[Dr. Wahnsinn]

That seems to be the favourite time for the spammers. I don't think that it's all that necessary for someone to register at 1:00 a.m. and then begin posting away. Perhaps blocking use during the night by newly registered members, or restricting them to one post per night.

I don't know if it's possible to implement these restrictions, but thought I'd bring it up anyway.

[OreoCookie]

That's actually not a bad idea. I'll bring it up.

[wrinklyman]

That's a great idea! It will prevent everyone who doesn't live in your time zone. That would be most of the World.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by wrinklyman 

That's a great idea! It will prevent everyone who doesn't live in your time zone. That would be most of the World.

You have a point, but considering that you spammed the Mac OS X forum, I'd have to go on their side.

[reader50]

Banned user or not, his point is valid. We have users in every time zone. With over 100,000 registrations, the forums qualifies as a small city. We probably have some members posted in Antarctica; if so we have people from every continent.

To be fair, we could put a 24-hour waiting limit in place. I should mention that most of the serious spammers register ahead and stockpile some handles. We regularly backtrack the spammers and get a few unused accounts that were registered days ahead.

Image verification, IP bans, etc help. Our best defense has been to let all Mods ban spammers, and have a lot of active Mods. If spam is getting posted at inconvenient times and sticking around awhile, then I'd suggest more Mods from the relevant time zones.

[Kerrigan]

Lately the forum has been crashing a lot during the night, so that should handle the nocturnal spammers.

[andi*pandi]

how about not letting new users begin threads until they have 10 posts?

[CharlesS]

That idea won't work, because someone can just put up a whole bunch of useless posts all over the place (maybe even sticking spam posts in random threads) and have 10 posts very quickly.

[Rumor]

All new users should have to run through a lounge hazing before being allowed to start threads.

[Kerrigan]

I think if we don't state the conditions of the new restriction clearly, it will keep spammers from coming back and registering. Also it could keep away new people, which is a plus.

[MacosNerd]

So if a person has been lurking for some time as he gets a feel for this place and decides to register and sign up because he has an urgent problem he will not be able to get help here.

If you want a place that fosters communication and dialog you really cannot go to extremes to limit it. You need to take the good with the bad. People have complained about the heavy handedness in how some things are carried out, do you think this would ignite the same type of firestorm?

Edit beside I think the staff's time should be spent fixing the database and stability issues instead of trying to lock out new users.

[Dakarʒ]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

nocturnal spammers.

Sounds like something a teenager deals with a lot.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

So if a person has been lurking for some time as he gets a feel for this place and decides to register and sign up because he has an urgent problem he will not be able to get help here.

No, he could still sign up an post about a problem, but then he would have to wait a set amount of time until he could post again. That amount of time could be 1 day, a week, or several months.

At the end of this waiting period after a new user's post, there could be a 15-20 minute window during which he has to post, and then the waiting period starts all over again. After this is over there would be another window of opportunity to make your third post- you would have exactly 2 minutes during which you could post, and if you fail to post, your account is deleted. But, if you do post during this 2 minute window, then the restrictions are finally lifted.

However, until you reach 100 posts, you would have to perform an image verification for every post you make. Any failure of verification results in being banned.

Note that you would not be allowed, under any circumstances, to start a thread under the above conditions. It is only when you reach 320 posts (not counting the initial 100) that you could start a new thread, but here you would have to receive phone confirmation from a mod in order to start a thread, until you have reached 335 posts, of which 12 MUST be new threads with 9 replies or more, in order to demonstrate that you are capable of starting interesting threads. Then you are allowed to start as many threads as you like without restriction.

This is actually how MacNN used to operate prior to 2001. I think we should reintroduce these methods.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by reader50 

To be fair, we could put a 24-hour waiting limit in place.

Not a good idea.

There are quite a few first posts in the forums that are along the lines of "Urgent help needed - such-and-such is wrong" by people who are in the middle of a production.

A lot of people lurk and only register when they actually have a problem. Making them wait 24 hours drastically reduces the usefulness of the forums.

[NobleMatt]

i only registered because i had a problem and was recommended this place but im gonna hang around cause i've been looking for a forum to attach myself, aint been regular in a forum for over a year.

