Forum Suggestion: Required posts to start a new topic

[byrgesen 1341]

Hey guys.

 

As you might have seen, the spambots and "oneliners" are having a feast on these forums, because you can sign up and just start new topics :)

How about changing this?

Perhaps force people to make 10 posts (example) before you are allowed to start a new topic?

 

It would stop the spambots and also prevent raging new users from creating pointless topics.

In fact it could help the moderators keep the forum more clean.

 

Now it can stay as is ofc, but i have to admit its tiresome to see spambot posts and people asking/suggesting the same thing every day, especially when you can see its they're first post and they didnt do any kind of search before hand.

I can only imagine how it is for the moderators of the forums.

 

So how about making a post limit to create a new topic? maybe 5 or 10 posts?

Whats the communities thoughts on this? Moderators thoughts?

[boneboys 7988]

Spambots at the moment are little Indian men with mostly unique ip's, near impossible to block.

We do have captcha running.

We have at this time 1500 posts per day and 150 new Topics (March 14 - April 14).
It is a possibility which has been looked into, the main trouble being that each post would have to be validated by a Moderator, the workload would be immense.

Ways to improve security are always being looked into.

[byrgesen 1341]

Spambots at the moment are little Indian men with mostly unique ip's, near impossible to block.

We do have captcha running.

We have at this time 1500 posts per day and 150 new Topics (March 14 - April 14).

It is a possibility which has been looked into, the main trouble being that each post would have to be validated by a Moderator, the workload would be immense.

Ways to improve security are always being looked into.

 

Ahh i see, i didnt know you had to manually validate these posts, it makes it alot more work then i thought it would be.

But im happy you are looking at it, wasnt expecting anything else tbh :)

 

EDIT:

I just realized BI forums have this feature, perhaps they are willing to share some information on the subject?

I doubt they are manually validating people's posts, as there arent a whole lot of moderators over there either.

I can be wrong though, but it wouldnt hurt to ask :)

Edited April 14, 2014 by Byrgesen

[SmashT 10907]

Pretty sure it can be done (not requiring post validation, but just preventing people from making topics until they have x posts)

 

I'm not entirely convinced it would do anything to stop spam though, instead just moving spambots into existing topics.

[Gabe Newell 45]

Pretty sure it can be done (not requiring post validation, but just preventing people from making topics until they have x posts)

 

I'm not entirely convinced it would do anything to stop spam though, instead just moving spambots into existing topics.

How about a captcha up to 100 posts? :)

[byrgesen 1341]

Pretty sure it can be done (not requiring post validation, but just preventing people from making topics until they have x posts)

 

I'm not entirely convinced it would do anything to stop spam though, instead just moving spambots into existing topics.

 

Well, thats true, although looking at other forums which has a post limit prior to posting a topic, i rarely find spam there.

I dont know if the spambots in general just wants to start new topics, but it seems like it.

Its still worth a try tbh, even if it only removes 50-80% of the spambots, its a triumph.

 

This is not only a problem here, but also in the feedback tracker, due to the "guests can post" functionality.

But thats another discussion, taking place here.

[joe_mcentire 2074]

allowed to post threads if bean count >= 1

 

OP's idea would kill two birds with one stone: spambots and new forum members that start the same and the same topics over and over again. after some 50-100 posts you know your way around a bit and tend to show more reason when it comes to forum rules and contributions in general.

Edited April 14, 2014 by joe_mcentire

[byrgesen 1341]

I just want to "revive" this suggestion.

Still nothing to do about it?

It seems to be getting worse tbh, and since your captcha isnt working as intended, i think its time to reconsider doing something along these lines.

[alexeistukov 272]

I started the Community's Weapon Suggestion list when I had 0 posts and look where it is now..

[byrgesen 1341]

I started the Community's Weapon Suggestion list when I had 0 posts and look where it is now..

 

I see your point, but it would not have hurt you to create 5 posts in other topics, before you where able to create your own topic tbh.

My point with this suggestion is, this forum is making it to easy for spammers and theres a quick fix for it, used on countless other forums.

[alexeistukov 272]

I see your point, but it would not have hurt you to create 5 posts in other topics, before you where able to create your own topic tbh.

My point with this suggestion is, this forum is making it to easy for spammers and theres a quick fix for it, used on countless other forums.

5 posts? So I could post a dot in 5 different topics and I could qualify to create my own. And if it requires a sentence, I could exploit that with my good buddy copy and paste

Many flaws exist with this suggestion and it could take up a lot of time to implement that could of been uses for other useful ideas.

No hostility intended, have a good day and God bless

[byrgesen 1341]

5 posts? So I could post a dot in 5 different topics and I could qualify to create my own. And if it requires a sentence, I could exploit that with my good buddy copy and paste

Many flaws exist with this suggestion and it could take up a lot of time to implement that could of been uses for other useful ideas.

No hostility intended, have a good day and God bless

 

I understand what you are saying, but it is still better then having spam bots on the forums several times a week tbh :)

I find it wierd it isnt standard on a forum software like IP.Board tbh, its quite large.

