Call For Feedback: Delete Spam Button + New CPAPtalkers

[dsm]

We could have a vote post

To get SPAM DELETE access, new users have to wait ...
a) one month
b) three months
c) six months
d) one year
e) no time (immediate priv)

DSM

(Requires a now thread to become a voting thread)

[djtowle]

Personally I don't think any of the 'users' should be able to directly delete posts, other then their own of course. It is just another source of flame wars.


No objection to a 'waiting period' though.

[StillAnotherGuest]

I think that those people who perform this important service (and thank you, BTW, because I'm really not interested in any pharmaceuticals made in somebody's garage or "male enhancement" products)(any more) should be rewarded for their work, perhaps .05 per valid deletion, and then, say, at the end of the month, given a credit voucher to cpap.com towards equipment and supplies.

SAG

OK, this 15 cents popped up in a hurry...

[GumbyCT]

Someone already hit on the solution here - focus on preventing spam instead of deleting it.

With the current forum configuration it requires an unregistered user to be person to sit and type a code to be able to post. So to my thinking we are dealing with people posting and NOT bots. For all we know they could very well also be registered users. For sure it is people, reading and typing.

To me the simplest way would be to block any IP (or ISP) which has previously submitted any spam. Then set-up a 2 step registration (requiring a valid email response) without the ability to post any links. Followed by some waiting period before a spam button or links would be allowed. Maybe 1 month for links and 500 posts for the button. Or some number of posts for both.

It does seem that something has changed bc we were relatively spam free for a good period of time. But it is clear the current configuration is NOT working like it was a few months ago and something has got to change.

But if no one is checking who or where this spam is coming from - it really is like walking in the dark.

[DyannaK]

Someone already hit on the solution here - focus on preventing spam instead of deleting it.

With the current forum configuration it requires an unregistered user to be person to sit and type a code to be able to post. So to my thinking we are dealing with people posting and NOT bots. For all we know they could very well also be registered users. For sure it is people, reading and typing.

To me the simplest way would be to block any IP (or ISP) which has previously submitted any spam. Then set-up a 2 step registration (requiring a valid email response) without the ability to post any links. Followed by some waiting period before a spam button or links would be allowed. Maybe 1 month for links and 500 posts for the button. Or some number of posts for both.

It does seem that something has changed bc we were relatively spam free for a good period of time. But it is clear the current configuration is NOT working like it was a few months ago and something has got to change.

But if no one is checking who or where this spam is coming from - it really is like walking in the dark.

Spam is on the increase all over. On my forum I had to go in and set new authorizations.. Every new registered user is moderated until they have posted a certain number of posts just so I know they aren't spammers (unless they were referred by another member in good standing). It does take time to do this, but I am willing to do it to keep my forum free of spam and my members safe and happy. Of course my forum isn't nearly as big as this one either.... It's a hard decision cuz what works for one set of people wont necessarily work for another....

[Billy6]

The more dangerous people are the ones who actually think they need a spam button. I thought they went out in the first grade. As they say, "One mans junk is another mans teasure"

[El Pap]

Someone already hit on the solution here - focus on preventing spam instead of deleting it.

With the current forum configuration it requires an unregistered user to be person to sit and type a code to be able to post. So to my thinking we are dealing with people posting and NOT bots. For all we know they could very well also be registered users. For sure it is people, reading and typing.

To me the simplest way would be to block any IP (or ISP) which has previously submitted any spam. Then set-up a 2 step registration (requiring a valid email response) without the ability to post any links. Followed by some waiting period before a spam button or links would be allowed. Maybe 1 month for links and 500 posts for the button. Or some number of posts for both.

It does seem that something has changed bc we were relatively spam free for a good period of time. But it is clear the current configuration is NOT working like it was a few months ago and something has got to change.

But if no one is checking who or where this spam is coming from - it really is like walking in the dark.

Your thinking is wrong. Current forum spamming software is smart enough to pull the code out of most captcha images and is even smart enough to fill out a registration and respond to the confirmation email. Since it runs on botnets comprised of thousands of compromised computers, blocking specific IP numbers is completely ineffective. Check out this Wikipedea entry for an idea what kind of tools spammers have at their disposal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xrumer

The best way to handle this -- and this is what the vast majority of forums on the Internet do -- is for the administrator to identify a handful of people who are frequent contributors to the board, are extremely helpful, and are prone to calm rather than escalate flame wars, and privately ask them if they'd like to be moderators of the board. Moderators are great- they not only take care of things like deleting spam and other posts that flagrantly violate the rules, but can also deal with troublemakers (ideally by warning them in a PM, but much stronger sanctions are available) before their posts escalate into a full-fledged flame fest. In my opinion, giving users the ability to delete other users posts is a bad idea.