Anyway, i think u need to be friendly to new members not start putting restrictions in tieing them down. you need to be welcoming and friendly, easy for ppl to use when and if they want.

matt

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

However, until you reach 100 posts, you would have to perform an image verification for every post you make. Any failure of verification results in being banned.

This makes little sense, as none of the spammers we've had so far have been bots, AFAIK.

That's just a major annoyance to users.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

No, he could still sign up an post about a problem, but then he would have to wait a set amount of time until he could post again. That amount of time could be 1 day, a week, or several months.
...
At the end of this waiting period after a new user's post, there could be a 15-20 minute window during which he has to post, and then the waiting period starts all over again. After this is over there would be another window of opportunity to make your third post- you would have exactly 2 minutes during which you could post, and if you fail to post, your account is deleted. But, if you do post during this 2 minute window, then the restrictions are finally lifted.

However, until you reach 100 posts, you would have to perform an image verification for every post you make. Any failure of verification results in being banned.

Note that you would not be allowed, under any circumstances, to start a thread under the above conditions. It is only when you reach 320 posts (not counting the initial 100) that you could start a new thread, but here you would have to receive phone confirmation from a mod in order to start a thread, until you have reached 335 posts, of which 12 MUST be new threads with 9 replies or more, in order to demonstrate that you are capable of starting interesting threads. Then you are allowed to start as many threads as you like without restriction.

This is actually how MacNN used to operate prior to 2001. I think we should reintroduce these methods.

Yeah I'm sure the mods would love to start calling people for confirmation

I have a better idea instead of forcing them to go beyond a post count of 100 to avoid image verification, or getting phone calls from mods or waiting 20 minutes to post again. Shut off user registration all together, that we we will not get any new spammers

Oh wait doing what you want to introduce will have the same effect, people will stop coming here

edit: What about those members who decide to change nics, While they've been here a long time but they wish to use a different id, they'll have to go through that whole rigamarole

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by reader50 

and have a lot of active Mods.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Yeah I'm sure the mods would love to start calling people for confirmation

I have a better idea instead of forcing them to go beyond a post count of 100 to avoid image verification, or getting phone calls from mods or waiting 20 minutes to post again. Shut off user registration all together, that we we will not get any new spammers

Oh wait doing what you want to introduce will have the same effect, people will stop coming here

edit: What about those members who decide to change nics, While they've been here a long time but they wish to use a different id, they'll have to go through that whole rigamarole

humour
noun
British spelling of humor .

humor |ˌhjuːmə| ( Brit. humour)
noun
1 the quality of being amusing or comic, esp. as expressed in literature or speech : his tales are full of humor. See note at wit .
• the ability to perceive or express humor or to appreciate a joke : their inimitable brand of humor | she has a great sense of humor.

[Wiskedjak]

To be honest, what spam there is on here doesn't bother me all that much. It's fairly easy to spot and I just ignore it.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

No, he could still sign up an post about a problem, but then he would have to wait a set amount of time until he could post again. That amount of time could be 1 day, a week, or several months.

I gotta go with analogika here. Often times when someone posts a problem, there's some bit of information they left out, and it's necessary to ask them for more information. If they can't reply with the extra info, it becomes very difficult to determine the nature of their problem. And of course it becomes very difficult to have a dialog going on (try a different user, does the problem still exist? no, it doesn't. okay, then the problem's in the user folder, have you looked at the preference file, etc).

[Kerrigan]

I was just kidding- I thought the bit about having to wait a month after your 1st post, and then needing to phone a mod whenever you want to start a thread, would have betrayed the sheer ludicrousness of what I was saying. However, in all honesty, I think those rules should apply to Ca$h.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Originally Posted by reader50 

To be fair, we could put a 24-hour waiting limit in place.

Not a good idea.

I meant, fair with respect to all time zones. In fact, I think a waiting period is a bad idea. It doesn't stop the spammers from stockpiling user names in advance. It just inconveniences real users, as many have pointed out.

Until we start hanging the spammers, the only good answer I know of is more active Mods.

Anyone got some rope and a posse they can spare?

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by wrinklyman 

That's a great idea! It will prevent everyone who doesn't live in your time zone. That would be most of the World.

