Discussions from Paid Support...

[mywaytoo]

http://nabble-support.1.n2.nabble.com/Spam-control-signatures-and-links-tp7030027p7030027.html

Harvey... Peter... Why do you need a separate control button??? If you verify that your users are valid and trusted members, then you can thrust them to safely post links whether in their signatures or in posts...

[Peter <Nabble>]

Yes, I tend to agree with you on this.

[Harvey]

For example.

Spammer A joins the forum, spams without any links in his post, but posts a very promotional message not related in any way to skiing. His signature has a spammy link in it, which isn't live because I haven't granted him the permission.

He joins again, with no signature at all and then posts his spammy links in his post.

I ban him.

He joins again, and posts spammy links in his post.

I ban him.

That's the end of this story, so far.

It's simpler in my mind to give permission to trusted member vs banning/rebanning.  Plus if I'm unavailable for whatever reason it slows down the above behavior.  The first time the guy above joined he created 4 threads, one in each forum.

I've seen other forums work this way.

The reality is that nobody works nearly as hard on my forum as I do (Nabble guys excepted).  It's hard to accept relinquishing control to something I have built, and relinquishing it to someone who could care less about the community.

[Peter <Nabble>]

You got a point. I'll need to check how hard it is to build that.

[Harvey]

I'd like it as a permissions group that I can add or subtract names to/from the same way signatures now work.

If someone's first post is clearly legit (it's not hard to tell who's a spammer), you add them to the group and you are done.

This way I can also put something about it in the welcome email, which could also slow down the spam.  You still get a registration but at least not the spam post.

Actually I could put a notice up about the fact that links are granted to members in good standing.

[mywaytoo]

Oh... forgot to say that my visitors can only 'read' posts on the forum... they cannot post themselves until I have moved them up to the members group...

[Harvey]

What do you use to decide whether to move them to members?

For me I want to see what they post. If someone is willing to take the time to post ONE POST, that is on topic, without a link, I've give them linking permission.

After 10 posts I'll let them link in their signature.

Seems fair to me.

Honestly it's not that I mind the work of banning/rebanning. I want the forum treated with respect, and I want the tools to enforce it.

[mywaytoo]

Oh... I see what you mean... (and I look for other factors too, eg. if they sell knitted dolls' clothes on ebay, then I don't want to give them any of my free 'Members only' knitting patterns.

Well... I suggest then that you have some automated system set up so that after 10 posts every user is allowed to put links in their signature... UNLESS you have set some sort of indicator against them after bad behaviour... This is assuming that most of your visitors will be genuine...