A little idea to reduce spam

[EvilSmurf]

I don't know if this has been posted before, I'm relatively new here. On a lot of forums I frequent, they have a policy that you need a certain number of posts before you can post a link. Even if we set the number at a relatively small number like 10, it would stop the phenomenon of "first posts containing obviously spammy links". Just an idea is all.

[MicroBob]

I take it that you don't mean 'policy' as much as you mean that it is some kind of 'setting'.

The site won't even let you post a link until after you reach 10 posts.

I think this is actually a very good idea worth considering.



However, it is also worth noting that much of the 1st-post spam stuff might not even contain links either...or just work around it by putting spaces in whatever domain-name.

Also, the new system of multiple-moderators who are floating around and catching this stuff has proven to be quite effective imo.
Most of these 1st-time post spam things don't last up there very long anyway before one of takes care of it.


Still...that's not to say that your idea couldn't hurt.
I like it.

[MrWookie]

Eh, I'm not a fan. If we set it at 10, we'll either get a bunch of stupid workarounds (the spaces) or people making 10 "Hello world!" posts right before commencing spamming.

[MicroBob]

I think there's a stronger chance that they won't go through the effort and it could cut down on these types of posts considerably.


Yours is a valid point though.

Hard to say for certain unless we were to actually give it a whirl....and I'm not entirely certian it's necessary to do that anyway.

[EvilSmurf]

[ QUOTE ]
I take it that you don't mean 'policy' as much as you mean that it is some kind of 'setting'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly what I mean.

[MrWookie]

[ QUOTE ]
I think there's a stronger chance that they won't go through the effort and it could cut down on these types of posts considerably.


Yours is a valid point though.

Hard to say for certain unless we were to actually give it a whirl....and I'm not entirely certian it's necessary to do that anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

You also have to factor in all the posts about "Hey, why can't I post a link?" from new posters.

[beyeond]

FWIW I don't think the post counter is accurate. When I registered, I didn't post for about a month after, and my first post was #53.

I'm not joking.

[MicroBob]

I've never seen nor heard of that discrepency.

[Nut4Dawgs]

[ QUOTE ]
I've never seen nor heard of that discrepency.

[/ QUOTE ]
Out of curiosity, maybe someone with access to the database can verify his count.

[MDoranD]

What if you set it so you couldnt post until you had been a member for 2 weeks or a month? This would be a hinderance to spammers who most likely would move on to somewhere else and also allow new posters the chance to troll the site for awhile and learn how to use the site without just asking the same questions over and over?


MDoranD

[beyeond]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've never seen nor heard of that discrepency.

[/ QUOTE ]
Out of curiosity, maybe someone with access to the database can verify his count.

[/ QUOTE ]

A mod with nothing better to do is welcome to count my posts. I doubt it will add up to 197 or whatever it is.

[MicroBob]

doesn't need to be a mod I don't think.


You've had 141 posts since Dec, 05 though.


Older posts might be in the archives but I haven't looked.

[MicroBob]

Now checking (again, you don't need to be a mod)


Between 1/25/05 and 2/22/05 you made 51 posts.

Still looks like I'm missing 5 of them though.

but I really didn't try very hard.


Did you forget about some of these posts?:

http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...rue#Post1613293 (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Board=inet&Number=1613293&S earchpage=2&Main=1613047&Words=beyeond&topic=&Sear ch=true#Post1613293)

http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...rue#Post1610148 (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Board=inet&Number=1610148&S earchpage=2&Main=1609961&Words=beyeond&topic=&Sear ch=true#Post1610148)

http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...rue#Post1597980 (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Board=inet&Number=1597980&S earchpage=2&Main=1597980&Words=beyeond&topic=&Sear ch=true#Post1597980)

[Lloyd]

This idea was discussed very briefly by the moderators awhile ago. The conclusion we came to was that due to software limitations it couldn't be done, whether or not we felt it made sense. It will certainly be considered whenever a software change is made that would allow such a paramater.

[Nut4Dawgs]

MB,

Access to the d/b, IIRC, would give you a "count." Every post puts a +1 in that little reservoir thingie (that's a non-tech type name for something I can't remember). /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Quite a few years since I wrote dBase progs.