Solved prefix on zero reply threads

[coldcritter64]

I've been noting an increase in spam threads with the [Solved] prefix with zero replies. I've hit a few in the last couple of days it seems.

The latest one "How to install games in Mac book" sadly had 70 views and was in general for 2 hours with a ton of links to TV shows. Seems like a success for a spammer having that many links visible for such a long time. Maybe no reports were sent in (until I spotted it) or the staff may have been busy beforehand even if it was reported.

Would it be possible to automatically flag any thread marked [Solved] with zero replies for checking by staff or even block it being posted with the prefix set with no replies ? I'm thinking if a genuine user were to mark a thread solved after asking a question they should at least add a post to explain for others reading how it was solved even if no answers from helpers were available.

So a single reply (even from the OP) should be enough to not flag the post for a further check/blocking on a [Solved] tag.

Maybe a possibility to further frustrate spammers here, I don't mind losing a few potential beans by automating the "spammer frustration"

[coffeecat]

Would it be possible to automatically flag any thread marked [Solved] with zero replies for checking by staff or even block it being posted with the prefix set with no replies ?

Thanks for the idea, but I don't think that would be easy to implement without custom code. In fact, spam is a fraction of the problem it was when I first joined the forum staff. But, as ever, we are grateful for any ideas to combat this scourge and grateful to the ever-vigilant members who report spam posts the staff have not yet spotted.

The different ways spammers try (and usually fail) to blend in seem to come and go like fashions, adding a [SOLVED] prefix being just one of them. Except that many of the ways are fairly daft. A [SOLVED] prefix on a zero-reply thread is a fairly obvious, "I'm a spam post, I need removing" type message. Perhaps it's a useful marker!

[coldcritter64]

... Perhaps it's a useful marker!

Yeah, that is how I normally spot them now. You are right things have improved vastly on past times, I just seem to have hit a few in a row over a couple of days. Usually they are gone before more than half a dozen views rack up, that particular one got 70 views and was still standing ... surprised me a bit I suppose. I thought the custom code needed may make it difficult.

I'll mark as solved now this has a reply Cheers.

[coffeecat]

that particular one got 70 views and was still standing

The view count includes views from people not logged in. At the moment, the ratio between logged in and guest visitors to the forum is "152 members and 30857 guests", which seems to be higher ratio of guest viewers to logged in members that I have seen on other forums. Whether that has any significance or not I don't know.

Let's hope that most of those 70 were failed spammers who couldn't work out how to navigate SSO login!

[mörgæs]

If a poster wants to share a good idea or a workaround in stead of asking for help there could be a legitimate SOLVED thread with only one post.

[coldcritter64]

If a poster wants to share a good idea or a workaround in stead of asking for help there could be a legitimate SOLVED thread with only one post.

Ah, yes, I didn't think of that possibility. I have seen one or two of such posts over the years now you mention it.