Spam Issues - An Update

First, apologies for the incessant spamming of the forum. As I've said before, we're very much aware of the issue and the tech guys are working behind the scenes to make it much harder for spammers to register and post in the first place.

Bear in mind that some of the stuff is the result of automated spam software rather than real people and the aim of it is not so much to persuade OM forum users to, for the sake of an example, buy organic flowers in Portland, but to improve the spammers SEO by adding links to their sites on bona fide, high-ranking forums like, well, this one.

Anyway, short term, though it may not be obvious, we have begun to filter out some specific IP address ranges. That's problematic as you can accidentally block bona fide users, but it has substantially reduced the problem.

Second, we're looking at ways of making it harder for automated software to sign up fake members to the site in the first place. Not as easy as it sounds as apparently the spam programmes are increasingly sophisticated when it comes to unjumbling warped characters and the like.

Third, we are, despite what some posters may think, committed to removing spam as soon as we're aware of it. Unfortunately we're not always wired. If we're up a mountain with no network of a weekend, there's not much we can do about it.

Whch brings us to 'four', which is the option of recruiting some regular OMers as moderators, which makes a lot of sense. There are a few issues around it, I don't want anyone to feel alienated from the forum generally because they have moderation powers and more practically, I'm waiting for the tech team to tweak the forum software so we can actually make it a technical possibility.

I know it's frustrating and sometimes it takes longer to clear up the mess that you'd like, but sorting it out properly is proving slightly more complicated than you might think and jumping up and down - virtually - and swearing a lot won't speed up the process or I'd be doing it myself.

Hope that makes some, slightly longwinded, sense.

Jon

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Reported to moderator.

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Jon Doran wrote (see)

...when it comes to unjumbling warped characters and the like.

Once Mike has seen the psychologist he'll make a fine moderator.

Good to hear your on top of the problem, it seem's the spammer community is on a real drive atm as I have seen several other forums (of various types) being hit hard of late.

ed h wrote (see)

Jon Doran wrote (see)

...when it comes to unjumbling warped characters and the like.

Once Mike has seen the psychologist he'll make a fine moderator.

Do you get a free (Gucci) hat?

And free beer? Watching the forum all night is thirsty work?

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thanks for the update jon. please tell us who the forum appointed moderators are so we can have a go at them when they're on holiday/not online.

i believe http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/ has user moderators who seem to take great delight in deleting anything or attacking people they personally don't like. Very Ministry of Truth.

my opinion is that there should not be OMers as moderators. as far as i'm concerned you do an excellent job already all thnigs considered and the ignore member button helps with a lot of the spam.

It never occurred to me that you could turn being a moderator to your own nefarious ends.

Excellent spot, Parky.

Certainly, if I ever got the job there'd be no more of that "ultralightweight" nonsense posted on here.

 

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"It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw."

Jon Doran wrote (see)

 Whch brings us to 'four', which is the option of recruiting some regular OMers as moderators, which makes a lot of sense.

Hallebloodyleuya.

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Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Scott wrote (see)

It never occurred to me that you could turn being a moderator to your own nefarious ends.

First thing I thought of

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Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours.

~Chief Tecumseh~

I'd like to nominate Bedouin

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Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours.

~Chief Tecumseh~

Thanks Jon.

I guess the option is to only give any OM-ers acting as moderators limited powers eg only to remove actual spam..? If that is possible.

It would be disappointing if potential moderators went a bit power-mad and started getting personal.

you're banned

> It would be disappointing if potential moderators went a bit power-mad and started getting personal.

That's fairly easy to deal with: remove moderator powers from moderators who exceed their remit.  Member moderators are very commonplace in forums, so it can be done, and seems to work, on the whole.  You just have to pick moderate moderators, and not opinionated, power-crazed eejits.

"With great power comes great responsibility"; I heard that on The Big Bang Theory, so it must be true...

> I guess the option is to only give any OM-ers acting as moderators limited powers eg only to remove actual spam..? If that is possible.

If it were possible to identify spammers, it would be possible to automatically delete them...

ed h wrote (see)

I'd like to nominate Bedouin

 

<chokes on coffee!>

Seconded with knobs on.

And in turn I nominate Ed, the epitome of restraint, gentleness and reason.

Kev The Nasty Meanie wrote (see)

Scott wrote (see)

It never occurred to me that you could turn being a moderator to your own nefarious ends.

First thing I thought of

The Power!

No more red tents and a minimum hair length for contributors...no skinheads allowed.

I've applied!

Parky Again wrote (see)

... http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/ has user moderators ...Very Ministry of Truth

A bit of a coincidence, that - it's only a day or two since I was idly scanning their 'rules' for posting and the role of mods on there. I agree with you, Parky.

How many OM-ers are also on WalkingForum? Not many I suspect because it seems to have a very different vibe (probably due in part to overly-zealous moderation and an apparent distaste for controversial opinion).

Parky Again wrote (see)

my opinion is that there should not be OMers as moderators. as far as i'm concerned you do an excellent job already all thnigs considered...

I tend to agree with Parky. It runs a risk, however slight, of creating a 'them and us' cabal. Also, one of the joys of OM (to me at least) is the light-touch modding and the consequently vigorous and unstifled tone of the threads.

Yeah, spam's a pain in the arse but generally it gets dealt with adequately IMO. I don't see it as a big enough problem to create a caste of OM-ers with elevated privileges.

Oddly enough, the sort of people we're likely to consider as user moderators will be those who appear fundamentally sane and reasonable enough not to abuse the position.

I realise that there's a very real possibility that such people don't actually exist on this forum, however that's something I'm prepared to deal with by radical DNA manipulation and savage reprisals for misconduct...

Meanwhile back in the real world, as Cap'n P says, plenty of forums have a system with user moderation and the system works fine as long as you're careful about who has moderation powers.

It would of course be deeply ironic if Twiggy, the forum's foremost advocate of user moderation, were to be banned instantly by a user moderator, but I guess we can cross that bridge once he's been deleted

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Ah, and one of the reasons we haven't used members as moderators before now is precisely because I don't want people to feel that their forum participation is constrained by being in a position of theoretical power - you know, in the way that people hate referees on principle.

To be honest, the main issue right now is spam rather than forum conduct generally, so the main role would consist mainly of deleting spam into the wee small hours of the morning and banning Twiglegs when necessary.

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com