No OTs on OFF TOPIC postings and spamming this forum !

[X-Warrior B AS]

An Idea is there no way of creating some kinda gravity for threads,
ie, if a thread gets negative ratings (not sure what the score system is)
if it gets lets say 3 thumbs down (and are not countered by lots of positive ratings) it drops quicker than other threads (could only work for negative posts really).

I'm not sure about the practical implications of implimenting it but it would be a easy way for the community to drop threads that simply shouldnt be here. just a thought

Those spammers have the tendency to rate themselves/eachother well often. The end result therefore would be that spam threads went up and stayed up even longer.
Very bad idea.

But I must say, today it was worse than ever. I never visit the forum on sundays, and normally, there is one page when I visit again on monday afternoon after work. I already find that a little annoying to have to go through all of it, filtering out the one or two interesting things. Today, I found two pages, and had to go to page 3 to find that one of my threads had been answered to. OT topics ok, but some things are simply ridiculous, for example the rating war recently. And I'm sure there's many other things like that, but I just can't be bothered reading it all. Who knows what I've missed because I'm not willing to wade through 2 pages of junk to find it.

Go get 'em CJ!

[Gandalf The White]

@Vader & Daz (doh! Doctor)

NP
Vader ain't you a union guy ?
dear oh dear lack of attention to detail can cost employee job
and IN 'A New Hope' brand spanking deathstars

[EDIT]

An Idea is there no way of creating some kinda gravity for threads,
ie, if a thread gets negative ratings (not sure what the score system is)
if it gets lets say 3 thumbs down (and are not countered by lots of positive ratings) it drops quicker than other threads (could only work for negative posts really).

I'm not sure about the practical implications of implimenting it but it would be a easy way for the community to drop threads that simply shouldnt be here. just a thought

Hi Avis,

That would only work if you could counter the multiple user problem. Or you will be in the situation where if 1 person doesn't get on with another, then the unfortunate one will get flattened for no reason other than someone decided to use the power of multiple blasting on them. Same applies the other way as well.

If this is to be addressed, then firstly what needs to be done is to cut down on the multiple users. Mods should go about wiping accounts. Firstly emailing the offenders by saying that you have X accounts. Witch one would they prefer using or they will all be trashed.

Once that's in place, then they can look at no good posts.

[Steel]

If this is to be addressed, then firstly what needs to be done is to cut down on the multiple users. Mods should go about wiping accounts. Firstly emailing the offenders by saying that you have X accounts. Witch one would they prefer using or they will all be trashed.

This is difficult to enforce. An account *must* have a unique email address (actually the DB doesn't enforce it, but the interface does). So a user creates a hotmail account, a new alias and posts from dynamic IP.

It takes a LOAD of work to suss such people out (Mighail was one such person I bothered to suss, collate data and forwarded it to his ISP - who replied). So I only bother if something gets out of hand.

I know who the multiple alias peeps are and for the most, it is done in good spirit. Although there are one or two who have actually had conversations with themselves . I do monitor this.

@CJ have a Mod thumb

Cheers,

Steel

[Avis]

@X-warrior,
I appreciate there are failings, but I did mention that it would probably ONLY work for negative posts, normal (well rated or not at all) threads in my idea would behave as they do anyway (NO Anti-Gravity other than sticky)

yes multiple alias could be used to counter a drop but it becomes more effort than I think the average spammer cares to waste on it,

@Doctor,
yes, granted good point.
but then the people who are doing the victomising of posts will become obvious and as I mentioned if countered by positive posts negates the gravity..



it's just a theory, which is better than me bitchin about it purposelessly (is that a word,, again Royal Parogative,, it is now , soon Windows will come with English(United States), English(United Kingdom) and Englsih(Avis Imperium) )

[The_Abyss]

I'm actually feeling quite guilty about posting anything now.

I think that there are maybe 5-6 major offenders, and if their posts weren't there, then another 50 or so people wouldn't be tempted to answer them, thus adding fuel for the original spammers.

So here's an idea. The rating system in combination with your post count - just work the ratios out. If you have 10 thumbs up, and 100 posts, then you're getting a good rating every 10 posts - not bad - maybe worth 2 or 3 stars.

