Spamed Threads

[mick pinner]

this is not a thread started to join the spammer junkies just an observation and suggestion.
if spam is interpreted as comment not related to a particular topic or something created to get of topic then 80% of threads are infected, some members jump into threads with some of the most useless and pointless comments that l for one don't read any further and skip to something else.
l don't see spam in general chat as a problem, it will dissapear when the novelty wears off.
l would be more concerned with the people that post just for the sake of posting and run threads off into all sorts of tangents that lead nowhere.
you will never control all the people on the forum with so many varying ideas and personalities so give them somewhere to spam, spam, spam, and in my opinion that would be general spam, sorry i meant chat.

[astrogeek (Leon)]

Here, here. Opps I did it again!

[davidpretorius]

also, i hope it doesn't escalate too much further than it has...

[acropolite (Phil)]

Mick, there are many forum members that don't like spam. There are also different types of spam. The problem is that the spam has risen to a level that is considered by many members to be excessive, and the moderators and Mike are getting complaints. Having something witty to say or add isn't bad, but most of the spam posts are neither witty nor have anything to say.

[mick pinner]

l agree Phil but telling someone not to do something is the surest way to get them to, don't make a fuss and the novelty wears off.

[rumples riot]

I tend to agree Mick. Spam has been going on here for a long time. I joined here in 2004 and it was rife then. I was only through carefully discussing the issues with the offenders that it generally dissolved. It comes and goes all the time.

The trouble is that you will find that everyone in the top 10 posters (and I do mean everyone) has spammed threads at one point or other. I can name one individual that spams every single day and nothing has been done about their behaviour. Or if it has why has this person not been disciplined?

Spam was originally, agreed amongst the moderating team as being allowed in the General Chat area and forbidden elsewhere. I stick by this rule as I think that it is unfair that peoples serious threads should be contaminated with nuisance posting.

I do think though complaints have been around long before you were a moderator Phil. People have been complaining about the top three spammers for a long period. The trouble is that rulings are so indescriminate and the rules are not applied evenly. For instance this weekend no spam at all while Mike is away. Yet spam is not as tightly controlled while he is here. This is one reason why Ken left. You cannot have a set of rules and ignore them yourself. It flies in the face of all how come here.

In short, something needs to be sorted.