Why spam a message board?

[cyburbia]

Yesterday night, someone from Japan posted an Engrish spam for some "quit smoking" product on my message board.

They had to fill out all the registration information -- including entering the string from the capcha image -- and activate the account using a URL sent to them in the account verification e-mail.

The board has no spam on it, so it's obvious that mods are keeping the place clean, and their message would likely be deleted.

So, why go through all the trouble to spam a vBulletin (or any other message board) forum? Are there message board admins and mods that don't clean up spam? Is the laborious process of message board spamming being outsourced to those making only a few cents every hour?

[Zachery]

They think it works, btw are you enjoing our awsome weather today ? :D

[Lacrosse Boy]

They did this over at Ikonboard as well. Stupidity in my opinion.

[Zachery]

We get so much spam here you guys would be suprised :)

[cyburbia]

They think it works, btw are you enjoing our awsome weather today ? :D

[off-topic]This? Cold? Bah! Check out the Russians in South Euclid and Mayfield Heights out shoveling, wearing light jackets or just sweats![/off-topic]

[filburt1]

It's still profit to them; it's so incredibly cheap to spam that it's an efficient means of advertising. Even if they e-mail a thousand users and only one is suckered in, it still only probably cost them a few cents for a several dollar (or far more) product, service, or scam.

As for forums, it can still be automated, except for the image part that we know of. He could have a form autofiller to get the rest of the information.

[Mike Anime]

It's still profit to them; it's so incredibly cheap to spam that it's an efficient means of advertising. Even if they e-mail a thousand users and only one is suckered in, it still only probably cost them a few cents for a several dollar (or far more) product, service, or scam.

As for forums, it can still be automated, except for the image part that we know of. He could have a form autofiller to get the rest of the information.

yup and places like gator.com makes that process so verry easy i wish vB had an option to block those autofill programs.

[MGM]

I've had a few of them come to my site with ads like that. I actually like it because I know that however they reached me, my site is going out to the public somehow

But I always ban them, their IP, and delete the thread

MGM out

[Mike Warner]

Seems a bit pointless, but while you're reading, why not check the link in my signature!

[Floris]

Why forums?
Simply because you spam 1 forum, and reach all those online users , if not everybody in the memberlist.