Fucking RMT... ChatMon update REQUIRED soon

[[Vax]]

EXTERMINATE!
http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/Doctor%2.../NewDalek1.jpg

I'm watching Dr. Who right now xD

[Spekkio]

just pointing out that no matter how much incredible encryption you put into it, even the simplest methods can defeat it. ad infinitum.

the same can be said for any crypto system. after all, there's only so many possible decryption keys. the goal is not to make it impossible to crack, only impractical in a reasonable time frame.

[Wrish]

I vote that we brute-force petition SE to stop giving out free accounts without a CC in good standing. Further, players should be able to configure the chat filter to block tells from trial accounts, or accounts for which 45 days have not passed since first content ID creation. As a courtesy to new players, the server should notify the sender whenever their tells are filtered.

I also vote that we ban all the account and gil buyers who are funding these spammers. SE hasn't even penalized the most egregious buyers; what kind of TOS enforcement is that?

You see, I looked at the problem every which way, and the only way to continue to filter out the spam on a client-side basis is if the RMT do not have access to the same filtering mechanism and word list as you do. No amount of word-list encryption, one-way salted hashing, and code obfuscation overcomes the fact that the function of ChatMon is consistent, transparently simple, and freely testable by anyone with a basic grasp of English.

Let's not fall for the guise of security by obscurity.

[Wrish]

the same can be said for any crypto system. after all, there's only so many possible decryption keys. the goal is not to make it impossible to crack, only impractical in a reasonable time frame.

You missed the point. Sending tells to a 2nd computer with ChatMon installed is a practical and time-efficient way of defeating the system. You are not after the encrypted dictionary. You only need know that the /tell you just crafted passes a very rudimentary test of legitimacy.

[enoch]

"(#$@^%&)-{:

Spoiler: show

" = aikar
( = i
# = want
$ = to
@ = thank
^ = you
% = for
& = your
) = efforts
- = on
{ = our
: = behalf

[Trigun]

Thank you. I have had fun since the update the "incoming /tell" voice scared me but its help me blist rmt faster ^^b Thank you again.

[Guitarman]

usually i let others say the thanks but i have to say, I really do appreciate what you do for the community, Aikar. You really go above and beyond.

SE should be sending you a portion of montly fees they collect, because I have a feeling a great deal of players would have quit long ago without windower. I hope you're around for ff14!

[shepardG]

"(#$@^%&)-{:

What you did thar....

I seen it.

[Spekkio]

You missed the point. Sending tells to a 2nd computer with ChatMon installed is a practical and time-efficient way of defeating the system. You are not after the encrypted dictionary. You only need know that the /tell you just crafted passes a very rudimentary test of legitimacy.

by using a crypto system, it forces them to either search for the words or stumble across it accidentally rather than monitoring the update file and immediately changing their tells. there's no bulletproof solution, merely an arms escalation to increase the effort they need to invest to continue spamming tells.

[Kaisha]

Is there really a point to them trying to circumvent ChatMon filters? The reason players use it to begin with is that they have zero interest in purchasing gil. I guess they go under the thought process that if you ask them enough times, they'll give in?

[Pikarya]

Is there really a point to them trying to circumvent ChatMon filters? The reason players use it to begin with is that they have zero interest in purchasing gil. I guess they go under the thought process that if you ask them enough times, they'll give in?

Dear Sir,

Good day and compliments. This letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will go off a long way to determine the future and continued existence of the entire members of my family.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. (Mrs.) Mariam Abacha, the wife of the late head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria who died on the 8th of June 1998.

My ordeal started immediately after my husband's death on the morning of 8th June 1998, and the subsequent take over of government by the last administration. The present democratic government is determined to portray all the good work of my late husband in a bad light and have gone as far as confiscating all my late husband's assets, properties, freezing our accounts both within and outside Nigeria. As I am writing this letter to you, my son Mohammed Abacha is undergoing questioning with the government. All these measures taken by past/present government is just to gain international recognition.

I and the entire members of my family have been held incommunicado since the death of my husband, hence I seek your indulgence to assist us in securing these funds. We are not allowed to see or discuss with anybody. Few occasions I have tired traveling abroad through alternative means all failed.

It is in view of this I have mandated DR GALADIMA HASSAN, who has been assisting the family to run around on so many issues to act on behalf of the family concerning the substance of this letter. He has the full power of attorney to execute this transaction with you.

My late husband had/has Eighty Million USD ($80,000,000.00) specially preserved and well packed in trunk boxes of which only my husband and I knew about. It is packed in such a way to forestall just anybody having access to it. It is this sum that I seek your assistance to get out of Nigeria as soon as possible before the present civilian government finds out about it and confiscate it just like they have done to all our assets.

I implore you to please give consideration to my predicament and help a widow in need.

