Andrew wrote:My comment on moderation - if I see something amiss, I'll deal with it. But I won't waste my edntire day breaking up 5 minute bitch-fights between regulars on here - cause they should know better - and it never lasts.
True.. they simply morph into other fights... and correct, everyone should "know better"... yet they don't because they all still wind up fighting... and you always wind up coming in and taking corrective action... sort of "fly-by" moderation. if you will...
Andrew wrote:As for the wider lurking audience - they simply have to jump in and sink or swim. Take a bit of crap and give it back. But at the same time, I won't let anyone bully new users just so they can proove they have a bigger (ie smaller) dick.
And yet they haven't joined in - or that multitude of lurkers are invisible... I'm thinking its the former...
Andrew wrote:And for the last 2 years, this forum is actually closed to new users, unless they contact me or T-Bone direct, as there are about 200 spambots per day that sign up and no one has time to kill all of those once they get into the system.
Plus the fact some users were signing up 3 times a day under different names
A future board upgrade should help that though.
I'm sure that closing the board has resulted in fewer new members alone...
Fighting spam, approving new members, etc., are all things that are part of the daily regimen of moderation and will not disappear with new forum software... and as all forum software is eventually compromised by spammers... who's livelihood is to figure out how to circumvent security measures... There will still be the requirement of a live person coming in and cleaning crap up.
I appreciate the difficulties in running a board... and recognize it is your site.. you make the rules and run it as you please... I'm just relaying what has been my experience... Best of Luck!
