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Angry_Bear wrote: »The problem with this suggestion is that it has an impact on genuine new users - especially the ones who are in desperate need of help.
Particularly on the "families" and "DFW" boards, people often join up when they have reached a crisis and desperately need advice/help. In this case, they really need to be able to post (and sometimes quite a few posts) a short time after signing up.
And after many months (or even years) of problems, they can't wait 4 to 6 hours before being able to post?
If it is a 'genuine new user' they will be happy to wait a few hours. They could literally join at breakfast time, and be active by lunchtime.
There has to be a waiting time for 'new users' to prevent all this ridiculous spam.
And as I said, even when they do join, they should be limited to 5 posts an hour, and they have to post a minimum of 30 posts before they can be 'upgraded' to posting as much as they want. A spammer wouldn't want to do this, so it would be a good way to avoid them joining and clogging up the board with carp!
And making it so people can only post 5 posts an hour, (until they have posted say 30 posts,) would prevent spammers joining and then waiting 24 hours, and then posting dozens of spam posts within 10 minutes!cooeeeeeeeee :j :wave:0 -
For some of the people who get here at crisis point, I would say no.fierystormcloud wrote: »And after many months (or even years) of problems, they can't wait 4 to 6 hours before being able to post?
I suspect some people would move on and miss the valuable advice and support they might need.
I've read many threads on here from people who have really been at desperation point and are panicking or don't know how to ask for help. I suspect (without any evidence!) that there may well be a small window of time where they're reaching out, and that they just wouldn't come back after 4 to 6 hours.Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?
― Sir Terry Pratchett, 1948-20150 -
l can see this argument but at present anyone seeking urgent info , help and guidance is faced with a barrage of apparent rubbish and those who may be able to help are either not signing onto the forum or cannot see the posts for the rubbish.Angry_Bear wrote: »For some of the people who get here at crisis point, I would say no.
I suspect some people would move on and miss the valuable advice and support they might need.
I've read many threads on here from people who have really been at desperation point and are panicking or don't know how to ask for help. I suspect (without any evidence!) that there may well be a small window of time where they're reaching out, and that they just wouldn't come back after 4 to 6 hours.Never pay on an estimated bill0 -
Angry_Bear wrote: »For some of the people who get here at crisis point, I would say no.
I suspect some people would move on and miss the valuable advice and support they might need.
I've read many threads on here from people who have really been at desperation point and are panicking or don't know how to ask for help. I suspect (without any evidence!) that there may well be a small window of time where they're reaching out, and that they just wouldn't come back after 4 to 6 hours.
Agreed.
I hate the spam as much, or probably more than anyone, as BG on the money boards where most of it goes, but I will and would resist any restrictions that prevent people being able to immediately post for help.Free/impartial debt advice: National Debtline | StepChange Debt Charity | Find your local CAB
IVA & fee charging DMP companies: Profits from misery, motivated ONLY by greed0 -
It's not so much posting, it's the starting of the new threads.
How many threads any forum user can start could be curtailed to say, three - five a day.
Posting replies to established threads shouldn't have to be limited.
We've all seen an upset new poster who's initial post is panicked and missing information and who, once they've calmed down, has clarified points and given extra information.
They've then been advised to start threads in Bankruptcy, Debt, Housing and Benefits forums.
So maybe a limit of five threads per day.
ETA : And/or a fifteen minute interval between starting one thread and the next.
From about 2am, the spammers are starting a thread at one a minute. It's ridiculous.:huh: Don't know what I'm doing, but doing it anyway... :huh:0 -
Sorry but I don't believe that 300 new people join this forum every day, not for a fleeting second. If there ARE that many 'new' memberships, I am willing to be the majority of them are probably spambots, and many of the others are probably additonal usernames.
The reason I don't believe it, is that the number of people who post regularly on this site, runs only into hundreds; or maybe a thousand at the most. You could go through every one of the sub sections on the forum and see no more than a few hundreds of regular posters; so I don't believe 300 genuine new people join every day.
There is no reason whatsoever why, when someone joins, they are not allowed to post for several hours, or until a mod approves it. If they can't wait for a few hours to be able to post, then that is pathetic. Lots of other sites are like that; they make you wait a few hours before you can post, and they run just fine, and nobody complains about it.
They say this site is not moderated, but of course it is. Who send messages telling you to behave yourself, and who issues yellow cards and red cards and who PPR's people, and who edits posts for 'innappropriate content?'
I suppose someone will say the 'board guides.' If so, then they can be given the job of approving 'new' posters.
I am a bit fed up of seeing spam, but if MSE are going to do nothing to prevent it or deter it, then I'm not going to bother clicking the :spam: button anymore.
Do people not realise that if something like having to wait to be approved, was implemented, and also having to wait a few hours to post; the spam would probably stop?!
As someone said, there have been sites before that have been ruined because of spam.
Didn't realise Martin had sold the site by the way.cooeeeeeeeee :j :wave:0 -
Averages about 340 new username registrations per day this week. Based on how many of the spambot and spammers I see, which is most or a fair proportion, then maybe 40-50 of those are spammers.fierystormcloud wrote: »They say this site is not moderated, but of course it is. Who send messages telling you to behave yourself, and who issues yellow cards and red cards and who PPR's people, and who edits posts for 'innappropriate content?'
I suppose someone will say the 'board guides.' If so, then they can be given the job of approving 'new' posters.
BGs have nothing to do with doing any of those. That is the forum team.
See: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/forum-faqsFree/impartial debt advice: National Debtline | StepChange Debt Charity | Find your local CAB
IVA & fee charging DMP companies: Profits from misery, motivated ONLY by greed0 -
fierystormcloud wrote: »Who send messages telling you to behave yourself, and who issues yellow cards and red cards and who PPR's people, and who edits posts for 'innappropriate content?'
I suppose someone will say the 'board guides.' If so, then they can be given the job of approving 'new' posters.
board guides can't do any of that, it is only the Forum Team who do those things.0 -
Which is why it's "The Forum Team" that needs to sort it out.board guides can't do any of that, it is only the Forum Team who do those things.
Trying to claim it can't be done for legal reasons is rubbish.
As is trying to claim the forum isn't moderated when it clearly is !
Instead of coming up with excuses they need to start doing what they are paid to do rather than relying on volunteers to do the donkey work.It's not just about the money0 -
Which is why it's "The Forum Team" that needs to sort it out.
Trying to claim it can't be done for legal reasons is rubbish.
As is trying to claim the forum isn't moderated when it clearly is !
Instead of coming up with excuses they need to start doing what they are paid to do rather than relying on volunteers to do the donkey work.
totally agree.
The situation has been allowed to get completely out of control. Weekends are often quieter in respect of these spammers but I have to say I am dreading logging on tomorrow morning as I'm sure there will be loads of them across our boards to delete.0
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