So I was watching the TV the other night and a commercial came on. The commercial wanted me to imagine that I was s hitting a big bumpy pineapple. The commercial even had graphics to lock the image firmly in my mind. The big pineapple was right side up. While I was s hitting the big pineapple some as shole was trying to sell me something that would make the rough, bumpy, caustic, big pineapple easier to ****. Why would I buy anything from these a ssholes? I don't **** pineapples.
So if somebody wants you to **** a pineapple change the channel.
It's been mentioned a few times here, but I can't remember in which thread, but... seriously, what is the deal with number of guests?? Tonight at one point there were 7 members and 1,100 guests online. I assume some kind of bots, it is just inconceivable (to me) there are actually 1,100 real people lurking or just checking things out. Does this concern anyone, or am I paranoid?
@TRayB said:
It's been mentioned a few times here, but I can't remember in which thread, but... seriously, what is the deal with number of guests?? Tonight at one point there were 7 members and 1,100 guests online. I assume some kind of bots, it is just inconceivable (to me) there are actually 1,100 real people lurking or just checking things out. Does this concern anyone, or am I paranoid?
It's definitely nefarious. There are tons of Nigerian Princes out there who now have access to sophisticated AI. Yes, artificial intelligence in the hands of scammers of average intelligence. They now have the ability to take our publicly available images and information from this forum and develop false images and information. Including very real videos of you saying and doing things you never said or did. Those of you on Facebook, have you ever gotten a "messenger" message from an old high school acquaintance asking you to click on an old photo? You know it's fishy, so you don't fall for it. But now, with AI, the scammer can create a video call, perhaps a live video call from someone that you regularly communicate with. And that's just one example of the advantage AI gives to the scammers.
Hey @TheCigarChick can you tell us if you are aware of the massive increase in visitors and if so, what you're doing to limit their access?
@Bob_Luken We don't receive any warnings (if you will), re: increase in visitors. We do have a large amount of outside developers who will be working over the next few months as we're undergoing a website redesign, but not enough to constitute 1000 visitors simultaneously. If there is unrecognized web-based traffic there's only so much that can be garnered from their presence, but the way in which VanillaX works is that non-members can view most things here with the exception of being able to comment/react to posts as well as send private messages. While CIGAR.com "hosts" this Forum from the standpoint of it being available to our customers, VanillaX is the technological host behind the forum.
There are bots all over the internet targeting all sorts of sites, and anything tobacco-related is not immune. As to your original comment about Nigerian princes, many of these bots are actually Russian and East Asian in origin. Tobacco is highly regulated around the world with many foreign countries either restricting B2B and B2C shipments, but also waging high tariffs on imports, so fraud is something both CIGAR.com and its competitors are always monitoring. Another well-known cigar e-commerce site also based here in Pennsylvania roughly two years ago was literally hijacked by Russian hackers and taken offline for over a week because they didn't invest in the level of protection we do... I feel very fortunate to be a part of an international corporation who takes cyber security very seriously, and consumer safety is a top priority.
I'd be happy to reach out to our representatives at VanillaX to see if there's a way to further restrict visitor traffic, ie they can't view more than a couple posts without being prompted to sign up or be unable to see the Forum. While I'm the Moderator here, I'm not the IT Admin, so I'd have to call in reinforcements far more nerdy than myself. ;-)
@TheCigarChick Thank you for taking good care of us. We noticed these massive increases and I assume the worst. Please do ask VanillaX if they know why our visitor numbers have massively increased lately, and if it's a problem that needs a solution.
I always assumed it was just a bunch of randos spending time here, studying you and me, trying to learn the secret to our awesomeness so they could someday be as awesome as us.
@peter4jc said:
I always assumed it was just a bunch of randos spending time here, studying you and me, trying to learn the secret to our awesomeness so they could someday be as awesome as us.
That's how it starts, but when they realize they'll NEVER attain YOUR level of awesomeness, you cannot tell how they may act.
