Post Approval for new members

[benny]

Hey Gav and Other mods!!

It seems to be a bit of an issue lately with newbies coming on and advertising or spambots posting!!

Had a quick look at smf manual and it appears that post approval is in the core for SMF 2. This would only need to be done for the first 10 or so posts to see that the member is legit!!

Is this something we can activate?? I understand its a bit extra workload, I for one would be happy to contribute time in approving posts.

Cheers,

Ben

[aidannn]

Can this be applied to the classified section so ppl don't come on just to sell their stuff?

Most forums have this sort of system and it forces people to contribute.

[DAZDA]

IMO, this is one of those catch-22 situations.  Presumably AusZCar forums would like to welcome all genuine  newbies to the forums.  But how do you know who the genuine newbies are?  Post Approval may well discourage newbies from posting or joining at all.

I’m not saying I have the answer (spambots and blatant advertising is extremely annoying), but there are always draw backs to any option.  If the moderators are happy to keep deleting posts/threads/accounts of spambots and blatant advertisers then is a change really needed?  Or if the members feel it is too annoying have these posts/threads on the forums then maybe something does need to be done.

Perhaps the moderators could give all the options available;
•   Newbies having to be (have their accounts)  ‘seconded’ by another forum member (probably not a viable option)
•   First 10 posts approved
•   No posting other than in the ‘intro’ section for their first few posts
•   Leave the forums as they are now
•   Other???

And then get the forum members to vote???  Or the moderators/administrators to vote (they are the ones that will have to do most of the work)??


But then again, what would I know.  I'm just a newbie who got his first post deleted and got flamed for it.   

[benny]

As i said only for the forst 10 posts. If people have a genuine interest in the forum they will be okay with it.  I work infront of a pc all day as do some of the other members and it wouldn't be a hassle to approve posts!!

Ben

[nizm0zed]

could the posts be approved by any registered member?
Then it'd be done by whoever is online and reading that post.
Sorta like the karma button.

Or alternatively, for the first 10 posts, have a button that anyone can select to 'flag' the new user for review and suspend thier posting ability until reviewed.
Again, policed by the general public.
Or maybe a combination of both?

[DAZDA]

This is a perfect example of the problem with this site...

After I joined and my first post got deleted, I got told ‘contribute’, ‘get some posts under your belt’, ‘meet some of the other members’, etc.  So I met some of the forum members the morning they were heading off to Thredbo, I have tried to contribute with some more use useful posts and more relevant questions (engine oil spec docs, questions about CoG and RoC heights, etc).  In this thread I tried to contribute a constructive and balanced view and get negative Karma for it.   

I don’t know if it is a few individuals or if it is a culture on this site (out of fear that every person joining is an Excel or WRX driving 19 year old RiceBoy with no f*cking idea), but as a newbie I can tell you it’s not very nice.  Even the more generic or ‘Rice’ oriented forums seem to treat newbies better.   


Hit me with more negative karma, let’s see how low it can go before Lurch kicks me off.   

[benny]

with you there dazda!! I really think this karma is over the top... i think maybe only a pos karma system instead!!

[BobsYourUncle]

I agree with DAZDA.

There's a difference between spam bots (no one wants them) and people doing the sell-stuff-first-post thing. I don't have a problem with people signing up here and trying to sell their car/parts straight away. Surely the members here often want to buy stuff?

If someone wants to sell their car, what else can they contribute? They're (usually) getting out of zeds, not into them. Sure they probably won't donate to the site, but if a regular gets a bargain/something they need, then surely that's a good thing.

When someone posts a first post sale thread, they get abused and -karma'd - that will turn them off hanging around and contributing. I think we need to be more welcoming.

You could make the for sale/wanted forums restricted to people with >10 posts/1 month membership or something, but as I said, I like being offered stuff for sale.

[Lurch]

Bede, don't worry about it.
Some people get all high & mighty about new members joining this forum - I CBF'd getting all upset about it now.
If a new member is a knob, they don't last long anyway.

The 10 post approval thing isn't needed, nor is the added workload.

[Jimbo]

Well said Bobs & Lurch,  I agree wholeheartedly...jim

[Ledge]

Hi
The problem is every one has a different opinion as to a legitimate member . If some one  joins a z car web forum to sell a z car or z parts I cant really see a problem with that as parts or cars become available that we as z fans are always looking for . It was this forum where I first saw the car that I now thrash the shiver out of at our local track here I'm Adelaide . And at that point I wasn't a member . I joined to give my input and show the previous owner and others that new of this car a chance to see how I finished it off . That being said I have read many posts and some from newbies which I still class myself as one get un fairly burnt and that is the main reason why I dont post as much as I could .
Every one has an opinion and all should have the right to speak up. Hopefully without burning others or yes that thread should be stopped. Nothing worse than spending your time reading a great thread to have it end up in a bitch fight or a pissing competition . 
I think its fine the way it is but it should be up to the moderators to tell newbies that its not right to sell with your first post .
But that's just my opinion
Paul

[Zedman240]

Like the last few posts have said, and I agree, I don't mind if people join just to sell Z related parts or cars; gives us a chance to buy something good before the rest of the world does, it's just the smart arse attitude some have if someone expresses their opinion be it about the price or whatever. Instead of handling it in a mature manner, they say and I quote "go and get fudgeed". All that is needed is an explanation why they joined just to sell and be honest about it and then I'm sure no one will get flamed. Just leave the attitude elsewhere.

[benny]

i agree with you guys... just getting sick of it... either we do the post moderation or people get over it!!

[AussieZed]

I reckon that it's actually pretty cool that this forum is having this discussion at all ... lots of other forums just have a lot of nasty back and forth on topics like this. So good on everyone for being willing to take the bull by the horns....

We've got to ask the question - would we rather that we had the occasional 'bot or first post seller, or that we drove away some 20 year old kid who's just got their first Z (likely full of rust and needing every bit of advice that anyone could give) and might be a lifelong member of this club. My call is its not worth missing out on the chance of a really solid member just to avoid the occasional abuser ... but that's just my opinion.

How about the mods just have a set reply to first time poster/sellers that says pretty much what the ad hoc posts have been saying - this is a community, and we prefer that people contribute to it rather than just treating it as another eBay or classified site.

I am (and have been) a member of a bunch of different forums like this. This has been the best in terms of people being really nice and super helpful - but also the worst in terms of just being savaged by people for perfectly innocent posts. So how about we all just think of every new forum member as the potential life member ... and try and avoid their first post being their last!!   

My 10c worth ....

R.

[chris240]

I think anyone that wants to sell parts on here should get the post approved firstly....I'll volunteer.