talkmagic.co.uk

lots of new users (real and computer generated) come on here to try and advertise stuff, or promote a magic site, or give a Youtube link as their very first post.

Is it technically possible (or desirable ?) to set up the site so that :-

1) new users MUST put an entry in the introductions section.
2) new users cannot create a new thread during (say) the first month after registering, but can add comments to existing threads. (The first month restriction could be waived by moderator discretion.)

What do we think ?

Lots of sites stop you posting weblinks until you've got a certain number of posts, which would be good on here if possible

I think a lot of people come on here to start threads to seek advise.It's the only bloody reason I'm on here with you lot So I think it's important that they can start threads

I don't believe I ever put a post in the introduction section. I don't like doing that. However I agree something should be done. I would be very happy if you were not able to post a link to anything until you have contributed at least twenty posts without a link. That gets rid of the time wasters.

TheStoner wrote:Lots of sites stop you posting weblinks until you've got a certain number of posts, which would be good on here if possible

Yeah, I think that would be good. Is it possible on this forum ?

I messaged Mandrake some months ago with a way to alter the forum setup to help filter out some of it.

It involves including a simple question during registration to baffle non-human users. It's not enough to stop them entirely, but it definitely helps. e.g. "What colour is an apple?".

A further preventative measure is to include a textfield during reg that must be left blank to allow them to register. Then you set it to be invisible with css (display: none) rather than make it a hidden field so that non-human registrants get fooled into populating the field and human users wont know it is there.

Thanks for all the ideas but the registration process etc isn't something I have any involvement in. The only real way to minimise such eejits arriving just to post adverts is for each registration to be vetted and approved manually and even then there's no guarantee that any assurances given during that vetting wouldn’t be cast aside as soon as access is arranged.

As always, best course of action is to ignore them and not post any responses, that way we can spot them as soon as we log on and do the biz to elbow them. If you see one then a PM with the link would be very much appreciated – and thank you to the two chaps who did just that today so I could go straight to the offenders and help them on their way… to the SinBin…

As Private Eye would say "String 'em up - it's the only language these people understand!"

The problem with the "20 posts before you can post a link" or "20 comments before you can start a thread" rule is that it won't stop anybody.

Jump onto 20 random threads and post "Yeah, cool, I agree". A matter of moments, and you've racked up your magic number and got your pass.

If the rule gets changed to 20 substantive posts, then we're back to someone looking at each post and judging whether it contributes to the conversation. And if we're doing that, we might as well just look for spam in the first place. Which is what happens now.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Since joining this forum I have not only learned some great magic but I'm now 2 inches longer and have access to over 3 billion porn sites.

Where is the problem with that?

Alec