If however you have over 1,000 posts and only a total of 40 thumbs up, thats only one good rating per 25 posts - maybe neutral or just one star.

People might then think twice about posting garbage.

My 50 pence worth.

[RustiSwordz]

Jeesus CJ having kittens. Lighten up before you get a heart attack. Sorry to go against the grain, but you mods need to lighten up seriously.

You slag us off for saying 'ooh its because X2 isnt out.' Hasnt it occurred that that IS the case. Ive played the XT game for hours, explored practically every nuance and frankly im bored of XT. I WANT X2! It's as simple as that.

Take a chill pill OK.

Yes, yes, i know im one of those guilty parties and i know you mods hate my guts, but if you start cracking down then you will be damaging the free spirit of this community.

I use the word 'community' because that is what this place has become. Not some forum on some site. Its evolved above and beyond its origional function into something bigger and indeed better and if you havent noticed this by now then well......

Yes it's your job, however this place is OK as it is, so chill dudes OK there are bigger things in this world to worry about.

[Xenon_Slayer]

That speach made me all fussy inside
Up with freedom!

[Commander Jamieson]

Normally, I would not respond to this thread as my first post of this thread said it all.

I never said to ban OT topics, it is the NOT prefixing an OT topic with these 2 letters OT my beef was about. Any sane person has to agree about the senseless posts, not serving any purpose here at all, which are getting posted lately. Take last Sunday the 16th for example and read them yourself here in the forum. If you think I am wrong in this case then you have something wrong with you and I mean it. The same goes for spamming!

Also to use "getting no news about X2 - The Threat" as an excuse will not wash with me either. I am not the one to decide about releasing any morsels about the state of X, this is not my job, as I said, it is NOT up to me. It is no use complaining to me as I really don't know. I am just an X player, like you, nothing more nothing less.

Lastly, think before you post, you have to do that too before you speak in your own real life, unless you have the "Foot in Mouth" disease in which case you have to answer for it and you have to take the consequenses.

Cheers

[Winter Dragon]

I lose respect for people who use multiple accounts on a forum. Why can't people just be themselves and stick with one 'representation'?

I'm not suggesting that's the sole cause for the amount of SPAM but I'm sure it contributes in some unpleasant way.




@Rustiswordz

Yeah I suppose the forum is OK but it could be better. Do you agree?

[Stormsong]

Well, at least now we've got something to talk about!













Seriously, I reckon the people that CJ wrote about, are ones who didn't post replies here(not everyone else, but you know what I mean). A good indication is the poster's ratings in this thread. "My god, it' full of stars!"
Perhaps there aren't as many people opening large amounts of pointless spam threads and topics on the german side of the forum, instead we had a spammer so bad he got banned(and rightly so). Like I said, you guys that have posted here aren't the ones that need to "restrain" themselves or change their posting habits IMO. Anyway, that was my 2 cents worth...

greetings
JadeElf

p.s. Even though it is common sense, perhaps it would be better if a mention was made in the welcome-thread; to make it clear to people where the "limits" are. That way, no one has any excuses. Nothing wrong with posting an OT like "what I did in the pub last night" , but things were getting a bit out of hand in the last couple of days.

[RustiSwordz]

Also to use "getting no news about X2 - The Threat" as an excuse will not wash with me either.

Lastly, think before you post, you have to do that too before you speak in your own real life, unless you have the "Foot in Mouth" disease in which case you have to answer for it and you have to take the consequenses.

Cheers

Point one. I disagree as i stated earlier when there is nothing left to talk about X then people will move onto other things. When X2 is out that will change, you know it so do I. And yes Spam for spams sake isnt cool. Some people would say im a big spammer but despite the large amount of posts i have collected im not the worst.

Point Two: And yes i have paid for the consequences of my actions as last weeks events have shown.

Mighail and GTB made bigger prats of themselves than me. I'd say the mods do a fairly good job of moderating things.

PS: Comparing us with the German forum. It seems us English speakers get bored faster than them i suppose.

[SteveMill]

If this is to be addressed, then firstly what needs to be done is to cut down on the multiple users. Mods should go about wiping accounts. Firstly emailing the offenders by saying that you have X accounts. Witch one would they prefer using or they will all be trashed.

