Suggestions for dealing with spammers

[† Anras Rune]

Hm, ain't been on this thread in a long while, but it seems nothing much has changed. In all seriousness the forum is in a pretty bad place. After the whole server downtime fiascos and the SOPA/PIPA thing I don't think we've really recovered. I mean, I'm on every single day, and check out the same areas and nothing much seems to happen. Spammers are of course always present, but I feel that the need to get the forum back on its feet outweighs the need to be as strict with the posting.

What EO has said makes sense, but it is unfortunately a pretty far off goal. I mean, to have a discussion first forum you really need a dedicated base membership. Regulars that contribute to multiple sections regularly and want to get involved are hard to come by, and in the forum's present condition I don't feel we have that sort of base. We have a few diehards and the sorts but other than that they regular base seems to have diminished ever since the CB's removal. So in truth I think an invite system would be a good idea.

An invite system could make sure that only people that are worth it join. I mean, the downloads may come second in regs eyes, but to a new member that is why they are here. So take away the easy access to them and they might actually work to get at them. The forum can't follow the old system of hope and see. We don't get enough traffic for that anymore. I don't mean to sound elitist or anything, but more focus should be made on revitalising the forum than the DL section.

But thats my personal opinion...

[DarkDream787]

I don't want Kametsu to turn into some snobby place. An invite only forum as a whole doesn't sit well with me.

I may be in the minority, but for as long as I have been here, Kametsu is and always has been a discussion forum first and a download locale second. I wasn't here when it used to be Dark Fantasy, but I was here when it used to be Forgotten Memories and there wasn't any sign of downloads to be seen. It used to be a lot more active and was more or less set up exactly the way it is now with the exception of the downloads.

So when people say things like that, that a higher download cap would turn them off as a legitimate user, that doesn't strike me as something a legitimate user would say. To me, a legitimate user is someone who is interested in being on the forum as a member of the community, not someone who is just interested in downloads. That most people come primarily for downloads and has no interest in chatting on the forum is not a good thing for the forum.

And again, removing the limit would be a death sentence upon the forum. I've said it several times and if you dig back through the old news archives, you can see what has happened to the forum in the past when people never posted and only downloads. The whole place died. As it stands now, whether we like it or not, the forum is propped up by the activity of these leechers and has been ever since I returned from my sojourn away from here.

I never said the person who only wanted the downloads was the legitimate user, I said I was the legitimate user and that would turn me off. People who wanna be or plan to be legitimate doesnt wanna wait 5 or more minutes to be allowed to post 1 post like that cap suggested. Id like to be able to post but not so rapidly that its rediculous. 1 minute wait for a second post is understandable.

You asked ways to help deal with spammers spamming just to get access to the downloads and I gave my opinion on it. I dont see how spamming junk just to get to the downloads is much worse than just not requiring posts. Your wanting to get rid of the junk and spam posts, no? Well thats one way to reduce it some I would think. it may not fix every problem but it will help the junk posts be less I would think.

I only gave some suggestions and ideas to help.

Them posting 15 times to get the downloads and never posting again is just spamming you up. Turning off the requirement would help stop that. Either way their still just after the downloads.

The reason I see a good reason to keep the requirement at the moment is because of what my friend Koby told me about it.

My best suggestion at the moment would be you could try this.

Make it so user accounts would have to be a certain age in order to get access to the downloads and within that time limit they have to show a certain amount of legitimate posts and activity. At the end of the wait time if they still want access they can PM a mod or admin maybe or even post in a forum section about asking for permission on their account to access the downloads. Then you can check them and their posts before they have access. If you notice them spamming or a bunch of junk in their posts, then deny their account the access to downloads and the timer they have to wait gets reset. Then they have to start from scratch and if they really want access they will put in the effort to get permission for downloads.

Thats about the best I can think of at the moment.

I realize that might be a little extra work for mods or admins but it might be worth it in the end.

[† Emotional Outlet]

I dont see how spamming junk just to get to the downloads is much worse than just not requiring posts. Your wanting to get rid of the junk and spam posts, no? Well thats one way to reduce it some I would think. it may not fix every problem but it will help the junk posts be less I would think.

I only gave some suggestions and ideas to help.

If you found my responses inflammatory, I don't mean to come across that way, haha. As it's been mentioned a couple times, a more compelling reason is going to be needed, I think, before Koby decides to remove the post requirement. As of now, activity is more or less held up by people seeking to download and not a core community of users. The number of junk posts would be fewer, but so would posts in general. Activity begets activity, in the same way inactivity begets inactivity. This forum has gone through some tough times--I remember coming back once and it was so dead, even Koby was rarely seen. There was a thread wondering where he was, haha.

There's seems to be this attitude that people can't just chat casually on the forum--it's part of the reason why the chatbox was such a source of drama, because people were using it more often than posting on the forum itself.

Make it so user accounts would have to be a certain age in order to get access to the downloads and within that time limit they have to show a certain amount of legitimate posts and activity. At the end of the wait time if they still want access they can PM a mod or admin maybe or even post in a forum section about asking for permission on their account to access the downloads. Then you can check them and their posts before they have access. If you notice them spamming or a bunch of junk in their posts, then deny their account the access to downloads and the timer they have to wait gets reset. Then they have to start from scratch and if they really want access they will put in the effort to get permission for downloads.

Thats about the best I can think of at the moment.

I realize that might be a little extra work for mods or admins but it might be worth it in the end.

What age would you suggest? There's technically already an age minimum--you have to be at least thirteen to participate unless you want to jump through a couple hoops. I'm not sure an age requirement to get into the downloads would be fair, and we haven't any way of preventing people from lying about their ages or saying, "Oh, my bad, I clicked the wrong year by accident." I've seen people with 30 as their age on their profile posting nothing but garbage, whereas younger folks like Yuri are great, thoughtful members.

