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comment by mk
mk  ·  3366 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Feature request: Better options for spam comments

We just introduced a captcha this weekend, but a number of spam bots are on the inside of it. Give us a couple of days to sweep them up, then let's see what the spam activity level looks like.





user-inactivated  ·  3365 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I hate to break it to you mk, but I'm doing my insomnia aided spam filtering right now and it looks like some of the bots (like this bum here) have been able to bypass the captcha. Might I make a suggestion that might help? What if you implemented a control that limits a person to one post an hour, and maybe x comments an hour, until they've had one full hubwheel filled up. That would definitely take care some of the more aggressive bots, like the one I just linked to.

ooli  ·  3365 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I hated that option on Voat. It's not welcoming of new users.

I guess mk and tng dont really care about having many users. But not allowing full access to the site from the get go, and limiting the need to share and comment, make a bad first impression.

So far the best option seems to come from Reddit:

A delay of a few minute (it must be variable) between interaction. For human it is bearable, for bots, they're probably thrown in a frantic pattern, where they cannot post, nor find the right delay.

user-inactivated  ·  3365 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    I hated that option on Voat. It's not welcoming of new users.

Yeah. I can see where it'd be a bit frustrating for new users. On the other hand though, it might give them time to get adjust, get their sea legs so to speak.

    A delay of a few minute (it must be variable) between interaction. For human it is bearable, for bots, they're probably thrown in a frantic pattern, where they cannot post, nor find the right delay.

Isn't Reddit's delay only 8 minutes? Does it really make that much of a difference?