Limit amount of threads new members can create

[jerwin]

Most of the spam I see follows the same general pattern.

It's in Chinese.
The subject matter involves universities-- specifically fake transcripts. Seems like a filter could catch it, but perhaps the forum software isn't built to support that sort of thing.

 

[willmtaylor]

Most of the spam I see follows the same general pattern.

It's in Chinese.
The subject matter involves universities-- specifically fake transcripts. Seems like a filter could catch it, but perhaps the forum software isn't built to support that sort of thing.

And posts one after another after another in quick succession.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Most of the spam I see follows the same general pattern.

It's in Chinese.
The subject matter involves universities-- specifically fake transcripts. Seems like a filter could catch it, but perhaps the forum software isn't built to support that sort of thing.

And posts one after another after another in quick succession.

Yes, but - in my experience - if you flag one of those posts, the others (as they tend to come from the same source) are usually picked up and culled consequently by the mods.

 

[cube]

Yes, but - in my experience - if you flag one of those posts, the others (as they tend to come from the same source) are usually picked up and culled consequently by the mods.

Too much zealousness there.
[doublepost=1523475523][/doublepost]

And posts one after another after another in quick succession.

Posts are already merged if made within the hour, like here.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Too much zealousness there.

Well, I had thought that perhaps there might have been too much zealousness in the thread topic, but there you are.

 

[belvdr]

Posts are already merged if made within the hour, like here.

Not across threads though.

 

[willmtaylor]

Too much zealousness there.
[doublepost=1523475523][/doublepost]
Posts are already merged if made within the hour, like here.

I understand that’s. However, it’s not what’s being referred to in this case.

 

[C DM]

Yes, but - in my experience - if you flag one of those posts, the others (as they tend to come from the same source) are usually picked up and culled consequently by the mods.

They will be dealt with eventually, for sure, although in various recent cases not before the (new) "user" has created something in the order of well over dozens (if not even 80, as the most recent case of this happened) new threads sometimes overwhelming various sections where those threads get created for a number of hours--where people would visit those sections and just see essentially nothing but spam threads on the first page or few pages of that section.

In fact, the very first (OP) post that started this thread demonstrates it all quite well.

Too much zealousness there.
[doublepost=1523475523][/doublepost]
Posts are already merged if made within the hour, like here.

This isn't so much about new posts as it is about new threads.

And, interestingly enough there are various rules/limitations in place when it comes to making posts, like you have to wait a certain period of time before you can make a new post (or even report a post), or that posts from the same user that are in succession during a particular period of time are merged into one so that they don't "flood" a thread essentially.

 

[cube]

Well, I had thought that perhaps there might have been too much zealousness in the thread topic, but there you are.

Yes, the thread topic is overreaching.

But setting easy automatic limits like one thread per hour for new users and one thread per minute for graduated users would be reasonable.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, the thread topic is overreaching.

But setting easy automatic limits like one thread per hour for new users and one thread per minute for graduated users would be reasonable.

Okay, that sounds sensible.

But, I really would not be remotely comfortable with anything which served to limit the ability of nervous new users to post questions on Apple products (which is what brings the vast majority of new members to the site) without having to navigate excessive obstacles in order to be able to do so.

 

[C DM]

Okay, that sounds sensible.

But, I really would not be remotely comfortable with anything which served to limit the ability of nervous new users to post questions on Apple products (which is what brings the vast majority of new members to the site) without having to navigate excessive obstacles in order to be able to do so.

That's basically the kind of thing that has mostly been under discussion (with some side discussions about other limitations or extreme measures, which isn't really what this was meant to be about it seems).

 

[cube]

But, I really would not be remotely comfortable with anything which served to limit the ability of nervous new users to post questions on Apple products (which is what brings the vast majority of new members to the site) without having to navigate excessive obstacles in order to be able to do so.

Well, they might be stuck and posted in the wrong subforum, so I guess something like 10 minutes for new users would be a good compromise (enough time for moderators to respond to spammers).

 

[willmtaylor]

Well, they might be stuck and posted in the wrong forum, so I guess something like 10 minutes for new users would be a good compromise (enough time for moderators to respond to spammers).

My suggestion would be something akin to a 5 new threads per hour limit for the first 24 hours.

This would affect virtually no one except a spammer.

 

[cube]

My suggestion would be something akin to a 5 new threads per hour limit for the first 24 hours.

This would affect virtually no one except a spammer.

I think some graduated users are low rate spammers.

 

[Skylar.]

Instead of completely restricting new users to a post count, try adding a timer for how many threads can be made at once, or advise new users to put all their questions in one thread. Another idea could be to create a new category at the top of the forums page for new members exclusively, like where they can all go to ask questions if they have multiple questions to ask at once.

 

[C DM]

Instead of completely restricting new users to a post count, try adding a timer for how many threads can be made at once, or advise new users to put all their questions in one thread. Another idea could be to create a new category at the top of the forums page for new members exclusively, like where they can all go to ask questions if they have multiple questions to ask at once.

Some interesting ideas there, but most of that (aside from some type of rate limit) wouldn't really have much relevance to spammers who typically register just to start flooding the forums with spam.

 

[willmtaylor]

I think some graduated users are low rate spammers.

It’s true that almost anyone can graduate (I should know—I’m a teacher!)

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It’s true that almost anyone can graduate (I should know—I’m a teacher!)

Touché; I used to be a teacher in another life.

 

[willmtaylor]

Touché; I used to be a teacher in another life.

Ah, so you’ve graduated then?

 

[TiggrToo]

What defines a 'new poster'? If it's the age of the account then what stops a someone from creating 5 spam accounts today and using each account to spam 60 posts per day for the next 5 days?

If it's numbers of posts then this has the side affect of penalizing lurkers who've just come out the shadows.

I agree that something needs to happen, just unsure myself what the parameters of that something are...

 

[cube]

Doesn't graduated poster mean "1 month + 100 posts"? (I thought it was 500)

 

[C DM]

What defines a 'new poster'? If it's the age of the account then what stops a someone from creating 5 spam accounts today and using each account to spam 60 posts per day for the next 5 days?

If it's numbers of posts then this has the side affect of penalizing lurkers who've just come out the shadows.

I agree that something needs to happen, just unsure myself what the parameters of that something are...

Why would something related to this penalize any real user? Would there be real users who would be in a real situation where they would have some need to create let's say 20 new threads in the span of something like half an hour, for example? We are talking about things that essentially wouldn't impact actual real users.

 

[Skylar.]

Some interesting ideas there, but most of that (aside from some type of rate limit) wouldn't really have much relevance to spammers who typically register just to start flooding the forums with spam.

I'm not talking about preventing spammers all together in that post, I'm trying to think of a step to prevent a few spammers without completely restricting new users from posting as that'd push them away from the forums in general.

 

[C DM]

I'm not talking about preventing spammers all together in that post, I'm trying to think of a step to prevent a few spammers without completely restricting new users from posting as that'd push them away from the forums in general.

I'm not sure what would would push anyone from the forums in general? Normal users wouldn't run into a situation where they are flooding the forums with new threads, so appropriate efforts to curb spammers from flooding the forums wouldn't even really evident let alone have any effect on the use of regular users (new or otherwise).

 

[Skylar.]

I'm not sure what would would push anyone from the forums in general? Normal users wouldn't run into a situation where they are flooding the forums with new threads, so appropriate efforts to curb spammers from flooding the forums wouldn't even really evident let alone have any effect on the use of regular users (new or otherwise).

But as said above if a new user has a lot of questions they might be posting multiple threads about it. That's the only way I can think of the post limit affecting them.