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Bot-created websites [message #410439] Thu, 05 August 2021 21:12 Go to next message
Peter Flass is currently offline  Peter Flass
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Registered: December 2011
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I was just scanning the results of of a Google search, and there seem to
be a fair number of what look like pages of computer-generated text. It
_almost_ makes sense, but it’s just a random collection of words. Does
anyone know the purpose of these? It’s like a code the FSB (KGB) might use
to communicate with spies.

--
Pete
Re: Bot-created websites [message #410440 is a reply to message #410439] Thu, 05 August 2021 21:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Peter Flass is currently offline  Peter Flass
Messages: 8375
Registered: December 2011
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Senior Member
Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was just scanning the results of of a Google search, and there seem to
> be a fair number of what look like pages of computer-generated text. It
> _almost_ makes sense, but it’s just a random collection of words. Does
> anyone know the purpose of these? It’s like a code the FSB (KGB) might use
> to communicate with spies.
>

on second look they all seem to link to a “who’s calling me” page for
reverse phone lookup.

--
Pete
Re: Bot-created websites [message #410443 is a reply to message #410439] Fri, 06 August 2021 08:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: antispam

Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was just scanning the results of of a Google search, and there seem to
> be a fair number of what look like pages of computer-generated text. It
> _almost_ makes sense, but it?s just a random collection of words. Does
> anyone know the purpose of these? It?s like a code the FSB (KGB) might use
> to communicate with spies.

My guess is on "positioners". They are building pages that Google
indexer consider legitimate and plant links on them to boost
rating of their target pages.

--
Waldek Hebisch
Re: Bot-created websites [message #410448 is a reply to message #410440] Sat, 07 August 2021 15:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: drb

> on second look they all seem to link to a “who’s calling me” page for
> reverse phone lookup.

Reverse phone lookup pages like this are mostly scams placed by the spam
callers to obfuscate their origins. (There are a few legit ones, e.g.
Nomorobo.) If they contain lots of words to raise their page rank,
that's to make sure they come up in searches for phone numbers.

De
Re: Bot-created websites [message #410542 is a reply to message #410439] Wed, 18 August 2021 01:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Crane is currently offline  John Crane
Messages: 13
Registered: July 2012
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Junior Member
On 8/5/21 8:12 PM, Peter Flass wrote:
> I was just scanning the results of of a Google search, and there seem to
> be a fair number of what look like pages of computer-generated text. It
> _almost_ makes sense, but it’s just a random collection of words. Does
> anyone know the purpose of these? It’s like a code the FSB (KGB) might use
> to communicate with spies.
>
>
If any reader is old enough, you call the 'numbers stations' that were
encountered on the HF radio bands. Some radio amateurs built HF
direction finding gear, and triangulated the positions of a few of
these. There were all coming from military bases in the US.
Re: Bot-created websites [message #410543 is a reply to message #410542] Wed, 18 August 2021 02:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ahem A Rivet's Shot is currently offline  Ahem A Rivet's Shot
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Registered: January 2012
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Senior Member
On Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:08:13 -0500
John Crane <john_crane_59@yahoo.com> wrote:

> If any reader is old enough, you call the 'numbers stations' that were
> encountered on the HF radio bands. Some radio amateurs built HF
> direction finding gear, and triangulated the positions of a few of
> these. There were all coming from military bases in the US.

Many governments ran numbers stations not just the US military,
they were (and are) encrypted news channels for spies.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith | Directable Mirror Arrays
C:\>WIN | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins. | licences available see
You lose and Bill collects. | http://www.sohara.org/
Re: what's my number, was Bot-created websites [message #410547 is a reply to message #410543] Wed, 18 August 2021 10:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Levine is currently offline  John Levine
Messages: 1405
Registered: December 2011
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Senior Member
According to Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net>:
> On Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:08:13 -0500
> John Crane <john_crane_59@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> If any reader is old enough, you call the 'numbers stations' that were
>> encountered on the HF radio bands. Some radio amateurs built HF
>> direction finding gear, and triangulated the positions of a few of
>> these. There were all coming from military bases in the US.
>
> Many governments ran numbers stations not just the US military,
> they were (and are) encrypted news channels for spies.

There are still a lot of them. This web site tells you more than you ever
wanted to know about them:

https://www.numbers-stations.com/

--
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly
Re: what's my number, was Bot-created websites [message #410561 is a reply to message #410547] Fri, 20 August 2021 12:09 Go to previous message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: maus

On 2021-08-18, John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> wrote:
> According to Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net>:
>> On Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:08:13 -0500
>> John Crane <john_crane_59@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> If any reader is old enough, you call the 'numbers stations' that were
>>> encountered on the HF radio bands. Some radio amateurs built HF
>>> direction finding gear, and triangulated the positions of a few of
>>> these. There were all coming from military bases in the US.
>>
>> Many governments ran numbers stations not just the US military,
>> they were (and are) encrypted news channels for spies.
>
> There are still a lot of them. This web site tells you more than you ever
> wanted to know about them:
>
> https://www.numbers-stations.com/
>

Probably someone had the idea for them, and once the mney was allocated, forgot to stop it.
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