Hate spammers as much as I do? Spam cleaning service idea, need feedback

[kjkoster]

Dear All,

Spam has always been a pain in my side (and it still is). Recently, however I got to think about offering spam cleaning as a service. In an ideal world I would like to make forum operators forget spam was ever a problem.

This is all good in theory, but I'd really like to get some real-life perspective on what I envisaged.

I am looking for people who could spare 20 minutes to give me some feedback on my ideas, in the form of a quick Skype or phone call. Please DM or reply if you are interested.

Kees Jan

[DirtRider]

Well this sounds interesting but what do you have in mind here as in how would you do it. I run Stop Forum Spam on my forum and actually have very little spam at all

[kjkoster]

Dear DirtBanger,

I agree, Stopforumspam is a great service and every day I am grateful to Paul for offering it.

As to how: well, I have some ideas for a plugin, but they only work if the world is as I think it is. So that is what I 'd like to check first.

Kees Jan

[DirtRider]

Ok well I will be keeping tags on this thread as I hate spammers

[Macsee]

What is spam?

That's subjective. What many other forums allow on a regular basis is considered spam on my forum and that includes fluff posts designed to build post count to acquire signature/profile and other privileges.

How would your spam cleaning service work on a forum like mine where you need to be a moderator and privy to discussions in the moderator forum?

[kjkoster]

Dear Macsee,

You raise an excellent point. What is acceptable on one board may be considered "leading up to spam" in another.

From experience with my own board (and my own spammers) most fluff is not very sophisticated. I tend to let the fluff build. Once a spam post is made I ban the user and remove the spammy post and the fluff all in one go.

If your moderators actually discuss posts to judge their spammyness, there is little an automated service can add to that.

A question for all of you then: Do many forums work like that? Do moderators team up to identify fluffers on all boards, or is that something that only happens on a few boards, like Macsee's?

Kees Jan

[DirtRider]

To me spam would be ads that have no relevance to that forum mostly lotto wins ads to meds and so on the normal stuff that is the standard for spam

[Macsee]

Originally Posted by kjkoster

I tend to let the fluff build. Once a spam post is made I ban the user and remove the spammy post and the fluff all in one go.

That is not an elegant approach, IMO. Even fluff posts attract replies and removing fluff posts retrospectively breaks threads.

Now that we know you ban the user only when he makes a spammy post what's to stop users from just creating fluff till such point they acquire signature and profile editing privileges? A profile link back to his site is spam to me.

Moderators don't "team up" on my board. They have a lot of discretion to act independently, but we do use the mod forum extensively to discuss spammer tricks which are changing all the time - from white text linking to shills planting leading questions.