Maybe have a mandatory "lurking" period? No new topics for a month or so? Closing registration should be an absolute last resort.
This has been suggested several times, but the powers that be have other ideas.
It's stupid.
Why?
Give me a good reason why someone would absolutely NEED to post within the first 24 hours of their registration.
*Edit*
Than, there are FAR more bots spamming on their first day than people posting in H/A on their first day.
So who gives a shit? You don't have to read them. It happens maybe once or twice a day, and if people exercised their goddamn brains and didn't post in them it wouldn't even be an issue. The idea of censoring new posters is elitist horseshit. Do I wish we had spam filters? Yes, I do, but let's not overstate the problem here. The sky isn't falling because some bot tries to sell you viagra.
Elitist? How so?
Also, any issue that's so urgent that it can't wait 24 hours before it's posted here on the forums probably shouldn't be posted here on the forums.
With the jailings, a bunch of spoiler tags are broken in the Zelda thread. Can a mod clean them up? Just remove the posts with broken spoiler tags or edit them to say "AAA" or something?
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HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
Is it really that big of a deal to you guys? I mean just ignore the fucking threads. There's what two or three a day and they're usually taken care of pretty quickly (especially if there's a mod on and someone PMs them). The admin says there will be things in place soon to help stop it and really, the other suggestions reek of Gamefaq's retarded karma levels.
Some new people post retarded shit, but guess what! So do people who have been here for years.
Invisible knows how to get a point across. :^:
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HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
With the jailings, a bunch of spoiler tags are broken in the Zelda thread. Can a mod clean them up? Just remove the posts with broken spoiler tags or edit them to say "AAA" or something?
I'm really glad I came across this post before going into that thread. :shock:
With the jailings, a bunch of spoiler tags are broken in the Zelda thread. Can a mod clean them up? Just remove the posts with broken spoiler tags or edit them to say "AAA" or something?
Is it really that big of a deal to you guys? I mean just ignore the fucking threads. There's what two or three a day and they're usually taken care of pretty quickly (especially if there's a mod on and someone PMs them). The admin says there will be things in place soon to help stop it and really, the other suggestions reek of Gamefaq's retarded karma levels.
Some new people post retarded shit, but guess what! So do people who have been here for years.
I was going to put forth a similar sentiment. I don't think the spam threads are as big a problem as they're being made out to be.
But this is starting to get ridiculous. Every other day there's a spam thread.
And if jailings+possible bannings are going to be a result of people posting in them to laugh at the dumbasses/spambots, why bother having a forum? There'll be no people able to post!
Or those people could stop posting in the spam threads? I think that's what the admins are attempting to encourage. Most of the forums, and particularly G+T, move so fast that they'll disappear if no-one posts in them for half an hour or so.
Maybe have a mandatory "lurking" period? No new topics for a month or so? Closing registration should be an absolute last resort.
This has been suggested several times, but the powers that be have other ideas.
It's stupid.
Why?
Give me a good reason why someone would absolutely NEED to post within the first 24 hours of their registration.
*Edit*
Than, there are FAR more bots spamming on their first day than people posting in H/A on their first day.
Not really, actually. I think we get about one person a day making a first post in H/A, and we get maybe one spam bot per day who joined that day. Most spam bots joined days before. So, it would be a solution to a few of the spam bots, in exchange for fucking over many new posters. Now, let's measure the inconvenience caused by one spam thread a day: hmmm, yeah, it's going to be the end of the world, there.
With the jailings, a bunch of spoiler tags are broken in the Zelda thread. Can a mod clean them up? Just remove the posts with broken spoiler tags or edit them to say "AAA" or something?
I believe that Accault is on the case.
I went through and edited the more recent ones but it really isn't that bad. I also edited a warning into the OP and thread title.
Maybe have a mandatory "lurking" period? No new topics for a month or so? Closing registration should be an absolute last resort.
This has been suggested several times, but the powers that be have other ideas.
It's stupid.
Why?
Give me a good reason why someone would absolutely NEED to post within the first 24 hours of their registration.
*Edit*
Than, there are FAR more bots spamming on their first day than people posting in H/A on their first day.
Not really, actually. I think we get about one person a day making a first post in H/A, and we get maybe one spam bot per day who joined that day. Most spam bots joined days before. So, it would be a solution to a few of the spam bots, in exchange for fucking over many new posters. Now, let's measure the inconvenience caused by one spam thread a day: hmmm, yeah, it's going to be the end of the world, there.
And the unspoken assumption that you're (SenorAmor) making is that long time residents make good threads.
Believe me, I'd kill for a complete ban on all poll threads and "Link:Discuss" threads, and the vast majority of those are made by people who have been here for years and years.
I'm with invisible, Spam threads tend to be obvious and easy to avoid. Having one thread be taken up by spam doesn't hurt anyone (The forum moves fast enough where it'll get kicked off anyways), and as long as no one clicks the link they're not getting anything out of it.
Really, they'd disappear and be locked with barely anyone noticing it if we just didn't post in it.
