As I wrote in the forum a few weeks ago (http://fold.it/portal/node/985949 #8 and #15) allow posting links only to players who achieved at least "Baby Steps" or "Sidechains".
The same should apply to links in profiles.
Negative examples: http://fold.it/portal/user/130664 http://fold.it/portal/user/128179 http://fold.it/portal/user/130456 http://fold.it/portal/user/130907 http://fold.it/portal/user/130749
I've never seen a spammer who played Foldit even for 3 seconds so I think this restriction would help most.
unfortunately this would also block people that are having problems with installation/login/etc. We do get get questions from time to time about these problems from people that have never actually been able to login.
i know it's just links, but sometimes this is important, and spammers will simply leave it typed out, or find a different way usually. Perhaps a spam button can be implemented, that if 5 registered users click it, it will remove the offending post until a moderator has the chance to view/approve/deny it ?
Like the +/- voting buttons on BOINC that were so heavily abused that they've been shut off on virtually every project?
I guess we could try it using the existing voting buttons and see if it gets abused. Maybe this group is better mannered.
Very on topic - I see new SPAM from 'deLi' on a handfull of forum posts.
Maybe just a faster way to get admin attention? The SPAM button could email a handful of fold.it team members who might have different schedules for better coverage.
I will be working on the solution to the spam problem. Please send me links of spam content. I will analyze how they got there past the current spam defenses, delete them and adjust the website accordingly.
-Ilya
I think the idea of Steven Pletsch to block people, who have not played even one single puzzle is good.
To help those people, who can't even log in into the game, we could create ONLY ONE single thread open for all, which is cropped from time to time.
This should work, as the newbs problems are most time similar.
In addition, as Brick said, a SPAM button is also a good idea.
Suggestion
Restrict new players to selected topics in forum and other areas of foldit, until unlocking a preset lever of "Achievements" as in madde idea.
The restriction would be only for reply/submit of posts. They would be still able to view all post on forum/feedback/foldit blog/news.
I think the threads that would help people who are “having problems with installation/login/etc" should be open, other threads could be restricted.
Bump.
Great idea.
User that have at least "baby steps" should be able to post anything on forum/feedback.
Re: forums, a similar restriction already exists on many different forum sites, where users cannot post any links on the forum, until they have created at least 5 posts. A similar idea could be adopted on the Foldit forums.