I've already suggested a moderation queue for new users and it's not something I personally am against. Granted, I haven't much power around here and I'm far from the only one running the show--last in command as far as I'm concerned, haha. I just happen to be a bit more vocal.

[lemmingllama]

What age would you suggest? There's technically already an age minimum--you have to be at least thirteen to participate unless you want to jump through a couple hoops. I'm not sure an age requirement to get into the downloads would be fair, and we haven't any way of preventing people from lying about their ages or saying, "Oh, my bad, I clicked the wrong year by accident." I've seen people with 30 as their age on their profile posting nothing but garbage, whereas younger folks like Yuri are great, thoughtful members.

Its not an age cap for their physical age, its that he wants the account to be there for a set period of time and with a number of posts in that time. Like your account must exist for a week to access the downloads, and you must have at least a post/day ratio of 1 at the end of that week to be upgraded to crusader. Then only people who are slightly more dedicated would come on, and less people would come for just downloads. Plus if people were on for multiple days, then they might actually stay.

[† Emotional Outlet]

Ah, that makes way more sense than what I was parsing it as earlier! My bad. I don't know if that's actually doable automatically, but I'm sure Koby or Java would know better. Doing it manually wouldn't be a huge issue, I don't think, but it's not my decision to make, haha.

[DarkDream787]

If you found my responses inflammatory, I don't mean to come across that way, haha. As it's been mentioned a couple times, a more compelling reason is going to be needed, I think, before Koby decides to remove the post requirement. As of now, activity is more or less held up by people seeking to download and not a core community of users. The number of junk posts would be fewer, but so would posts in general. Activity begets activity, in the same way inactivity begets inactivity. This forum has gone through some tough times--I remember coming back once and it was so dead, even Koby was rarely seen. There was a thread wondering where he was, haha.

There's seems to be this attitude that people can't just chat casually on the forum--it's part of the reason why the chatbox was such a source of drama, because people were using it more often than posting on the forum itself.

What age would you suggest? There's technically already an age minimum--you have to be at least thirteen to participate unless you want to jump through a couple hoops. I'm not sure an age requirement to get into the downloads would be fair, and we haven't any way of preventing people from lying about their ages or saying, "Oh, my bad, I clicked the wrong year by accident." I've seen people with 30 as their age on their profile posting nothing but garbage, whereas younger folks like Yuri are great, thoughtful members.

I've already suggested a moderation queue for new users and it's not something I personally am against. Granted, I haven't much power around here and I'm far from the only one running the show--last in command as far as I'm concerned, haha. I just happen to be a bit more vocal.

no no, Im talking about the account age, not the users age. I mean like they have to of been a member for like 2 weeks or something. and in that time period show legitimate posts and account usage. then they ask for permission after the time limit and you see if they just spammed or not manually before approving them.

Then you might get actual activity instead of just spam because they need approval from admins or mods by being checked out as to their login activity and posting.

[lemmingllama]

Just so you know, double posting is against the rules. Its normally seen as spam, and it is rather funny since this thread is about dealing with said spam.

Maybe one thing that might be interesting is rerouting all new members to the forum rules. Then they would hopefully browse them and we wouldnt see so many "what is gil" and "how do I see downloads" and durr I like naruto hurr" threads

[DarkDream787]

Just so you know, double posting is against the rules. Its normally seen as spam, and it is rather funny since this thread is about dealing with said spam.

Maybe one thing that might be interesting is rerouting all new members to the forum rules. Then they would hopefully browse them and we wouldnt see so many "what is gil" and "how do I see downloads" and durr I like naruto hurr" threads

Yeah well, I couldnt find a delete feature after I noticed I double posted only an edit. Putting one in or making it easier to find would be nice.

[† Emotional Outlet]

no no, Im talking about the account age, not the users age. [...]

Then you might get actual activity instead of just spam because they need approval from admins or mods by being checked out as to their login activity and posting.

Yes, yes, I saw. And I did see in your edited second post, you acknowledged that Llama had posted prior to you. I don't know if deleting your own posts is something that Koby wants to implement, but if it's possible to disable the option on posts after a certain amount of time has passed, I could get behind that. It only takes a moment to report a post you want deleted and one of the staff will get around to it, though.

As I mentioned earlier, I think something like this might have been in place prior with regards to the use of the "Crusader+" moniker and premium downloads. There are several threads with regards to policy and previous issues with spam.

[One.]

[Two.]

[Three.]

[Four.]

Just from a quick scan through the archived news.

Maybe one thing that might be interesting is rerouting all new members to the forum rules. Then they would hopefully browse them and we wouldnt see so many "what is gil" and "how do I see downloads" and durr I like naruto hurr" threads

I think you can do that? I'm not sure. Java's in the hospital right now, so I've lost my link to knowledge of that sort. Expect me to blither sadly about how my computer has exploded because of infinite spyware and my phone is possessed by demons and I don't know what to do, haha.

[lemmingllama]

I think you can do that? I'm not sure. Java's in the hospital right now, so I've lost my link to knowledge of that sort. Expect me to blither sadly about how my computer has exploded because of infinite spyware and my phone is possessed by demons and I don't know what to do, haha.

It can be done, especially since the website already reroutes you to different places whenever you send a message. It shouldnt take a lot of programming.

Oh, I would just like to comment that I love how Koby put "idiots" as a tag for a thing on spam and leeching

[forgottensoul]

waiting 5-10 min is way too long between post and that would make it take so long to get 15 post just to go to the download section most ppl would prob just give up on the site