I’m not trying to start anything but,….. if she had used the term "Nigerian Prince" and I responded exactly as she responded to me,… "actually, many of these bots are Russian and East Asian" I would definitely be mansplaining.
So I just can't resist. I'm going to mansplain mansplaining to you just because it makes me laugh. Mansplaining is when you try to teach a woman about something that she already knows about, because you assumed she didn't know due to being a woman. If I try to teach a woman about how to properly take the trash out, while just assuming that she doesn't know how to do that because she's a woman, I'm mansplaining. If I were to first ask "Hey, do you know how to take the trash out?", or if it was something she didn't know how to do, that's not mansplaining. If she did in fact know how to take the trash out already and I just rambled on and on about it, that's what makes it mansplaining.
If she had asked your question and used the term "Nigerian Prince", and then you said all that about the bots coming from Russia and East Asia, it would only be mansplaining if she knew already where the bots were coming from, and you just assumed that she didn't because she's a woman.
I think you already know everything I just said though. That's kind of what makes me chuckle. I just spend 2 paragraphs rambling about something I'm 99% sure you already know, which is a perfect example of what mansplaining is. Maybe in this case, I'll call it southernsplaining, since we still have to teach y'all proper grammar before we can get into the complex stuff.
I don't know why I feel like stirring up the pot today, I guess I'm just in one of those moods. Love you Bob.
At the top of my list today is flooded basements. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and get it fixed, but it's only a little over 50 years old. Sure hope it doesn't cut too deep in to the cigar budget.
Don't let the wife know what you spend on guns, ammo or cigars.
Comments
The punishment should fit the crime.
So I was watching the TV the other night and a commercial came on. The commercial wanted me to imagine that I was s hitting a big bumpy pineapple. The commercial even had graphics to lock the image firmly in my mind. The big pineapple was right side up. While I was s hitting the big pineapple some as shole was trying to sell me something that would make the rough, bumpy, caustic, big pineapple easier to ****. Why would I buy anything from these a ssholes? I don't **** pineapples.
So if somebody wants you to **** a pineapple change the channel.
Do you remember the name of the product
When I remember that commercial it makes me itch.
Found it!
https://youtu.be/5uxRor3IN_I
https://youtu.be/RnTY1Dt6-0A
There's also,.. a porcupine, a wrecking ball, an elephant, and a watermelon.
It's been mentioned a few times here, but I can't remember in which thread, but... seriously, what is the deal with number of guests?? Tonight at one point there were 7 members and 1,100 guests online. I assume some kind of bots, it is just inconceivable (to me) there are actually 1,100 real people lurking or just checking things out. Does this concern anyone, or am I paranoid?
They're here for the laxative ads.
So you're saying they are full of sh*t? My question remains, though: Am I paranoid?
You're not paranoid if they really are out to get you
You aren't helping!
No idea, probably zombie guests, sessions created by visitors that never cleared out.
It's definitely nefarious. There are tons of Nigerian Princes out there who now have access to sophisticated AI. Yes, artificial intelligence in the hands of scammers of average intelligence. They now have the ability to take our publicly available images and information from this forum and develop false images and information. Including very real videos of you saying and doing things you never said or did. Those of you on Facebook, have you ever gotten a "messenger" message from an old high school acquaintance asking you to click on an old photo? You know it's fishy, so you don't fall for it. But now, with AI, the scammer can create a video call, perhaps a live video call from someone that you regularly communicate with. And that's just one example of the advantage AI gives to the scammers.
Hey @TheCigarChick can you tell us if you are aware of the massive increase in visitors and if so, what you're doing to limit their access?
@Bob_Luken We don't receive any warnings (if you will), re: increase in visitors. We do have a large amount of outside developers who will be working over the next few months as we're undergoing a website redesign, but not enough to constitute 1000 visitors simultaneously. If there is unrecognized web-based traffic there's only so much that can be garnered from their presence, but the way in which VanillaX works is that non-members can view most things here with the exception of being able to comment/react to posts as well as send private messages. While CIGAR.com "hosts" this Forum from the standpoint of it being available to our customers, VanillaX is the technological host behind the forum.
