How to Counteract Forum Spam

1. 0

   girly_girl09posted 15 years ago

   I have been seeing a lot of forum spam lately.
   
   I think it could be *greatly* reduced by only allowing new sign-ups to post under the help section until they've published one hub. After they've published their first hub, then they could post anywhere.
   
   I think this would deter a lot of the people who sign-up just to post spam links in the forums.
   
   Just a thought !

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      Capable Womanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Ya, but then maybe they would make even worse spam...imagine bogus hubs with nothing but gibberish that are created only to get the poster to Step 2 (forum posting).
      
      I dunno...
      
      I think ignoring them is probably best. If they see no results from their post, maybe they will go away..?

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         Uninvited Writerposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Um...people do that already
         
         Best way is to report spam when you see it on the forum.

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   JamaGeneeposted 15 years ago

   girly_girl, spammers don't join to write hubs, only to post a link to an outside website in as many threads as possible before HP cancels the account. 
   
   Requiring new sign ups to write one hub (or more) will not reduce or eliminate spamming, which is why it's important that the rest of us hit the Report button as soon as the first duplicate "messages" are posted.

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   girly_girl09posted 15 years ago

   Right, since spammers don't join to write hubs, they wouldn't be able to post spam under my proposed method.
   
   In order to use the forums, a new user would first have to write and publish a hub. Spammers aren't going to take the time to write and publish a hub just so they can post spam on the forum.

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      lisafwg01posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      What would stop a spammer from posting a 200 word ad as a Hub and then start posting on the forum?
      
      Not to mention that some people ask questions about writing a Hub before they actually write one.
      
      Best bet is just report, IMO

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   darksideposted 15 years ago

   We have had some hubbers come and ask for advice before publishing a hub. Sometimes they have trouble even getting started.

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   Kelsey Tallisposted 15 years ago

   I agree that reporting it as soon as you see it is probably the best way to handle it (and don't respond to or quote it). Especially (as darkside pointed out) when some new people want to ask questions before they publish. If they're uncertain about what they are doing and have to publish a hub before they can ask a question, they may just get discouraged, give up, and go elsewhere...
   
   All forums get spam, and spam levels will always fluctuate.

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   Eaglekiwiposted 15 years ago

   How to I get rid of a fan , didnt relise til too late that she was a spammer.

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      JamaGeneeposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Use the DENY button next to that fan.  That'll remove them from your fan list.

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   HealthCare Basicsposted 15 years ago

   I agree to reporting spamming when you see it. When I first got up and running I had some major issues navigating around but got good advise through the Q&A and forums sections. Still, I need to dig on more to get my hubs looking attractive.

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8. 0

   MangoGirlposted 15 years ago

   When you see a thread with zero replies and a strange title you instantly know it's a spam. I don't think these people mean any harm. They're just naive... maybe.

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   MangoGirlposted 15 years ago

   Forgot to say, I'd make a different forum section for ads and would not allow links in any other forums.

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      Ivorwenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Links can be very apropriate, depending on the question.

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         brad4lposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. I don't think there is anything wrong with sharing a link, as long as it is not done for advertising or some sort of personal gain.
         
         I am not so sure that an Ad section is really all that good of an idea either. I don't think it would really add anything to hubpages, other than another avenue for spammers. If you need to place an ad, there is always craigslist, ebay, or AdWords.

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    Janettaposted 15 years ago

    I know waht you're trying to say girly girl. Makes sense, not a bad suggestion. Ofcourse then we might just end up with spammers all over the need help sect. or like lisa said--posting an ad as a hub. I don't know if there is much at all *we* can do against spam other than report it. Maybe HP can conjur up some method for detecting them before they get that far. magic spam wand maybe.... 

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    Uninvited Writerposted 15 years ago

    Please don't feel sorry for spammers...they are scum, nothing less. They are fully aware of what they are doing.

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       Mishaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Not always Just recall some fellow hubbers spamming stumbleupon or MIXX in a fair attempt to "promote"

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          Shadesbreathposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          That's true.  When I first signed up for HP, I read the how-to stuff in the Help screen and saw all the "share it" stuff, and it seemed like I was "supposed" to go to MIXX and other places to "SHARE"  lol.  I realize now that I was doing exactly what I blow people off for now, so, I guess I can cut people slack too.  I mean there's chronic spammers, who should all me smeared with jelly and strapped to an ant hill, and then there's ignorant spammers who will take advice and chill.
          
          It's pretty easy when you're totally new to all this stuff to be so hopeful and enthusastic and want people to read your work that you don't realize there's a whole back end to how the system works.  Takes awhile to sort through it all, especially when just using the technology is confusing, much less understanding how the larger, social rules work juxtaposed with the advice you get from the "make money online" folks.

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    Uninvited Writerposted 15 years ago

    Yes, but I'm talking about the ones who join up and posts the same post 5 times or more in a minute. If they don't think that is wrong then they are not smart enough to have an Internet account... And I'm not talking about Hubbers who post their own hub URLs.

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    Mishaposted 15 years ago

    Yeah Shades, exactly my point. Not on Hubpages, but been there too
    
    Susan, don't know about you, but I know myself can be a total dumb ass

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    freelanceworldposted 15 years ago

    No body shd be allowed to post anywhere except One Board (help section)
    before he/she completes some 3 or 5 Hubs (of c course Non promotional)
    
    This will cut short every shit off rest of forum.
    Simple

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