Some notes on Spam Control & New Users

[Griffon86]

While I understand the necessity for these measures -- especially given the massive amounts of time and effort to keep this website and the community alive -- this particular "10 posts before posting a link" requirement isn't very conducive to meaningful communication and discussion on the forums. After glancing through this one thread I see a lot of posts consisting of "first post," "second post," etc. While the troglodyte part of my brain wants to make 10 blah posts to get my reward (the privilege of posting links, etc.), the slightly more civilized part of my brain wants to make some meaningful contribution to the dialogue here...and I don't really have that kind of time. I applaud En World's creators' efforts to protect the community, but I suppose I'll have to bide my time seeking opportunities for relevant, meaningful contributions on my part before posting publisher press releases to contribute to the site's quite comprehensive gaming news roundup....

Fly casual,

 

[Morrus]

It's not ideal - but 250K spam posts every single day isn't conducive to discussion either! And that's what we were getting. 10 posts gives us time to see them first.

 

[Umbran]

I think you'll find that 10 posts is really nothing, and that unless you're selling something, you really don't need to post links all that often.

And, if you are selling something, that's cool. Becoming an active a member through conversation will get people to pay far more attention to you than posting a link right off.

 

[Griffon86]

Morrus and Umbran, and others,

I fully agree with your sentiments that the continued prosperity, nay existence, of such a central online community as EnWorld, requires such measures. I vaguely recall the crash, and I know how easy it would have been to simply walk away; that reconstructing the community, including the infrastructure, in such a way to avoid a similar crash (and spam interference) was paramount.

I do plan on being an occasionally involved poster of meaningful material on relevant topics -- beyond press releases -- and am determined to do so in as expedient and yet relevant way possible.

Thank you, ultimately, for not only making this vital gaming community available, but for ensuring it survives and prospers for a long time.

Best regards,
Peter

 

[Morrus]

And, to be fair, we'd really prefer people didn't introduce themselves just with a link to buy their stuff (indeed, if that were one's only intention, one would actually be a spammer - which, I guess, means that the system tends to bother those it's supposed to!) That said, threads like that - even my own ones! - don't get much attention. The best approach, IMO, is to join the community and build a following, but that is hard work. Even I find it difficult!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

IME, the sellers around here who get the most attention are the guys who are known industry pros, or long-time ENWorlders who have proven their chops by contributing to conversations in others' threads: if your posts are insightful or otherwise helpful, it makes others think your product may be worth considering. You've become a proven commodity in their eyes.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Welcome to En World publisher Griffon86!

 

[Griffon86]

I find Dannyalcatraz's statement, "the sellers around here who get the most attention are the guys who are known industry pros" extremely useful intelligence; the second half of that statement remains quite true for any forum.

Oddly enough, while the first press release I intended to post here included news about a 25% off coupon for one of my products, it also included a link to a free PDF adventure related to said product; so while I'm certainly selling something, I'm also giving something away. I'd also considered posting free material from when I was slightly more mainstream in the "industry," but for now that's all going to other venues, too.

Thank you, Scott DeWar, for your warm welcome.

Best regards,
Peter

 

[Quartz]

It's not ideal - but 250K spam posts every single day isn't conducive to discussion either!

Does that not rather indicate a problem with the signing-up process? That it's letting too many spammers through?

 

[Morrus]

Does that not rather indicate a problem with the signing-up process? That it's letting too many spammers through?

Yes. That's the nature of the ongoing battle between forum software development companies and spammers. Software blocks them, spammers work out how to circumvent, software changes again to block, spammers circumvent, ad nauseum for ever and ever .

Companies spend literally millions on this stuff.