 

I also want to add, it takes no time away from development of the game, as it isnt the devs who are gonna implement anything here, the forum moderators could implement it quite easily.

Ive worked with SimpelPortal and vBulletin forums, it was a simple plugin you needed to install and it was done, i would assume IP.Board has something similar.

 

I guess i will just have to wait and see, but i doubt it will get implemented though.

Still crossing my fingers hehe.

[dannsair2 (DayZ) 16]

agreed.

[gopepsi 3]

That's stupid. I frequent different forums but I don't post on all of them.

I read dayz forums a lot but don't feel like posting as my opinion is often the same as some guys who already posted, so I'll just upvote their posts  ; and a lot of people do the same.

Minimum number of posts means nothing.. I used to take aprt into count topics..

 

 

post count + 1

 

[byrgesen 1341]

That's stupid. I frequent different forums but I don't post on all of them.

I read dayz forums a lot but don't feel like posting as my opinion is often the same as some guys who already posted, so I'll just upvote their posts  ; and a lot of people do the same.

Minimum number of posts means nothing.. I used to take aprt into count topics..

 

 

post count + 1

 

It would not hurt the average forum user at all, in fact it would encourage using the search function for new members and post in already excisting topics :)

Like you, i do far more reading then posting on these forums, but i still feel like this is the best way to counter the increasing amount of spambots and "oneline cry babies" + it will actually give the moderators and admin more time to moderate the forums, because they dont have to shut down as much spam all the time.

 

Shamelss bump, as today was a really "bad" day when it comes to spambots tbh, and its not gonna go away by it self.

[byrgesen 1341]

Friendly reminder, that this suggestion is still around.

As far as i can see the spam bots are getting worse, something has to be done soon imho.

[byrgesen 1341]

I dont want to sound like a nagging bitch, but this problem isnt gonna go away by it self.

Today was a glorious day for the spammers, and eventually it will only get worse, something has to be done about it.

 

I realize you mods have a life, outside of the forums, and thats exactly why something must be done, as you arent here 24/7 to get rid of the spambots, but thats is what we will need in a couple of weeks.

They already know how easy it to get on these forums, so why should they stop or even do it less?

 

Please mods and administrators, find a solution to this spam mess, it will get out of hand very soon.

[Pazzmon 64]

I think we should have a post limit of say 20-30. Where all posts from new users will be moderated, it will keep all new posts off the forums from new users until deemed worthy of appearing on the forums.

 

I can't see people placing thirty or so posts onto the forums which are within the rules just to spam.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Pazzmon

[Inception. 9443]

I think we should have a post limit of say 20-30. Where all posts from new users will be moderated, it will keep all new posts off the forums from new users until deemed worthy of appearing on the forums.

 

No. It would take a ridiculously excessive amount of time to approve every post that would be deemed worthy of approval. 

[Chaingunfighter 917]

The argument for this is essentially the same as those who want forced VOIP or no out-of-game chat; what little can be done wouldn't actually solve anything.

Sure, it may take away a couple of spammers, but those who are determined aren't going to be discouraged by having to post their spam an extra 5 times.

[Pazzmon 64]

No. It would take a ridiculously excessive amount of time to approve every post that would be deemed worthy of approval. 

 

Then have more moderators?

[byrgesen 1341]

No. It would take a ridiculously excessive amount of time to approve every post that would be deemed worthy of approval. 

 

Agreed, it will take up to much time.

How many "#1 posts" do you get a day, from brand new users, roughly?
Perhaps have the very first post/topic moderated, and then allow free posting after this.

 

Unless we are talking hundreds of new users, signing up every day and making they're first post, it might work, but it would still require more work from the moderators.

 

The argument for this is essentially the same as those who want forced VOIP or no out-of-game chat; what little can be done wouldn't actually solve anything.

Sure, it may take away a couple of spammers, but those who are determined aren't going to be discouraged by having to post their spam an extra 5 times.

 

You cant compare forum security, in the sense im suggesting, to forcing people to not use a software, which is perfectly acceptable in the rest of the world of gaming tbh.

It basicly boils down to, something has to be done soon, because it wont go away by it self and the increasing activity is definitely showing us, they know its easy to spam here.

Other forums i frequent are using this "x amount of posts allows you to make a thread" concept, and it is far less spammed then these forums are.

 

 

I understand you moderators and administrators dont wanna take on more work, managing a forum as large as this, is not an easy task tbh.

Im gonne take a guess and say that nothing like this will be implemented, until the workload generated by the spambots, can outweigh the workload it would require to initiate something like im suggesting :)

[Inception. 9443]

Then have more moderators?

 

We aren't going to just enlist moderators to approve posts.

[Pazzmon 64]

Why not? You don't get paid to moderate these forums. Or, change the method to approve new threads.

[OrLoK 16186]

Why not? You don't get paid to moderate these forums. Or, change the method to approve new threads.

Hello there

 

It would be inefficient to recruit more mods just to approve posts.

 

I think for a bunch of part time volunteers we are doing a damn good job. Not perfect but good enough.

 

Rgds

 

LoK