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Thread ID: 86537 2008-01-20 06:59:00 Stopping forum spammers radium (8645) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
632072 2008-01-20 06:59:00 Cease Spamming Initiatives

Heres my idea.

A way to stop or at least limit spammers from joining and spamming this board would be to use an initiative that lycaeum's messageboard has adapted.

Apart of lycaeum's registration policy is as follows:

Essay:
THIS FIELD IS MANDATORY. There is a 300 word minimum. Applications without an essay will be immediately rejected. Why do you have an interest in this board... Why do you want to become a member? This will be reviewed by our Moderators and Administrators and voted on. This process may take a few days up to a week or more. Thank you for your patience.

This form of scrutinising would also be handy to disallow membership to people who heavily use chav speak or text language.

The only problem with this protocol is if you were a new comer who wanted a question answered you would have to go though this process.

But have we come to this... I think so.
radium (8645)
632073 2008-01-20 07:11:00 Jokes are meant to be funny.

Anyway,My turn.

Whats brown and sticky?




































A stick.






















.................................................. ...........HA
Metla (12)
632074 2008-01-20 07:13:00 Metla = Never a dull moment :rolleyes: radium (8645)
632075 2008-01-20 07:16:00 That won't work. If the idea was implemented, PressF1 will have to be renamed to GoddamnTediousF1. Many people here join only to have professionals answer a few questions or help with PC problems fast.

A 300 word essay for them will just put them off from joining at all.
qazwsxokmijn (102)
632076 2008-01-20 07:18:00 300 words - :eek: whats next, go stand in the corner if you're naughty:( :badpc:

I would like to join this forum so I can get help from others when I have a problem please . (word Count 20) Please x 280 :lol:

Personally I think the Moderators here are damn good, its not to soon before any spammers get jumped on .
wainuitech (129)
632077 2008-01-20 07:22:00 That was just an example, 300 word essay is their protocol, Which is OTT for a pc help forum.

Sill all the same we could have some sort of registration scrutiny.
radium (8645)
632078 2008-01-20 07:32:00 Mandate a delay between registering and posting the first message. Say at least 48 hours. Then delete accounts who do not make the first post within another set period. That would at least slow potential spammers, who need to post as many as quickly as profitable.

PF1 could also modify the href and/or descriptor of the spam link, if any, to point to something else that would harm the google listing of the spammer...

But then think about it. How loooong did it take PF1 to fix the clock? I think the spammers will be with us forever...
vinref (6194)
632079 2008-01-20 07:39:00 We could really put them off - snail mail with joined-up writing? Scouse (83)
632080 2008-01-20 10:29:00 Mandate a delay between registering and posting the first message. Say at least 48 hours. Then delete accounts who do not make the first post within another set period. That would at least slow potential spammers, who need to post as many as quickly as profitable.

PF1 could also modify the href and/or descriptor of the spam link, if any, to point to something else that would harm the google listing of the spammer...

But then think about it. How loooong did it take PF1 to fix the clock? I think the spammers will be with us forever...

What about people who need a question answered immediately? Where would they go?
beeswax34 (63)
632081 2008-01-20 10:33:00 Spammers come up against the A team - the clock has also apparently met it's match. Unless you can put the spammers on WMG's mailing list, they will keep appearing (and rapidly vanishing). A few bursts of WMG should leave them groggy though. R2x1 (4628)
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