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**Forum Team** Disappearing threads problem
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EssexHebridean
Posts: 24,421 Forumite
I hold out relatively little hope of this thread kicking around for long enough to be of practical use but we'll see I guess.
The current situation with the DFW threads and diaries (and possibly threads elsewhere too - I've no idea if it is exclusive to our boards?) is beginning to really impact on the boards and the way they are used. I commented this morning that I feel reluctant to post on my diary - I also currently feel reluctant to spend time commenting on new Members SOA's - after spending a good amount of time commenting on one yesterday that has now disappeared. I'm sure I'm far from the only one beginning to feel like this.
Question 1: Have the forum team established categorically whether the problem IS being caused by malicious use of the spam button? Or whether it is accidental? I'm afraid I now find the latter hard to believe as if this was the case why has it suddenly become such a problem?
Question 2: If it IS malicious is it possible to tell who is carrying out these acts?
Question 3: If you can tell, can not only their user ID but also their IP address simply be banned? I appreciate that there are ways around this but as a starting point might it work?
Further thoughts/ideas:
1) On the DFW boards can the Spam button simply be removed for the time being? This would mean that if spam appeared we would have to do it as a full report but we're pretty on the ball over there with tackling such things and I can't imagine that would be a major problem?
2) Can the Spam button be disabled perhaps for members below a certain level of time of membership & post count? Those of us who've been posting for longer tend to be about and could usually deal with Spam reporting fairly effectively - I know I certainly always check when I see spam whether the poster of it has posted more elsewhere.
My genuine concern at the moment is that if this situation continues it will risk killing off the DFW boards or at the very least massively reducing their usefulness. MSE and the forums has always had a massive "selling point" in that people trust the environment and feel (within internet-safety limits obviously) "safe" on here - it would be SUCH a shame if that was to change.
*edit*
The below seems to underline this point:
(TO clarify - I've put the words Forum Team in the title above in the hope that it *might* get a slightly speedier response - otherwise frankly I find myself wondering whether it will deleted long before you guys ever see it!)
The current situation with the DFW threads and diaries (and possibly threads elsewhere too - I've no idea if it is exclusive to our boards?) is beginning to really impact on the boards and the way they are used. I commented this morning that I feel reluctant to post on my diary - I also currently feel reluctant to spend time commenting on new Members SOA's - after spending a good amount of time commenting on one yesterday that has now disappeared. I'm sure I'm far from the only one beginning to feel like this.
Question 1: Have the forum team established categorically whether the problem IS being caused by malicious use of the spam button? Or whether it is accidental? I'm afraid I now find the latter hard to believe as if this was the case why has it suddenly become such a problem?
Question 2: If it IS malicious is it possible to tell who is carrying out these acts?
Question 3: If you can tell, can not only their user ID but also their IP address simply be banned? I appreciate that there are ways around this but as a starting point might it work?
Further thoughts/ideas:
1) On the DFW boards can the Spam button simply be removed for the time being? This would mean that if spam appeared we would have to do it as a full report but we're pretty on the ball over there with tackling such things and I can't imagine that would be a major problem?
2) Can the Spam button be disabled perhaps for members below a certain level of time of membership & post count? Those of us who've been posting for longer tend to be about and could usually deal with Spam reporting fairly effectively - I know I certainly always check when I see spam whether the poster of it has posted more elsewhere.
My genuine concern at the moment is that if this situation continues it will risk killing off the DFW boards or at the very least massively reducing their usefulness. MSE and the forums has always had a massive "selling point" in that people trust the environment and feel (within internet-safety limits obviously) "safe" on here - it would be SUCH a shame if that was to change.
*edit*
The below seems to underline this point:
CL is a regular member on DFW, VERY supportive of others as well as having had her own diary - we really don't want to lose people like this, but I'm sure she's far from the only one feeling this way.Cumbria_lass wrote: »I don’t trust the site anymore, they can’t seem to stop the spammers .
(TO clarify - I've put the words Forum Team in the title above in the hope that it *might* get a slightly speedier response - otherwise frankly I find myself wondering whether it will deleted long before you guys ever see it!)
