Spam! Starting Mandatory “First Post” Approval

[eigen]

So with our first spammer registration today, we're moving to a new system: all users are probationary until their first post, and the first post must be approved by a moderator.

The forum software doesn't update until you post, so some of you may get caught in this! We will diligently try to approve posts and get you out of probation as fast as possible.

[aside]

Thanks for your work on this!

A humble suggestion for your thread title:

SPAM:  Starting Post Approval Mandatory

[much_metta]

Thanks for the notice and all the efforts to keep SPAM away!

[spork]

Thank you for this. I was going to ask if the software allowed the prohibition of accounts made from certain ISPs or regional domains, but this method will probably work better.

[eigen]

Thank you for this. I was going to ask if the software allowed the prohibition of accounts made from certain ISPs or regional domains, but this method will probably work better.

It does! I haven't quite figured it out, though.

[downer]

I'm glad I didn't have to pass a spam test.

I already feel like one of the elders of Fora 2.0!

[Scotia]

Thank you for this. I was going to ask if the software allowed the prohibition of accounts made from certain ISPs or regional domains, but this method will probably work better.

It does! I haven't quite figured it out, though.

I think the approach you are adopting is a more robust approach. Some spammers manage to hijack legitimate systems - I was locked out of some places for a while after a former employer's system was hacked and used for a big spam campaign (one of those idiots who responded to an email claiming they needed to renew their password and "please click and your old password here to update" meant the whole university was blacklisted for a while).

I am a recently redundant moderator from the CHE Forum. I was useful for deleting spam before the US woke up, and many hours of my time would have been saved had a pre-approval system been in operation. It used to amaze me that I would get locked out for too much activity while deleting offers of fake degrees from every university in Australia, Canada, France, Germany while while the spammers were able to continue posts with about fake degrees from  Netherland, Singapore, United Kingdom (I hadn't realised how many universities there are here!) and even the US (for some reason Taiwan comes after the US in the spammer alphabet).

[mamselle]

You're one of the ones to say "thank-you" to, then, too!

(Maybe the US was listed as "States, United" ???)

M.

[InfoPri]

Okay, so here's my first post.  Am I approved?  (Nice to see some familiar folks here!)

ETA:  Apparently, no approval was necessary--perhaps the new mandatory-approval-of-first-post system isn't in place yet.  Will we who are here now be vetted once the system is up and running?

[bioteacher]

I'm here!
I finished dragging in the supplies for the hiding thread. Shields are functioning, the refreshment table is loaded, the pillows have been fluffed, and the cuddly animals are all ready.
I'll be napping in the corner. Wake me if something interesting happens?

[polly_mer]

I'm here!
I finished dragging in the supplies for the hiding thread. Shields are functioning, the refreshment table is loaded, the pillows have been fluffed, and the cuddly animals are all ready.
I'll be napping in the corner. Wake me if something interesting happens?

I look forward to a restart of the hiding thread.

[mamselle]

I'm here!
I finished dragging in the supplies for the hiding thread. Shields are functioning, the refreshment table is loaded, the pillows have been fluffed, and the cuddly animals are all ready.
I'll be napping in the corner. Wake me if something interesting happens?

I look forward to a restart of the hiding thread.

Me, three.

A puppy to play with would be nice right about now...and fall asleep with.

M.

[ProfAcct]

Where would you like a primary post for approval?

Also, is there a place where doctoral students are hanging out?  I need to find some for a paper I'm writing; preferably drop-outs or re-starts.

Prof Accounting

[eigen]

Where would you like a primary post for approval?

Also, is there a place where doctoral students are hanging out?  I need to find some for a paper I'm writing; preferably drop-outs or re-starts.

Prof Accounting

I'd try starting a thread under the General Academic Discussions forum.

[mamselle]

Where would you like a primary post for approval?

Also, is there a place where doctoral students are hanging out?  I need to find some for a paper I'm writing; preferably drop-outs or re-starts.

Prof Accounting

I'd try starting a thread under the General Academic Discussions forum.

This individual is soliciting study participants for their research (they've just come over from starting a thread on the CHE fora.) They were reminded of the rules there, which I believe are the same here, yes?

M.