May Allah show you mercy as you do so?

Your faithfully,

Dr (Mrs.) Mariam Abacha (M.O.N)

N/B: Please contact Dr Galadima Hassan on this e-mail address for further briefing and modalities

[Deimos]

Isn't it scary that the RMT spammers know how to do this?

A lot of us have seen the news specials and articles about gold farmers in China, and the images about them show them to be poorly educated, living in cramped and poor conditions. They give the appearance they have enough computer knowledge to operate a computer and an MMO, but that's it.

It is highly possible these RMT companies have hired hackers or someone with that level of knowledge to embed exploits in Javascript and Flash, and now to get past the spam filters and Chatmon itself. Then, whatever they find, they pass it along to the ones spamming us.

Relevant reading, pretty interesting: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment...in_china_as_a/

A bunch of people asking questions of a guy working in China as a consultant at gold-farming companies.

[Spekkio]

catch someone when they're frustrated enough at not being able to afford something or when they have a flood of cash from getting a raise or a birthday gift and you might just convert someone to the dark side. as for how cgf can be smart enough to avoid chatmon and such, it's not terribly surprising. the designers and engineers that construct the patterns for nike shoes are likely very talented. the 9 year old chinese or indian laborers that they use working for 8c an hour are probably not so much.

[Narol]

Is there really a point to them trying to circumvent ChatMon filters? The reason players use it to begin with is that they have zero interest in purchasing gil. I guess they go under the thought process that if you ask them enough times, they'll give in?

There's some kind of business model that basically says "annoy them until they give in." AOL was famous for this. It's a pretty shitty business model, all things considered, but enough people with diploma-mill business degrees think it's workable that you see it pop up from time to time. The line of thinking goes (and I'm dead serious) that they might not want to do business with you now, but there's a minute chance they will in the future, so you want them to think of you first when they do, and if they never do, well, nothing lost anyway.

[urat]

There's some kind of business model that basically says "annoy them until they give in." AOL was famous for this. It's a pretty shitty business model, all things considered, but enough people with diploma-mill business degrees think it's workable that you see it pop up from time to time. The line of thinking goes (and I'm dead serious) that they might not want to do business with you now, but there's a minute chance they will in the future, so you want them to think of you first when they do, and if they never do, well, nothing lost anyway.

It makes sense, basically the system is not to make us buy gil, but that if a player somewhere does decide to buy gil, chances are they'll go to the first name that comes to mind, which would be brosale or whatever whom they've been spammed by.

Toss that on top of as others have said, a player thats down on luck and really want some piece of gear so they feel better about themselves, well really its only 20 bucks, I spend that on ffxi a month I guess it wouldn't be that bad to buy it with money... And so they are sucked in.

[Deader2818]

Id buy gil if they promise to leave me the fuck alone after I buy some. >_>

[Demosthenes11]

I vote that we brute-force petition SE to stop giving out free accounts without a CC in good standing. Further, players should be able to configure the chat filter to block tells from trial accounts, or accounts for which 45 days have not passed since first content ID creation. As a courtesy to new players, the server should notify the sender whenever their tells are filtered.

I also vote that we ban all the account and gil buyers who are funding these spammers. SE hasn't even penalized the most egregious buyers; what kind of TOS enforcement is that?

You see, I looked at the problem every which way, and the only way to continue to filter out the spam on a client-side basis is if the RMT do not have access to the same filtering mechanism and word list as you do. No amount of word-list encryption, one-way salted hashing, and code obfuscation overcomes the fact that the function of ChatMon is consistent, transparently simple, and freely testable by anyone with a basic grasp of English.

Let's not fall for the guise of security by obscurity.

petitions always work! this guy is wise!

[shepardG]

petitions always work! this guy is wise!

THEY DO WHEN YOU WEAR BRUTAL EARRINGS!

[Kaisha]

All would be good if they'd just rip off Blizzard's efforts: http://us.blizzard.com/support/artic...rchQuery=trial

Especially in this area:

Accounts will no longer be able to whisper other players unless they have been added to those players' friends lists or have received a whisper from them first.

[Destinye]

All would be good if they'd just rip off Blizzard's efforts: http://us.blizzard.com/support/artic...rchQuery=trial

That would just cause the FFXI community to complain that they'd have to add more people to their friendlist and yes people would complain about it. Also it would just make the RMT work harder to get around that or go towards what they do in almost every other MMO:

Set up characters in certain hot spots and shout over and over and over and over and over with their ad, and for those who don't/won't filter shouts (some people still like to see events and etc being shouted so they can join) it will get very annoying very quickly.

Also I think the blacklist is fairly limited so that would get filled up quickly..really just gonna have to deal with there being RMT and they'll always get around whatever option is set up.