[GumbyCT]

The best way to handle this -- Moderators are great- they not only take care of things like deleting spam ... In my opinion, giving users the ability to delete other users posts is a bad idea.

It appears that even bots are following this thread and are NOW capable of posting suggestions on how to reduce spam. <smile> how cute is that?

[StillAnotherGuest]

If they're bots ask a question:

http://www.thesamet.com/blog/2006/12/21 ... bb-forums/

If they're people they'll eventually get carpal-tunnel.

SAG

[Catnapper]

I like the fact that spam can be deleted. There is plenty of it out there in the world that if someone wants to read it, it is readily available elsewhere. I don't come here to read spam.

The problem appears to be inappropriate use of the powerful "Delete Spam Button". Is there a way to entirely delete one's own post? I think it can be edited to almost nothing, and that should be sufficient for most postings. There have been times when posts by bonafide members were deleted by someone who disagreed strongly with the comments contained there. Perhaps there could be such a thing as an "I object to these comments" button so that the post would remain as is but umbrage could be noted for all to see, right beside the comment. Since anyone can post an opinion right below the offending statements, a full explanation and argument could then be expressed.

Most newbies behave according to their newbie status with respect for experienced hoseheads and our forum. It is difficult to weed out in advance those who join merely to stir up trouble. A waiting period for privileges seems reasonable to me. Established members who delete others' posts already lose privileges for their inappropriate behavior.

Works for me.

Catnapper - Joanie

[greenvelvetdragon]

I like the fact that spam can be deleted. There is plenty of it out there in the world that if someone wants to read it, it is readily available elsewhere. I don't come here to read spam.

The problem appears to be inappropriate use of the powerful "Delete Spam Button". Is there a way to entirely delete one's own post? I think it can be edited to almost nothing, and that should be sufficient for most postings. There have been times when posts by bonafide members were deleted by someone who disagreed strongly with the comments contained there. Perhaps there could be such a thing as an "I object to these comments" button so that the post would remain as is but umbrage could be noted for all to see, right beside the comment. Since anyone can post an opinion right below the offending statements, a full explanation and argument could then be expressed.

Most newbies behave according to their newbie status with respect for experienced hoseheads and our forum. It is difficult to weed out in advance those who join merely to stir up trouble. A waiting period for privileges seems reasonable to me. Established members who delete others' posts already lose privileges for their inappropriate behavior.

Works for me.

Catnapper - Joanie

I believe catnapper sums up what i am thinking, thank you joanie.

cheers

GVD

[stacia123]

Spam on my movie blog is actually posted by live human beings, the best I can tell. They have a cut 'n' paste script they use, of course, but there's always a first sentence that says something different and accurate to the post, like "I love that picture of Myrna Loy", then it goes right into the spam pitch. The one spam post I reported here looked relatively non-bot-like. Of course I can't say for certain that people are behind it, but I think sometimes they are.

I didn't realize "report spam" deleted the post, and I didn't realize people were abusing the feature. I go to one forum that has a system of flagging that doesn't allow a post to be flagged until it reaches X number of reports, so maybe that's a solution? Don't tell anyone how many flags a post needs, but don't disappear a post until it's gotten, say, 3 complaints? Just a thought.

[ozij]

Reporting spam is annoying - it takes time, and when there are 6-8 posts one after the other, I can't even keep track of which one I've deleted. If only 1/3 of my reported spams will disappear, I will find it even more annoying to do.

Some of us - e.g. gulfpearl, moby and myself whose time zones are not USA, seem to function as night watchmen, so that when others wake up, they have valid posts on the forum screen instead of spams.

We as a community have to make the spam disappear ASAP, because we are here for people in need of help - and a forum full of spam posts is not the right way to welcome a newbie who has just thrown his or her mask off and desperately searched the net for someone to help them.

A policy decision to deny people the ability to "report spam" on their own posts will solve the problem created by honest mistakes, and keep trolls from confusing us by denying them the ability to delete more and more of their own posts. Reporting your own posts as spam should be technically blocked.

Prompt return of posts wrongfully reported as spams will solve the problem of a person who comes here with malice aforethought... - since people then automatically loose their ability to report spam once forumadmins decide the reported post should become visible again.

O.

[nobody]

we should be able to delete our own posts.

[Wulfman]

we should be able to delete our own posts.

You CAN as long as there is not another post following it. If there is, you can EDIT one of your own posts and remove the text (leaving only one letter or symbol and/or just say "comment removed" or something like that).


Den