This is difficult to enforce. An account *must* have a unique email address (actually the DB doesn't enforce it, but the interface does). So a user creates a hotmail account, a new alias and posts from dynamic IP.

It takes a LOAD of work to suss such people out (Mighail was one such person I bothered to suss, collate data and forwarded it to his ISP - who replied). So I only bother if something gets out of hand.

I know who the multiple alias peeps are and for the most, it is done in good spirit. Although there are one or two who have actually had conversations with themselves . I do monitor this.

@CJ have a Mod thumb

Cheers,

Steel

I don't think we want mods to waste their time enforcing this if it's a lot of work. I just want the people who spam and hide behind multiple accounts to accept that their actions are not welcomed by the board in general, if I may generalise for a moment and just STOP.

It's just embarassingly childish behaviour, grow the ---- up. And the argument that "others spam more than me so it's okay for me to continue" is the epitome of that attitude.

Recently we have shown ourselves capable of having sensible OT discussions without flames, even on controversial matters and it has added a bit of interest to the board. We have creative people who post excellent art and writing. We can discuss other products with fairness, tolerance and humour. IMHO, all the signs of a mature board.

Then we have all these pointless one liners, cries of frustration at some minor thing that pisses you off at work or in your personal life. Why? Who cares? Damn, I could fill a page each day with that, but I don't.

And polls, endless, pointless polls. Just stop already.

As for people positively rating their own posts - you know we can see that right? You know we think, "My God, what a total jerk," right?

Is it asking too much that people, even male teenagers, exercise self-restraint?

[RustiSwordz]

[As for people positively rating their own posts - you know we can see that right? You know we think, "My God, what a total jerk," right?

I assume your talking to me and others like me, but you forget three fundemental points to your view.

1) Simply because i want to.

2) Who cares? A thumb a skull whatever, i grew out of stars when i was back in grade school for good homework.

3) I cant think of a third, ill let you know when i do!

[cappedup]

Ok heres controversy for you... as we have nowt to talk about as there is no game and no news (apart from the docking thing a bit back - nice that) there will be the majority of OT's.. CJ is right the button is there to mark the topics as such.. so why not have OT default to the topic and you have to mark it as on topic if its actually about one of the now really old games which brought us here in the first place.. Go on shoot away..

Second, I would support a ban on aliases, ive only ever had this nick and will only ever have one.. ( apart from that time i pretended to be a bloke called Gary) I kinda think its a bit like attention seeking.. someone said we should take responsibility for spam on one nick... hear hear!! No offence to you Rusti, king of flibs, just my opinion.

There you go my 5 euro cents.

[RustiSwordz]

There you go my 5 euro cents.

You mean my 5 undemocratically elected, gulag money for countries who dont get on with each other, except for greedy eurocratic buroprats.

Whoops! Thats for another time! LOL

@ Capped: No offence taken, Flibble sends his love.

[Roger Wilco]

If the ShadowTeam had been the Admins here, this would never have gone so far.

Good one CJ

We are watching you

RW

[Snokid]

if you are the shadow team, how can you have a fiery dragon as an emblem. I mean wouldn't that produce light and thus reveal where you are?

Is this comment relevant to this post or could you have PM'd it?

whatever. ....








there are really only a few ways to deal with spam:
let the spam be
destroy the spam n whatever way you like
limit the spam
put the spam somewhere else(as in a new part of the site; new forum?)

[The_Abyss]

if you are the shadow team, how can you have a fiery dragon as an emblem. I mean wouldn't that produce light and thus reveal where you are?

Is this comment relevant to this post or could you have PM'd it?

[pjknibbs]

That's freaky. How did Snowy apparently reply to The_Abyss's post before that post was made? I think I hear the "Twilight Zone" music starting...

[SteveMill]

[As for people positively rating their own posts - you know we can see that right? You know we think, "My God, what a total jerk," right?

I assume your talking to me and others like me, but you forget three fundemental points to your view.

1) Simply because i want to.

2) Who cares? A thumb a skull whatever, i grew out of stars when i was back in grade school for good homework.

3) I cant think of a third, ill let you know when i do!

I don't often pay attention to who posts something, just the content.