Though some spams are really entertaining.
Like that Finances guy, I really thought he was going to make a killing off G&T!
I'm with invisible, Spam threads tend to be obvious and easy to avoid. Having one thread be taken up by spam doesn't hurt anyone (The forum moves fast enough where it'll get kicked off anyways), and as long as no one clicks the link they're not getting anything out of it.
Really, they'd disappear and be locked with barely anyone noticing it if we just didn't post in it.
Though some spams are really entertaining.
Like that Finaces guy, I really thought he was going to make a killing off G&T!
Isn't there some 'Report thread' function that these forums have as a default option or something? Some forums have them and they are on the top right of every post or every thread.
Isn't there some 'Report thread' function that these forums have as a default option or something? Some forums have them and they are on the top right of every post or every thread.
Just click "Who is Online" and PM a mod...you tattletale.
So, how old is the robots.txt on PA? Because I see threads on Google that were spidered as recently as a month ago despite the instructions in the above file. And if Google can spider threads, it can spider the memberlist. And the memberlist is chock-full of links to "home pages" dedicated to extremely cheap laptop batteries and remedies for those who got no angle on their dangle. Combine that with PA's Pagerank and the spam bots don't even have to make posts to bring money to their owners.
As for ways to stop spam registrations, anything will do. It's not feasible to write spam bots for any one specific forum, which means anything that makes PA's registration different from the millions other phpBB forums will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, spam posts.
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
Those criteria would actually prune one of my friends. He reads the boards nearly every day, but just doesn't post much.
Errr... considering that about a third of the users that register every day (or at least on the days that I get bored and look at it) are obviously spammers (just looking at their website listed), that's not exactly going to solve the spam problem or cut down on it. Or I'm misunderstanding the goal here or something.
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
Those criteria would actually prune one of my friends. He reads the boards nearly every day, but just doesn't post much.
If he has been logging in nearly every day his account will be fine. Unless he doesn't log in to read the forums.
We are going to be pruning the userlist later in the week. The database says we have ~36,000 users that will be pruned (less than 10 posts and haven't logged in since Sept 1, 2006)
Those criteria would actually prune one of my friends. He reads the boards nearly every day, but just doesn't post much.
If he has been logging in nearly every day his account will be fine. Unless he doesn't log in to read the forums.
Just tell him to login once. That'll protect his account.
Errr... considering that about a third of the users that register every day (or at least on the days that I get bored and look at it) are obviously spammers (just looking at their website listed), that's not exactly going to solve the spam problem or cut down on it. Or I'm misunderstanding the goal here or something.
is it all that difficult to institute a captcha image script or something similar for registration? in my admittedly limited experience with forums software, it took only a little amount of time to install a decent captcha module. it would prevent at least the majority of spam accounts (and maybe would make other n00blets think a little more before registering).
Posts
Elitist? How so?
Also, any issue that's so urgent that it can't wait 24 hours before it's posted here on the forums probably shouldn't be posted here on the forums.
With the jailings, a bunch of spoiler tags are broken in the Zelda thread. Can a mod clean them up? Just remove the posts with broken spoiler tags or edit them to say "AAA" or something?
I believe that Accault is on the case.
I was going to put forth a similar sentiment. I don't think the spam threads are as big a problem as they're being made out to be.
Or those people could stop posting in the spam threads? I think that's what the admins are attempting to encourage. Most of the forums, and particularly G+T, move so fast that they'll disappear if no-one posts in them for half an hour or so.
I went through and edited the more recent ones but it really isn't that bad. I also edited a warning into the OP and thread title.
And the unspoken assumption that you're (SenorAmor) making is that long time residents make good threads.
Believe me, I'd kill for a complete ban on all poll threads and "Link:Discuss" threads, and the vast majority of those are made by people who have been here for years and years.
Really, they'd disappear and be locked with barely anyone noticing it if we just didn't post in it.
Though some spams are really entertaining.
Like that Finances guy, I really thought he was going to make a killing off G&T!
wisdom
Didn't Accualt just jail everyone in a spammer thread for 2-3 days?
Yup
Fuck, temp ban 'em if they don't have the self-control to not be a retarded little shit.
Because we want discussion. Not listing your favorite game soundtracks or whatever the flavor of the poll thread in question is.
There's already mods on the scene... Are we going to get banned for posting in it?
this is, incidentally, why i've outlawed replies giving just the game title in the 'good sequels?' thread
This. Thread over.
8<
As for ways to stop spam registrations, anything will do. It's not feasible to write spam bots for any one specific forum, which means anything that makes PA's registration different from the millions other phpBB forums will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, spam posts.
If he has been logging in nearly every day his account will be fine. Unless he doesn't log in to read the forums.
The goal is to clear up the memberlist.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
Realize that we're not using a vanilla phpBB here. It's modified to hell and back and it's not just "grab a phpBB module and drop it in".
translation - we don't want to break anything that's currently held together with bubblegum and prayers