What is spam?

[beeg]

A first time poster with an ON TOPIC link?
Off topic link usually you don't see, because I disapprove the topic and ban them.
Unless they come back after approval an add a URL.
A large majority of the newbie's post in "General woodworking".
I just learned today that if a URL is edited out, that it still shows up in a quote. But it looks like in the quote, the link isn't active.

[chapmanruss]

What is spam?

The historical definition is, a canned meat product made mainly from ham produced by Hormel Foods Corporation.

Another is
S - something
P - posing
A - as
M - meat



Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[jsburger]

A first time poster with an ON TOPIC link?
Off topic link usually you don't see, because I disapprove the topic and ban them.
Unless they come back after approval an add a URL.
A large majority of the newbie's post in "General woodworking".
I just learned today that if a URL is edited out, that it still shows up in a quote. But it looks like in the quote, the link isn't active.

Certainly a first time poster with an on topic post is not SPAM. However, concerning a first time poster with an on topic link, "on topic link" are the operative words. That may or may not be a tough one. It seems to me many of these first timers don't really respond to the gist/essence of the thread. They make a quasi on topic post and then include a link that is very loosely on topic but in reality is only there to promote the linked web site.

Any link will show up in a quote if the quote is made before you delete it. I assume you are talking about my post in another thread concerning the hidden links.

viewtopic.php?t=30941&start=10

If a person (first timer) makes an on topic post with a SPAM link in it the entire post should be deleted and the poster banned no matter how on topic the post was.

JMO

[HopefulSSer]

If a person (first timer) makes an on topic post with a SPAM link in it the entire post should be deleted and the poster banned no matter how on topic the post was.

JMO

Agreed!

[beeg]

" Awesome data. Thank you.

Check out my webpage Cncsolesurvivor.Com"
This is what I see 5/25 times a day. I disapprove these and ban them and the IP.

[JPG]

Regardless of the definition of spam. any first time poster who includes a link that can only be justified as on topic by extreme rationalization should be disapproved and banned. I do not recommend the editing out of a link. Just get rid of it all. BTW on topic is automatic if the poster is creating a new thread. In that case a judgement of acceptability is required. Many of these are no brainers.(cyrillic characters, sex themes . . . .)

JMO

[jsburger]

Regardless of the definition of spam. any first time poster who includes a link that can only be justified as on topic by extreme rationalization should be disapproved and banned. I do not recommend the editing out of a link. Just get rid of it all. BTW on topic is automatic if the poster is creating a new thread. In that case a judgement of acceptability is required. Many of these are no brainers.(cyrillic characters, sex themes . . . .)

JMO

Totally agree!!!

[chapmanruss]

Since I have already had my fun with the name SPAM let me now get on topic. I try to give newcomers the benefit of believing they are really wanting to know more about Shopsmith tools. I was once one of those newcomers and all of you who were already members here welcomed me. Thanks.

There are the obvious posts that are spam and should be reported, not commented on and deleted. The reason I say not commented on is, once done, they somewhat live on. This is what has happened in the What can you safely do sitting down? (on a shop stool) thread. I think it is best if we report spam and very questionable posts and let them be deleted. Some "bad" posts are not so obvious and I have been taken in before. I don't want to scare off potential new members, but I don't want to be taken advantage of by malicious posters either. Some of you are better than I am at spotting these posts and I thank you for your diligence.

[RFGuy]

There are the obvious posts that are spam and should be reported, not commented on and deleted. The reason I say not commented on is, once done, they somewhat live on. This is what has happened in the What can you safely do sitting down? (on a shop stool) thread. I think it is best if we report spam and very questionable posts and let them be deleted. Some "bad" posts are not so obvious and I have been taken in before. I don't want to scare off potential new members, but I don't want to be taken advantage of by malicious posters either. Some of you are better than I am at spotting these posts and I thank you for your diligence.

Russ,

Thanks. I am happy to take whatever lead you suggest here. Sometimes the spam message is left in place and just the link is removed. Other members come along and see the post without the link and think, "Oh, a new forum member, let me respond to this legitimate post". To counter this, in the past, I have tried to post a reply indicating the post might be spam (in addition to flagging it for moderator review), sometimes quoting, sometimes not to warn other forum members. Often spammers even copy verbatim old Shopsmith or other forum posts and I will point out the plagiarism. Even this isn't enough to detour some forum members from continuing to respond to the spam post, even after it is pointed out to be spam. This is why I am leaning towards taking down all spam or spam-adjacent posts in the future, but I don't think all of the moderators agree with this approach? It does detract from threads when half of it gets sidetracked talking to a spammer that will never have anything constructive to add to the thread to begin with. I have tried to give new forum members the benefit of the doubt and some breathing room to express their question/comment, but sadly 99.5% of the time it tends to be a spammer. I don't want to perturb that 0.5% that are new members either, but until there is some agreement on the forum about how to handle spam posts, I think this confusion will continue. By the way, I have tremendous respect for the moderators on this forum and appreciate all of their hard work, so if they have any advice on how best to help them please let us know.

[JPG]

Use the existing method for reporting.