spam

[cube]

The time has come, I had to delete first threads on this forum ... and I feel a little bad for censoring someone :-)

So for all the mods around here (I don't have much overview about who that is now): If there is a post that contains just spam, delete it, if the user didn't make any reasonable posts before posting spam, ban them.

</being_evil>

[Phillip_Lynx]

Rigth decission. Do not feel bad about it.

[Boogieman14]

Rigth decission. Do not feel bad about it.

+1

As a network administrator, I deleted thousands of emails each day (difference is that I've outsourced it to an appliance )

[Nova]

One very important thing (in my opinion)
Please mention who, why and where something / someone was deleted / banned. Banning is okay, but please be transparent and give a reason and a history / log for everything you do. That's an important thing for being respected and thrusted.

[Boogieman14]

If someone registers today and as a first post posts something that is obviously spam, I don't care one bit about any kind of documentation or communication. That person (or bot) isn't interested in being any part of a community but just wants to peddle his stuff.

[Nova]

Yes, but you prevent any kind of problems with other things, like misunderstandings and confusion (due to "What the? Where has that one thread gone???").

Just deleting without any notes is not good. It's like with politics: Thea should do anything for us. We should not need laws against corruption, because they don't do this. Well, that's at least the assumption, but the real life looks quite different. Yes, the developers might be legit, and I trust them, but other people might not, especially new users. They could raise this trust even with new people if they log anything administrative they do, be it deleting spammers or just warn users.

[Phillip_Lynx]

Yes, but you prevent any kind of problems with other things, like misunderstandings and confusion (due to "What the? Where has that one thread gone???").

For not so clear issues you are right, this may and should be docuented, but if one (people or bot) do in his first ever thread/post put links to *Buy this awsome heating plate and also get some cool viruses* then there is no documentation needed. I would like to post a link to an game forum (but i do not), where such things are not deleted. You would not like the sight

[Nova]

They should be deleted, but just not without any note. Or they could just be moved into a special "trash" subforum.

[Phillip_Lynx]

They should be deleted, but just not without any note. Or they could just be moved into a special "trash" subforum.

even the obvious spam-bot posts and accounts? I PM you the mentioned forum. Take a look if you want this things even in a trash forum ....

[OBAMA MCLAMA]

IMO, create a trash area where only mods+ can see it. And move all the "deleted" topics, to that area.

I've always used this in my previous communities.

[Nova]

Normal users also should see it, but not being able to write.

[ssilk]

I have written mail, that a new board will be created.

I think other users should not have access to this board, cause this is what a spammer wants: Some entries in a search-engine, that brings him higher in rank.

[Nirahiel]

I'd like to be mod, just for this reason. (Banning spammers)

[MF-]

(some) Spam threads land in my RSS reader anyway,
being able to open it instead of gettin an error won't hurt.

1) Can't you make the SPAM section visible to all logged-in users?

2) I also remember seeing search engines used special "bot" accounts.
Can't it be hidden only from those?

[Nova]

It's possible to hide things from the bots of google and co, but that's not what should be important. Links of banned people or spam threads can be safely deleted.

[User_Name]

Best way to fend off spam is to have custom question in the registration form.
Current ("Please select the highest number") is off the shelf, thus solvable by any decent spam software.

[spacesloth]

Best way to fend off spam is to have custom question in the registration form.
Current ("Please select the highest number") is off the shelf, thus solvable by any decent spam software.

I got the question wrong when I registered so I highly doubt some "super computer" could solve it.

[ssilk]

1) Can't you make the SPAM section visible to all logged-in users?

Possible, of course.

2) I also remember seeing search engines used special "bot" accounts.
Can't it be hidden only from those?

Hm. Good spiders create an account in the forum to tell the forum, that they are spiders, to bring the spiders eventually into an own usergroup.

Well, this is a pure administrative task. But I doubt a little bit, that there is enough interest from the admin-side, to make such complicated rules...

But anyone can send mail to factorio@factiorio.com and explain, how this might work.

But for me these are clear priorities:
1. As long, as there is no such board I will delete that posts and hope the other moderators too.
2. When there is a board for that, I will move it of course there.
3. The transparency is then the next target, but it is for from my sight not important. But of course needed, to avoid stupid mistakes, or misusing rights.