SPAM etc.

[Mario]

After reading recent stories about the ever-increasing SPAM in communities like this, I see no real way to fight spammers automatically. The only way is to keep them out first hand. So far, only users with an IMatch 3 license can join as full members (aka see all contents, create new posts and reply). All others are guests and see only minimal info.

To protect us from SPAM, I have decided to keep it this way. I will open some boards for guests (and search engine spiders) but only in read-only mode. To write posts or to join as full members, visitors must enter a community key code during registration. This key code is displayed in the photools.com customerWeb site (where you log in to download IMatch 5 Beta).

If somebody really wants to post without having a license, he can contact me via support and I will create a community user account for him/her.

This should be no hindrance for licensed users, and will keep spammers out - unless they buy a license for IMatch etc. But there are so many boards to spam out there, they usually take the easy way and it a SPAM protection is to hard, they go away and spent their time posting SPAM elsewhere.

Comments welcome.

[afx]

Sounds quite sensible.
The only negative impact is on people who want to have some pre-sales questions answered.
But compared to the effort of fighting spammers in other way (I am mod on two boards...) I think this is a much more efficient way.

cheers
afx

[Mario]

The only negative impact is on people who want to have some pre-sales questions answered.

They can always contact me via one of the official ways listed in the Support & Contact section at www.photools.com.
Pre-sales questions usually come via email anyway.

[Ferdinand]

Sounds like a good idea to me.  This is the same code for all users or one for each user?

I wouldn't undervalue the forums as a marketing tool.  I often read the forums prior to buying or installing something.  Perhaps I'm not a typical example.

Sounds like the moderators are going to have to start earning their money (?) soon.  We've had it easy so far.

[Mario]

Sounds like the moderators are going to have to start earning their money (?) soon.

If a SPAM company registers 50 users per day and floods the community with hundreds of users from proxied' accounts, no moderator can cope. They'll flood until the board closes, then move to another board. This can get real bad. I need to check about 10 new user registrations on the old user form every day - I had to enable the moderation queue for new users because automatic registration with email confirmation is no longer safe. The Wiki is closed for new users for SPAM reasons for about a year.

Guests can read so if a user wants to inform himself about IMatch 5, he can. It's the join and post that needs to be protected. I hate SPAMmers and I hope there is an extra level in hell for them. Maybe the same level hopefully reserved for software pirates.

[DigPeter]

This is a sensible approach.  The fact that certain boards will be read only will be enought to demonstrate that IM has a thriving forum.  No problem for me personally to log on.