Make spammers pay.

[deanm (Dean)]

How about IIS membership attracts a joining fee?
It doesn't have to be much - $1 would be enough to get rid of 99.9% of the spammers - and, if paid by credit card (which identifies the would-be 'member'), would get rid of the other 0.01%
What do folks think?!
Dean

[xelasnave]

Spread over 12 months I certainly could afford it.
Alex

[LewisM]

Can we claim it on tax?

You know, the Save the Austronomy Nattering Club tax deduction.

[deanm (Dean)]

My suggestion was a serious one - I think most of us wouldn't have a problem (given how much our kit costs!) with forking out $1.
Anyone know how many IIS folk we currently have?
Apart from getting rid of the spammers, Mike could put the funds to good use - how do we put the suggestion to him (Mods?)?!
Dean

[xelasnave]

Its great idea.
Alex

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by deanm

My suggestion was a serious one - I think most of us wouldn't have a problem (given how much our kit costs!) with forking out $1.
Anyone know how many IIS folk we currently have?
Apart from getting rid of the spammers, Mike could put the funds to good use - how do we put the suggestion to him (Mods?)?!
Dean

Just send Mike a PM.

[xelasnave]

I have been thinking about this and could imagine the following working...

A membership fee is charged, you get a certificate which you can proudly display, a T shirt with something neat ..Saturn , or best photo posted last year, it being an honor to have been voted best photo, Reference to membership, right to attend annual Christmas party and the "clubs" special star party weekend featuring special guests.
Maybe a calendar and a or at least membership would entitle such purchases...

Maybe consideration could be given to hosting astro photos..there is a real opportunity here maybe big money involved...

You don't have to be a paid up T shirt wearing member to visit but if you want to post well payment is necessary.

Ordinary folk could visit but set up in an appealing and beneficial way (value for money not a cash grab) membership would be seen as a smart thing to do...you now belong to the most prestigious astronomy consortium in Australia...keep it Australian..that will add value.

I really could see turning a problem (spam) into a vehicle to generate income.

Alex

[xelasnave]

A privilege would be that you could use the forum to sell stuff.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Dean I think your idea is fantastic and the sky is the limit.
The beauty is genuine folk will not be scared away but will line up to get in..
Well done.
Alex

[deanm (Dean)]

Thanks Alex: it's pretty simple, & I admire simplicity.
Dean

[rally]

We rarely say it or acknowledge it but the moderators are the workhorses of a forum, a bit like the small committees of a traditional club - they do all the work and usually just get complaints for their compensation !
So thanks guys and gals.

If spam is such a problem I doubt that anyone here would object to paying $1 as a once off joining fee.

Cant even buy half an icecream with $1 these days !

Although I could just imagine the amount of work involved initially with the processing of 10,000 of individual transactions !
Maybe that fee is voluntary for all existing known members who have say more than 10 posts that haven't been flagged as spammers or suspicious and the fee applies to all future members.

Then its not a lot of work, but still a task someone needs to perform.

Then there becomes the issue of IIS being a paid service and once money gets involved there is always someone who wants to interpret the free service differently !

The question is will this stop the spammers or is there enough money in it for them to keep trying ?

Or are the other suggestions sufficient to stop them ?
Probably would be -
So as a suggestion - maybe we could provide the ability to allow any IIS member who has say been active for more than a year or more than a predetermined number of posts have the ability to hit the "Delete Spammer" button - it could either be the real thing or just a hide until verified by a mod
Maybe with the proviso that this can only be done on a poster with say less than 3 posts or similar to avoid accidentally spamming a legit member who posts something off beat without thinking about it !

But either way it frees up the Mods and harnesses the ever vigilant monitoring of the whole community during their normal browsing.
I think we would all get some satisfaction out of hitting the button on obvious spam.
Get the collective to be the detective !

[RAJAH235]

As I mentioned....
re; A newly registered Acct.on forums.mozillaZine.org (phpBB)
"They" can post in most fora but "their" posts will not be open to public view until
vetted by a Moderator.
There's only one forum where a NON registered user can post comments, ask for help with log in problems etc., or spam the thread.
These are usually reported by the regulars & killed off very quickly.

Not sure if similar features can be implemented in here.
Be good if they could.

[xelasnave]

I awoke at five thirty to take in the Moon which I happily report was there and beautiful.

However Tinty is worse that ever.

Pages of dribble that makes no sence.

I mean a decent add would be tolerable.
I don't understand how who ever the human behind the spam derives benefit.

Switch off ability to make member applications unless a mod is on deck maybe.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Note the recent post in site feedback where a member is getting emails from Tinty spammer...
Alex

[multiweb (Marc)]

I doubt introducing a fee would stop anything. Problem needs to be treated at the root to free the mods.

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by rally

We rarely say it or acknowledge it but the moderators are the workhorses of a forum...

True, but Andrew is a workchicken...

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by LewisM

True, but Andrew is a workchicken...

That's Mr Workchicken to you.

[LewisM]

Oh yeah, sorry Mr Rooster

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by rally

We rarely say it or acknowledge it but the moderators are the workhorses of a forum, a bit like the small committees of a traditional club - they do all the work and usually just get complaints for their compensation !
So thanks guys and gals.

Thanks Stu.

Originally Posted by LewisM

Oh yeah, sorry Mr Rooster

hmmm... that's better and let's leave it at that.

[RAJAH235]

A Q? re; The income derived from "anyone having to pay to post/register?"

Would that cause Mike to have to add that "income" to his tax return?
It may not amount to much but, you know what the Tax Dept. is like.........
Just asking.