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculator
she/her
0
Comments
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I'm becoming a little frustrated at the lack of communication from the forum administrators. Surely at this stage a notification should be posted both acknowledging the problem and giving reassurances as to whether threads are likely to be recoverable?You can have results or excuses, but not both.Challenge - be 14 Stone BY XMAS!
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I think we possibly need to take it that they ARE aware, but for various reasons at the moment they are reluctant to post in any detail on the subject. It really is frustrating I know, but maybe for the time being we need to assume that this thread and others are being read, so continue to make any helpful suggestions or post any ideas we might have in the trust that they will get put in front of the right people.
I've already decided that if my diary goes I will continue to post elsewhere but hold off on starting another diary until the situation is a bit more stable.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
The forum team are working around the clock to resolve current issues and problems.
Please don't feel you are being ignored, they are reading the threads and they know how frustrating it is for users.
Bear with them everyone and thanks for your patience while the problems are being looked at.I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Competitions Time, Shopping & Freebies boards, Employment, Jobseeking & Training boards If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
There's a very long diary on one of the other boards which is still there AFAIK, as are all her previous years' so possibly it's specific to the DFW board? I don't know.
It's not just DFW, long supportive threads have disappeared elsewhere too.Unless I say otherwise 'you' means the general you not you specifically.0 -
It's not just DFW, long supportive threads have disappeared elsewhere too.
It's not dependant on thread length either - the ones that have disappeared have been of all sorts of lengths.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
There's a problem with giving out or sharing information - it can give ideas to the bad 'uns. Ways to get round the site's defences, ways to pick the most 'effective' deletions.
With hindsight, I wonder if some of the earlier discussions about the issue - including my own comments - did just that.
Based on recent threads I've read, I don't think that MSE are able to reinstate any of the lost threads as that would be 'publishing' them - a legal no no for the site.
The best advice for now, I think, is for people to keep their own copies/back up of anything they don't want to lose.What would Buzz do?
I used to be Snow White - but I drifted.0 -
I *think* although not 100% certain that "spam reports" deletions shouldn't be a problem for reinstatement in the same way that a thread that has had a complaint for, say, someone being racist or bullying someone. Fingers crossed anyway - it will be a real shame if some of the threads can't be retrieved - there's real triumph in some of the diaries in particular, never mind the great advice that's in many of the threads.
I do wonder whether you''re right about ideas having been gleaned though - and admit that I hesitate slightly before posting this thread as the spam button was still there at that stage and I did wonder whether it might make me a target. Didn't feel I could not say anything for that reason though.
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
This is where the bad 'uns should be put, but we'll never catch them, sadly.There's a problem with giving out or sharing information - it can give ideas to the bad 'uns. Ways to get round the site's defences, ways to pick the most 'effective' deletions.
With hindsight, I wonder if some of the earlier discussions about the issue - including my own comments - did just that.
Based on recent threads I've read, I don't think that MSE are able to reinstate any of the lost threads as that would be 'publishing' them - a legal no no for the site.
The best advice for now, I think, is for people to keep their own copies/back up of anything they don't want to lose.0 -
The forum team are working around the clock to resolve current issues and problems.
Please don't feel you are being ignored, they are reading the threads and they know how frustrating it is for users.
Bear with them everyone and thanks for your patience while the problems are being looked at.
Thanks Sarah
. Good luck with sorting it all out. We'll try and be patient. Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £50/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £0/£500. SEF = £1,400/£12,000 PREMIUM BONDS ME = £350. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300.
HOLIDAY MONEY = £0 TIME LEFT TO PAY OFF MORTGAGE = 5 YEARS 1 MONTHS0 -
I'm becoming a little frustrated at the lack of communication from the forum administrators. Surely at this stage a notification should be posted both acknowledging the problem and giving reassurances as to whether threads are likely to be recoverable?
It seems the Forum Team themselves, have disappeared?
Along with many of my posts and threads...........:eek:Fred - Where's your get up and go?
Barney - It just got up and went.
Carpe diem0
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