Forum restrictions for new users!
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:43 am
Our Anti-Spam forum system seems to have caused some confusion recently.
Let me explain how it works:
New users are automatically placed in a "new users group" that has several forum features restricted. Among them are Private Messages, signatures and most importantly topic/post moderation.
When a new topic or post is made, it will be checked by an automated system. If it is made by a user belonging to the new users group, contains links, or is otherwise suspected as spam, it will not appear on the forum. Instead it will be sent to a moderation queue where it will stay until a forum moderator approves it, or in cases of spam rejects the post. Except for the involvement of a human moderator, the process is automated and impersonal.
Once a post is approved it appears on the forum at the correct time and place where it was posted. Please remember that editing an existing post will cause the system to once again check the post. If the edited post is sent to the moderation queue, your enitre thread may dissapear from view. Moderators as a rule never delete user content, so if something you posted dissapears, it has been sent to moderation. Simply wait and a moderator will come along and ok the post.
This is an inconvenience we dislike putting users through, but it is an effective way to combat spam. The forum attracts very high levels of spam and the use of moderation prevents spam posts from appearing and from being crawled by search engine bots, which is very important to spammers.
Users are moved from the new users group to the normal user group automatically once they make enough posts on the forum. Once this happens there is no notification, the restrictions are simply lifted. All features of the forum become available and new posts are less likely to be subject to moderation.
I hope that clears up some of the confusion. On behalf of the staff here, i once again apologize for the inconvenience.
Let me explain how it works:
New users are automatically placed in a "new users group" that has several forum features restricted. Among them are Private Messages, signatures and most importantly topic/post moderation.
When a new topic or post is made, it will be checked by an automated system. If it is made by a user belonging to the new users group, contains links, or is otherwise suspected as spam, it will not appear on the forum. Instead it will be sent to a moderation queue where it will stay until a forum moderator approves it, or in cases of spam rejects the post. Except for the involvement of a human moderator, the process is automated and impersonal.
Once a post is approved it appears on the forum at the correct time and place where it was posted. Please remember that editing an existing post will cause the system to once again check the post. If the edited post is sent to the moderation queue, your enitre thread may dissapear from view. Moderators as a rule never delete user content, so if something you posted dissapears, it has been sent to moderation. Simply wait and a moderator will come along and ok the post.
This is an inconvenience we dislike putting users through, but it is an effective way to combat spam. The forum attracts very high levels of spam and the use of moderation prevents spam posts from appearing and from being crawled by search engine bots, which is very important to spammers.
Users are moved from the new users group to the normal user group automatically once they make enough posts on the forum. Once this happens there is no notification, the restrictions are simply lifted. All features of the forum become available and new posts are less likely to be subject to moderation.
I hope that clears up some of the confusion. On behalf of the staff here, i once again apologize for the inconvenience.