Weird occasional 'bombing' of visitors to the site

[NewDude2022]

Most of the time I come here, there will be 4-5 of us mongers and 5-8 or so guests. People stopping in, perusing, and heading out.

Then once in a while, like now, there will be 20-40+ guests all simultaneously visiting, often times with 70+% of them showing up as reviewing the same topic - if not 100%?

I find that VERY strange, and suspect at some level. Usually I leave pretty quickly as who knows WTF might be going on there as I find it a bit unsettling - and not coincidental. It reeks of something ... not good.  Maybe I am just being paranoid. 

[Michael J.]

    I once saw a bumper sticker on a car that read Help! The Paranoids are after me!

[RickScrabbler]

Yes, just this very moment I can see 29 guests poking around the forum somewhere. I'm hoping most of them are here with good intentions...

[NewDude2022]

I don't think it is indiv people at all. I think it is some computer generated intentional data something-or-another.

Often times the list shows identical or nearly identical times 13-16 second increments. Nothing about it seems random. It seems very intentional and mechanical imho.

4.15am and still 29 guests who all just happen to be here at the same time on a site that almost always has 10 or fewer? 25 viewing *the exact same topic* at the same time? All with 25 to 35 second differences on the time?

Nope!

Maybe it is a Q testing thing...

[Q]

I can help to answer that inquiry!

"Guests" cannot use the search facility on the forum, post on the forum, or send messages on the forum.

Guests cannot send emails to you, because I have the option turned off that exposes email addresses to non-logged in members.

I never accept a member request from Asia-Pacific, Africa, European or suspect usernames that have email addresses like 8234764762@yahoo.com

There are internet search bots that mine content for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to help them increase their results based on keywords and content.  These come from Apple, Google, Yahoo, etc. and appear as "Guests" or "Robots" or the name of their Search facility.

I have a special file that I update regularly as needed.  It performs the task of blocking bots from countries that try to attack the site and make it burdened and slow.  It does CICD masking to prevent problem hackers from bombing the site and they can't even see the site appear because it's blocked before the main page or any page is even shown.

I'm glad you asked about security!  It gives me a great opportunity to share what happens behind the scenes to make our site healthy and secure from outside undesirable influences!

Thanks!  and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Q

[NewDude2022]

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to explain some of that, Q. 

I check in here more often than I should, haha, and only recently have I started seeing this barrage of activity that appears to be very much not 'individual-human' driven. It smells to me like some type of bot-driven information gathering attempt, or the like, similar to what you have described.

Mostly I want to feel like the data/access out here is 'safe' - or at least as 'safe' as online data can be in the year 2022 (damned near 2023?!?!).

It seems like this is part of what you've got to manage behind the scenes of a site like this. Good to know that it is seen as a matter of importance. 

[NewDude2022]

Now that I consider this, I wonder if this isn't the exact type of activity that explains the 'most visitors ever' thread started a while ago by SMRKIA?

http://sex-in-nevada.net/smforum/index.php?topic=38069.0

[SMRKIA]

Now that I consider this, I wonder if this isn't the exact type of activity that explains the 'most visitors ever' thread started a while ago by SMRKIA?

http://sex-in-nevada.net/smforum/index.php?topic=38069.0

I was actually going to add to that. At LPINawards.com they have that same function. Their most ever was 4 days after the most ever here. I think like others have suggested, there was a lot of interest around that time involving Hofs death/election.

[CJ]

I can help to answer that inquiry!

"Guests" cannot use the search facility on the forum, post on the forum, or send messages on the forum.

Guests cannot send emails to you, because I have the option turned off that exposes email addresses to non-logged in members.

I never accept a member request from Asia-Pacific, Africa, European or suspect usernames that have email addresses like 8234764762@yahoo.com

There are internet search bots that mine content for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to help them increase their results based on keywords and content.  These come from Apple, Google, Yahoo, etc. and appear as "Guests" or "Robots" or the name of their Search facility.

I have a special file that I update regularly as needed.  It performs the task of blocking bots from countries that try to attack the site and make it burdened and slow.  It does CICD masking to prevent problem hackers from bombing the site and they can't even see the site appear because it's blocked before the main page or any page is even shown.

I'm glad you asked about security!  It gives me a great opportunity to share what happens behind the scenes to make our site healthy and secure from outside undesirable influences!

Thanks!  and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Q

Thanks, Q, for everything you do to keep this site available and safe!

[RickScrabbler]

Thanks Q for clarifying, and all the hard work you do behind the scene to keep our friendly forum running. 

[Gus]

Thank you for all you do, Q. Happy holidays!

[NewDude2022]

Bots again today. 32 'guests' mostly huddled on 3 or 4 topics, seconds apart from each other.  Still weird. haha

[Q]

Bots again today. 32 'guests' mostly huddled on 3 or 4 topics, seconds apart from each other.  Still weird. haha

The"bots" or SEO's typically hit around 1:00pm.  Just an FYI.  Not a bad thing... just makes us more searchable for great content.
Q