There are bots all over the internet targeting all sorts of sites, and anything tobacco-related is not immune. As to your original comment about Nigerian princes, many of these bots are actually Russian and East Asian in origin. Tobacco is highly regulated around the world with many foreign countries either restricting B2B and B2C shipments, but also waging high tariffs on imports, so fraud is something both CIGAR.com and its competitors are always monitoring. Another well-known cigar e-commerce site also based here in Pennsylvania roughly two years ago was literally hijacked by Russian hackers and taken offline for over a week because they didn't invest in the level of protection we do... I feel very fortunate to be a part of an international corporation who takes cyber security very seriously, and consumer safety is a top priority.
I'd be happy to reach out to our representatives at VanillaX to see if there's a way to further restrict visitor traffic, ie they can't view more than a couple posts without being prompted to sign up or be unable to see the Forum. While I'm the Moderator here, I'm not the IT Admin, so I'd have to call in reinforcements far more nerdy than myself. ;-)
@TheCigarChick Thank you for taking good care of us. We noticed these massive increases and I assume the worst. Please do ask VanillaX if they know why our visitor numbers have massively increased lately, and if it's a problem that needs a solution.
I always assumed it was just a bunch of randos spending time here, studying you and me, trying to learn the secret to our awesomeness so they could someday be as awesome as us.
That's how it starts, but when they realize they'll NEVER attain YOUR level of awesomeness, you cannot tell how they may act.
I’m not trying to start anything but,….. if she had used the term "Nigerian Prince" and I responded exactly as she responded to me,… "actually, many of these bots are Russian and East Asian" I would definitely be mansplaining.
So I just can't resist. I'm going to mansplain mansplaining to you just because it makes me laugh. Mansplaining is when you try to teach a woman about something that she already knows about, because you assumed she didn't know due to being a woman. If I try to teach a woman about how to properly take the trash out, while just assuming that she doesn't know how to do that because she's a woman, I'm mansplaining. If I were to first ask "Hey, do you know how to take the trash out?", or if it was something she didn't know how to do, that's not mansplaining. If she did in fact know how to take the trash out already and I just rambled on and on about it, that's what makes it mansplaining.
If she had asked your question and used the term "Nigerian Prince", and then you said all that about the bots coming from Russia and East Asia, it would only be mansplaining if she knew already where the bots were coming from, and you just assumed that she didn't because she's a woman.
I think you already know everything I just said though. That's kind of what makes me chuckle. I just spend 2 paragraphs rambling about something I'm 99% sure you already know, which is a perfect example of what mansplaining is. Maybe in this case, I'll call it southernsplaining, since we still have to teach y'all proper grammar before we can get into the complex stuff.
I don't know why I feel like stirring up the pot today, I guess I'm just in one of those moods. Love you Bob.
I hate the word mansplaining, but I've occasionally used the word momsplaining with my Wife when she's talking to the kids.
I hate there are terms defining the explaination sometimes required to teach something to be an asset to society.
I hate that people differentiate what’s considered racist to fit their own standards…
From Merriam-Webster …
So it sounds to me like this is a derogatory term that makes fun of Hispanics. Or maybe since it was a woman that made it popular it’s ok then.
Doesn't bother me a bit.
Trapped in the People's Communits Republic of Massachusetts.
. Tequila!
A stillborn calf.
Sorry Steve.
MOW badge received.
Thanks, nature happens.
At the top of my list today is flooded basements. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and get it fixed, but it's only a little over 50 years old. Sure hope it doesn't cut too deep in to the cigar budget.
Don't let the wife know what you spend on guns, ammo or cigars.
Tree frogs that never shut up.
Trapped in the People's Communits Republic of Massachusetts.