Permissible Links

Johnny Vinyl · May 16, 2010

Hi,

Being new I'm not sure as to what exactly is allowed in terms of linked content. Many forums have certain restrictions that inhibit members to post links to competitive websites. Would it be possible for one of the powers that are on WHAT'S BEST to give me/us some guidance in this regard?

Sincerely,

John

Steve Williams · May 16, 2010

PM sent

Johnny Vinyl · May 16, 2010

Replied

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 25, 2012

Sorry for digging this up, but my query kind of fits and I didn't want to start a new thread.

Because I'm up early I tend to see a good share of spam threads (although it's really not that bad), and I report those. The latest one, which I reported, had 2 links and that is usually always indicative of being a spam account.

Can we not implement a minimum 10-post rule before links are allowed in signatures, and perhaps posts. And also before being able to start a thread.

Steve Williams · Apr 25, 2012

John

believe me when I say that that is something I am considering. Spam is something we work 24 x 7 to keep off the board. Thanks for jiggling my memory

RBFC · Apr 25, 2012

Thanks, John! You wouldn't believe the amount of time Steve puts in to keep the board clean. For every minute I spend banning a spammer, he spends 5-10 minutes removing IP addresses, emails, etc.

Lee

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 25, 2012

Here's the thing about spammers. They want a quick in and out with no roadblocks, although some are more persistant than others. The problem is that whatever roadblocks you put in place also affects legitimate new members, and you don't want to alienate them with those roadblocks at the get go. They need to be realistic and just enough to reduce spammer attempts.

The 10-post rule before being able to create a thread works.
The 10-post rule before adding links in a post and/or signature works.

We have seen spam drop by 90% when this was implemented. And when it's explained to legitimate new members that these are spam-protection methods, they fully understand.

Steve Williams · Apr 25, 2012

Thanks John. I have been reluctant to do such for the very reason you suggest however now would be a good time to revisit it

treitz3 · Apr 25, 2012

If I may, John. There are some issues associated with this. We have an "Introduce yourself" section of the forum which, if this were to be implemented, would disable new members from doing just that. Also, spammers sometimes wait to wreck the forum. Having them able to list a signature allows our team to quickly spot the intentions of the spammer before he has the chance to do any harm. As far as he links go, we have a few members with outstanding posts that have links provided within the first ten posts. Some with still under ten posts under their belt.

Making the membership grow with quality members is our collective goal. Thwarting new members from posting due to restrictions is not. Just some thoughts to throw out there...

Tom

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 25, 2012

Steve Williams said:
Thanks John. I have been reluctant to do such for the very reason you suggest however now would be a good time to revisit it

You're welcome Steve! I'm all for life without spammers, and

too I might add.

Steve Williams · Apr 25, 2012

A better way is to leave as is BUT to moderate the first 5-10 posts as some other sites do

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 25, 2012

Steve Williams said:
A better way is to leave as is BUT to moderate the first 5-10 posts as some other sites do

That's another alternative for sure. You guys know what's best for your site ......

treitz3 · Apr 25, 2012

John, please understand that I wasn't trying to shoot your suggestions down. That was not my intention, nor was it what I was trying to accomplish. Any and all suggestions are more than welcome at any time.

Thanks.

Johnny Vinyl · Apr 25, 2012

treitz3 said:
John, please understand that I wasn't trying to shoot your suggestions down. That was not my intention, nor was it what I was trying to accomplish. Any and all suggestions are more than welcome at any time.

Thanks.

I understand completely Tom, and your post went under my radar as we posted at the same time, so I apologize for missing it.

All I tried to do, and I know you recognize that, is to help with the reduction of spam that all sites have issues with. I'm not sure if you know, but I'm a Moderator over at Blu-ray.com, and the suggestion I made worked very well over there. WBF is a different animal due to its smaller member base, and perhaps the status quo is good enough.

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Permissible Links

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator

RBFC

WBF Founding Member

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator

treitz3

Super Moderator

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

treitz3

Super Moderator

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

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