Read only for "Awaiting Activation" users

[dave g]

With the rash of spam'ers in the public section of this forum I would like to suggest "Awaiting Activation" users be set to read only until approved.
And if not all ready being done an activation email be sent to the new user after approval.

Dave G

[EarlyOut]

On the other hand, HG probably doesn't want to discourage pre-sales questions by making a potential customer wait around for a couple of days for someone to activate his forum account.

I moderate on another forum, and the moderators are geographically scattered - some in Europe, some in the U.S., a couple in Australia. As a result, there are always "eyes" on that forum, and spammers don't survive for more than about 10 minutes.

I think HG simply needs to assign someone on each work shift to be responsible for keeping an eye on the forum, and shutting down spammers. It really doesn't take any time, but someone has to be tasked with taking care of it.

[dave g]

Ok so how about this, and understand I do not run/moderate a forum and don't even know if this is possible.

When a new user tries/wants to post a message and are not an active member they are redirected to a page explaining why they cant post a message, what they need to do to be able to post a message and that they have been sent a activation email.
Once they click the activation link in the email they are set as a "Awaiting Activation" user but can post a message with a time limit of, lets say 5 or 10 minute's. between posts until activated.

Dave G

[eLIANT]

Or just limit the number of new threads for users Awaiting Activation.

[k2zs]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

I think HG simply needs to assign someone on each work shift to be responsible for keeping an eye on the forum, and shutting down spammers. It really doesn't take any time, but someone has to be tasked with taking care of it.

Especially with the flood of spam from Vietnam as of late...

[EarlyOut]

The Vietnamese spam is particularly puzzling. I fed one of those posts through Google Translate, and it's all about service for A/C and appliances. In short, it's spam for a local business. Why would they bother spamming the forum of a U.S. hosting company? I can't see how the links would do them any good, especially since they'll eventually be deleted, anyway. And it's not a bot doing the spamming (there's too much time between posts). Someone is actually sitting there in front of a PC creating threads and posting the stuff.

However, it does illustrate, once again, that HG is a great hosting company, but they suck at running a forum (along with a collection of other things that aren't strictly "hosting").

[striddy]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

However, it does illustrate, once again, that HG is a great hosting company, but they suck at running a forum

Perhaps HG could give a few of the forum regulars who have been here for a while, some form of spam removal privileges.

Clearly HG aren't watching the "pre-sales" section of this forum around the clock as for hours on end these latest spammers post useless threads.

Legitimate forum users, including potential HG customers see nothing but spam. This is ruining an otherwise very useful internet resource.

Yes, this is a peer support forum, but HG controls it... or should be controlling it far better.

Please HG, counter this spam before this gets further out of hand.

[EarlyOut]

Not paying attention to the forum is also a really, really poor business decision. I would think twice about signing up with a hosting company that doesn't even seem to be able to keep spammers from overrunning its forum. If someone takes a look at this forum, trying to decide whether to sign up, that "pre-sales" section as it is right now would certainly scare him away.

And it takes very little effort to knock the spam out. HG is a big company, with lots and lots of support people. As I said earlier, just assign one person in each shift to keep an eye on the forum. There's no need for that person to respond to posts at all - just check in once an hour or so, and take out the garbage. It would take all of 30 seconds.

[k2zs]

I've even reported them (the spammers) each run they've made so it is clear that nobody there pays any attention at HG.

[dave g]

Originally Posted by striddy

Perhaps HG could give a few of the forum regulars who have been here for a while, some form of spam removal privileges.

I was just thinking of this myself and add banning ability, maybe as an incentive offer a discount on hosting services to those selected would be far cheaper than dedicating a support person to watch the forum.

Dave G

[striddy]

10.5 hours now since this batch of spam started.... it's still there.... HG.... anybody there???

Bueller, Bueller, Bueller,.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4zyjLyBp64

[EarlyOut]

Originally Posted by dave g

... would be far cheaper than dedicating a support person to watch the forum.

Telling a support person (who is already being paid) to check the forum once per hour and delete spam, would cost them nothing. This is not someone who would have to be pulled off other duties. It really would take no more than about one minute per hour.

[freeman]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

Telling a support person (who is already being paid) to check the forum once per hour and delete spam, would cost them nothing. This is not someone who would have to be pulled off other duties. It really would take no more than about one minute per hour.

Yeah but some people are at work to receive money, and others, who cares what they are doing, to do the job (including the job of those waiting just for money, of course on the same amount), this is how our society is working, less money a lot of work, big money almost no work. This spam thing can be solved without a human intervention by some scripts. Before, here at Hostgator I never saw spammers posting in this forum, of course something was changed in way how they deal with spammers.

Regards,
George B.

[EarlyOut]

This is not a philosophical debate about the nature of "work."

[EarlyOut]

I see someone has finally checked in, and dumped the trash. The problem with forum spam these days is that most of it seems to originate in China, SE Asia, or India. So, it tends to show up during the graveyard shift in the U.S., when no one from HG is watching.

[EarlyOut]

Oh, my god. The forum admins are more incompetent than I thought possible. They deleted the spam threads, but didn't bother to ban the poster. So, of course, he's back for more, and his garbage will stick around until mid-morning tomorrow, when someone finally takes a look at it.

[k2zs]

lol...

I also mod for a fairly large webmasters forum and all I can say is...

"I love the smell of banning spam posters in the morning..."

[GatorDougB]

Hello All,

I am very sorry for the spam issues everyone has been seeing lately. We've been working on a few ways to tackle this and I believe today we have come up with a solution to the problem. With some suggestions from our fellow forum members and few changes made to our system, we should no longer be seeing as many spam posts, if any at all.

Please feel free to PM if anyone has any questions or other suggestions regarding the forums.

Thanks!

[EarlyOut]

Hope the changes work!

I was going to suggest capturing the spammers, and having a public flogging. In the words of Voltaire, "pour encourager les autres."

[EarlyOut]

Well, so much for forlorn hopes. I see our friend is back.

Edit: ...but quickly banished. Was it just that someone was watching, or did some semi-automated routine take care of it quickly?

[AdamWeeden]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

Well, so much for forlorn hopes. I see our friend is back.

Edit: ...but quickly banished. Was it just that someone was watching, or did some semi-automated routine take care of it quickly?

http://forums.hostgator.com/off-topic-f13.html

banned, but spam posts still there lol

[EarlyOut]

Yeah, I noticed that. Not the most effective strategy, is it?!