.0 KOSASIH 15% Badge level for project 5239 is 15%
5240 Ceemot

Data infrastructure connector management system
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Ceemot Apache-2.0 KOSASIH 24% Badge level for project 5240 is 24%
5276 MATH-MASTER

System development of science education programs in the field of mathematics.
https://github.com/KOSASIH/MATH-MASTER Apache-2.0 KOSASIH 30% Badge level for project 5276 is 30%
5479 RECOVTECH

Disaster auto recovery data base management system.
https://github.com/KOSASIH/RECOVTECH MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 02:22:43 300% Badge level for project 5479 is 300%
5480 Crypto-Revolutiona

Marketplace for new innovations in blockchain technology and Crypto currency, NFT, API's and mining technology.
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Crypto-Revolutiona MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 02:36:21 300% Badge level for project 5480 is 300%
5482 Lineax

Digytal asset management tools
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Lineax MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 05:37:10 300% Badge level for project 5482 is 300%
5483 REMACS

Disaster Recovery dabase management system
https://github.com/KOSASIH/REMACS MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 06:01:57 300% Badge level for project 5483 is 300%
5484 Betto

NFT marketplace that serves transactions with cryptocurrencies
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Betto MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 06:36:40 300% Badge level for project 5484 is 300%
5485 Tonbox

Miner new innovations technology API's Marketplace
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Tonbox MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 07:05:31 300% Badge level for project 5485 is 300%
5486 Minertech

Mostly a graphical frontend for mining Cryptocurrency by providing a handy way to perform cryptocurrency mining using a graphical interface.
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Minertech MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-23 07:33:19 300% Badge level for project 5486 is 300%
5495 Metazone

NFT Marketplace which provides transactions with cryptocurrencies
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Metazone MIT KOSASIH 2021-12-31 08:48:15 300% Badge level for project 5495 is 300%
5513 Neocorela

NFT marketplace that provides transaction services using cryptocurrencies
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Neocorela MIT KOSASIH 2022-01-08 10:05:42 300% Badge level for project 5513 is 300%
5520 BOTANOID

AI project
https://github.com/KOSASIH/BOTANOID MIT KOSASIH 2022-01-11 11:11:56 300% Badge level for project 5520 is 300%
5528 SMU-G

Global virtual museum
https://github.com/KOSASIH/SMU-G MIT KOSASIH 2022-01-13 10:42:37 300% Badge level for project 5528 is 300%
5530 Gallerio

NFT Marketplace
https://github.com/KOSASIH/Gallerio MIT KOSASIH 2022-01-15 05:04:05 300% Badge level for project 5530 is 300%
5532 MPM

Merciez Project Management
https://github.com/Merciez/MPM MIT KOSASIH 2022-01-16 04:51:51 300% Badge level for project 5532 is 300%

[david-a-wheeler]

So unless I learn of something surprising, later today I plan to run:

DELETE FROM projects WHERE user_id = 13323;

I really hate to edit others' entries, but we can't let clear fraud continue. I haven't investigated every project, but multiple instances of clear fraud mean we've completely lost all trust in this user & must not allow this to continue.

[david-a-wheeler]

Pull request #1771 will let us record blocked users (along with the rationale). We can implement enforcement later, but I want to be able to record what happened in the database.