Should Gransnet delay the first posts from new posters?

I understand, why you are suggesting this.

Some of the new posters are obviously spammers, but easy to spot, because they are trying to sell something or are obviously offensive.

It may be an idea to vet, but how exactly do you know that a cry for help is genuine or not? How long would the period be?

To be honest, I scroll by the ones that display screeds and screeds of text, with no paragraphs. I find them so difficult to read ( hurts my eyes) and hard make sense of.

Yes. Good idea.

I think it’s a good idea Elegran obviously it would rid us if the real naughties like todays overwhelming supply of cxxx

I think re a genuine post, as long as it was done as quickly as possible by the admin, it would save all our head scratching, and as many of the dubious threads lately have turned out to be banned posters (once reported) it would take out that whole layer wondering is it, isn’t it and stop a lot of the so called nasty posts to perhaps genuine new posters
👍🏼

Good idea 👍

I agree with Marydoll.

I would like to think we are old enough to cope with a few idiots and most of them are so easy to spot.

I do that as well, Marydoll and I avoid posting on the ones which are obviously just spam. It is this morning's botfly spamming session of an automatically created flood of new threads that need some kind of barrier. Cries for help don't normally crowd out all other posts.

There is a need for SOME kind of control - and if we discuss this openly on the forum, it might give GNHQ a few ideas on how they could defend the forums against such blanket bombing of our conversations.

The simplest way, surely, to stop the bots’ posts being so visible is to report them without commenting, and for posters to comment (even if it’s just ‘bump’) on other threads so they rise to the top of their relevant forum and appear instead in ‘active’.

It is not the "few idiots" that are the most trouble. It is the professional "influencers" who use automatic artificially created posts and bulk spam posting to stifle real posters. They are a menace on all social media sites - and also on other genuine internet sites too, where they can maliciously close down sites with their activities. This is the bad side of the freedom of the internet. Not resisting it is tantamount to collusion.

I don't think so. I'd rather there was some rubbish on here than new posters had to wait.

Siope

The simplest way, surely, to stop the bots’ posts being so visible is to report them without commenting, and for posters to comment (even if it’s just ‘bump’) on other threads so they rise to the top of their relevant forum and appear instead in ‘active’.

I agree, Siope. By starting new threads on the AIBU topic we are extending that policy (well, I am - I assume others may join me soon). The latest botfest was under AIBU so these threads are pushing the whole of the bot's missives down out of sight. As long as no-one else posts on one of them, it will stay down.

If the title of the bot-thread is still visible it is a temptation to other posters to read it and post - and not every poster is aware that a new post on a thread moves it up to top position. I am trying to spread that knowledge to everyone by having threads at the top of the AIBU topic (and thus of the whole list ) which point that out.

NotSpaghetti

I don't think so. I'd rather there was some rubbish on here than new posters had to wait.

An automatic check that the new poster had not previously been banned under a different name would not take long - about as long as the bot took to join GN and start their 80-odd new threads.

Oh dear! I've been on Gransnet for some time but don't contribute much though I find many of the topics very interesting. I hope I can still stay!

NotSpaghetti

I don't think so. I'd rather there was some rubbish on here than new posters had to wait.

I agree..

Me too, Marydoll, re long posts with no paragraphs. I just can’t be bothered to wade through them.

I don’t really see why new posters should wait. It’s usually easy enough to spot the non-genuine.

No.
It's a chat site, not a new job.

One thing I would like GNHQ to add are ways to respond to a post instead of a written reply. A bit like Facebook with likes, loves, sad faces etc.

People often remark that someone is "new', when they're not at all.

Nobody knows who someone is, or what motive they may have.
In which case, we have a forum full of psychics.

This morning was horrendous, I saw one title about witches and did not read further.
I think it is a good idea re bots,trolls ect, but admin must act quickly as a new poster should not have to wait long for what they have written to be posted, especially a genuine one who maybe unwell, or crying out for advice.

I saw a few of those ones, too.
Its pretty obvious what the motive is in those cases.

Its spam.

MissAdventure

I saw a few of those ones, too.
Its pretty obvious what the motive is in those cases.

Its spam.

True, this morning was the worst I have ever seen it.

I agree with Marydoll

MissAdventure

No.
It's a chat site, not a new job.

I want GN to be my new job, I would be quite dedicated. Why is there not a job that involves me faffing about on the internet all day.

I think admin have enough of a difficult job without making them vet every new poster or post.

I don't think HQ can have one rule for new posters and one for old hands.

If a post arouses suspicions, report it. I sometimes see that someone has posted that they've reported a post but people carry on responding to it rather than just ignoring it until it's dealt with.