Any reason why the ‘night period’ couldn’t be defined based on the user’s profile’s own time?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Any reason why the ‘night period’ couldn’t be defined based on the user’s profile’s own time?

Any reason why you want to discriminate against those who don't operate a conventional 9-5 lifestyle?

[Oisín]

I can think of very few people in this world who can only manage to get on MacNN between, say, one and five in the morning. Even if you don’t work a regular nine-to-five job, surely you can get on here either late at night (but before one in the morning) or early morning (but after five).

If your working hours are so harsh that you only have those precious few nightly hours available, chances are you’re a child labourer in Bangladesh, and it doesn’t matter when you have the time to get on MacNN anyway, ’cause you don’t have the money to buy a computer, much less a Mac.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

To be honest, what spam there is on here doesn't bother me all that much. It's fairly easy to spot and I just ignore it.

I would say that it doesn't bother you because the moderators are pretty proactive about deleting the bulk of it (of course we do rely on people reporting it as well).

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Any reason why the ‘night period’ couldn’t be defined based on the user’s profile’s own time?

You're missing the point. The reason so many spammers post at night is that they are from China. (This at least appears to be the case in the iPod forum). To them, it's the middle of the day.

[PhotoBug]

well I'm not that new(i know it says i am but i just changed my name on here) but when i joined last year i joined because i need help. I stayed with the forums because i was able to post threads that directly related to my questions and i got feedback very quickly. I liked this forum because you where an instant member and it was a very Friendly/welcoming forum. i think the majority of your members are people who came on here to ask a question (usually with their own thread) and got great feedback.

Edit- Just saying that i Don't think these restrictions will be very attractive to people who just want answers or a place to chat with other mac users. While they may help slow down spam, i think your best bet is to let the members alert you to spam or as you put it let the "small city" of users help you as an alternative.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by icruise 

The reason so many spammers post at night is that they are from China.

What a surprise.

[Dakarʒ]

I vote we erect a giant wall between us and the spammers.

Sorry, I try not to the political humor too often.

[Kevin]

[analogika]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Until we start hanging the spammers

Now *there* is a suggestion we can all agree upon.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by icruise

You're missing the point. The reason so many spammers post at night is that they are from China. (This at least appears to be the case in the iPod forum). To them, it's the middle of the day.

Good point, of course.

Block users from China and Russia from posting during the day, and everyone else during the night—how’s that?

[Kerrigan]

Oisin keep your laws off my body

[Mister Elf]

Or just get some more mods. I believe it's an unpaid position, so budget wouldn't be an issue...I'm sure there's a couple members here at least who would be willing to stay up a couple hours later for the job.

[Dakarʒ]

Yes! This place needs a night-shift. Imagine all the wacky things that could happen.

[NobleMatt]

im sure u could have a mod on at most times concidering the members covers the world, u should take everythird timezone look at its peak time and assign two mods for that time zone, then same on all the other time zones, u should be able to cover forum with mods 24 hours a day

[Rumor]

Do we have a mod or admin named u?

[OreoCookie]

Most mods are based in the US. When I lived in Japan and Germany, my working hours were somewhat complimentary, but most mods are based in North America. Hence this isn't quite feasible … 

[NobleMatt]

but why not look at all ur main time zones/countries and add news ones accordingly, thats what im saying, they cant just be limited to north america

[Mister Elf]

Or even North Americans who wouldn't mind staying up at night. You'd probably only need one or two.

[NobleMatt]

hm... i think splitting around the world would give u all in all a better around the clock coverage, a mod should do his job while on the forums doing what he would be doing anyway, u shouldnt make mods do anymore than that, they dont get paid, they do it for the good of the forum.

matt

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Mister Elf 

Or even North Americans who wouldn't mind staying up at night. You'd probably only need one or two.

Since we are a team of unpaid volunteers with real lives (read: jobs), I don't think that suggestion would go down well … 

[Mister Elf]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Since we are a team of unpaid volunteers with real lives (read: jobs), I don't think that suggestion would go down well … 

I didn't necessarily mean with the current staff - finding more moderators wouldn't be too hard, would it? (Actual question - please correct me if I'm wrong).