There are tons of forums and websites that have within their TOS that you must participate in some area for X-amount of times before allowed to post in the forum. Typically, you have to reply to other threads so many times before you're allowed to start your own.
I think this would be a great way to prevent people from signing up just to talk in the forums, starting one forum thread, or just to ask 1 question and never come back. It may also prevent spam because a lot of spammers seem to sign up and spam tons of hubs or the forums.
If people had to publish so many hubs following the guidelines before being allowed to ask questions or whatever.
In a way, that would make people have to read before posting threads that have been answered many times before or are answered in the 'help' section. It may frustrate people because they can't figure it out right away, but search the forums, there are tons of threads answering just about any 'how to' question on writing hubs.
To me, it may actually cut out the rif-raf, so to speak, who just post one time and never come back. This causes stats issues with hubbers and how many hubs are published, considered that most hubbers aren't productive or never actually publish anything. Again, it may potentially reduce spammers who post in the forums, and those who sign up to spam. It won't prevent spammers who mass spam hubs and don't sign up, but it may reduce something.
Excellent idea. If it could be set up so the "Need Help? Ask Here" forum was an exception, it would be perfect.
I don't think we should get too heavy-handed, though, and start making rules about writing Hubs first. That one rule would cut out the most annoying spam.
This has been my thought exactly, for quite some time. However, I remember someone raising a good point - what if a new hubber genuinely needs help? My suggestion is to only allow them to post in one place. Maybe that section will get more spam, but at least it will be in one place and much easier to moderate.
I Agree.... and it will stop spammers if they are locked out this way.
When I first joined up with AOL round about 1995 they had a new members forum and that was the only place you could post for about a month if I remember rightly.
You could read the other forums but not post.
I too think that would be a great idea for here:)
and a quota of posts per hub would not be a bad idea to keep down the noise from forum creepers only here to disrupt and annoy.
and everyone should have to read at least 10 hubs by other hubbers before they can post a question - because reading other people's hubs really does answer most of these redundant questions newbies post. However, I like very much that the only rules on HP are rules about treating each other fairly and using HP for good purposes . . . too many rules might make it not so nice and easy like it is now!
How would a rule like this 1) guarantee people are actually READING and 2) how would it guarantee that the 10 Hubs they read were quality ones that answered their questions?
I'd really like to see a question posting limit, especially in the Answer section. People with low author score should not be able to crank out endless questions. For instance, if your author score is 1, you should only get to ask one question per day at most.
And they should have donated $20 towards our Xmas Party Fund & agreed to wash the dishes on the day.... We can Name the Newbies .... Helper Gnomes
Excellent idea, let's hope hubpages staff are reading this and taking note
I also agree with Whitney but in regards to GirlyGirl's post there is always the help section that they can use.
But sometimes I wonder of HP likes the trolls here. You know, to stir up a little trouble and get the forums busy. I've heard of other writing sites doing just this. I know, I'll just ask HP staff. Yes, that's the ticket!
Hey Paul, Maddie, or other staff, does HP have their own trolls, paid or otherwise? Perhaps you guys take turns being the trolls on the forums? Yes? No? None of my business? What's the scoop?
Sincerely, your friend,
The snake
by girly_girl09 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...
by Jaye Denman 11 years ago
For the second time in less than a week, I just spent time opening "questions" that aren't questions, but nonsensical "garbage"--bits of a paragraph copies from somewhere and dumped into HP. In each case, I flagged them for HP, and they will likely disappear soon. But they harm...
by Carolee Samuda 13 years ago
There are some days when forums get tired of me, I am here every second.Been tired today so not much activity in questions and forums. I did not leave much comments on the hubs I read either, just a few.HP is penalizing me, I lost 4 points because of this. I hate being below 90, now I'm 88.......I...
by dellea 8 years ago
PROBLEM: Whenever I write a hub on a controversial subject, a number of people create new, fake hub accounts solely for the purpose of posting negative comments and feedback on my hubs and/or threatening me anonymously. These new hubbers have 0 (zero) hubs and no other activity, and they are never...
by Tony Lawrence 14 years ago
OK, I heard the objections to my idea of no hubs/no forum posts and see the validity.How about a mandatory "Introduce yourself" post that has to survive not being flagged by X number of people in X amount of time and if they pass, they have access to every forum. Otherwise, no...
by Carolee Samuda 13 years ago
This might be my last forum post because I am tired. I can't be wasting my time beating a dead horse.HP is a business and they need to start treating their business more seriously. They need a task force to sit and brain storm about how to keep spammers out in the first place.I know that I have...
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