There has been a lot of talk about spam and spamming in forums and threads.

Now we all know what spam on the forum level is - we may differ somewhat in our various individual definitions of it, but we're all more or less in agreement on what is and what isn't spam.

However, I realize that I really don't know what spam on a thread level is. That is, what kinda post would be considered spam, thus earning an infraction and/or post deletion, and what kind would be considered just a troll that should be left there no matter how offensive?

Boy, you'd think that after doing this this long I would know by now...

Well, I don't know if it's our job to start judging threads post by post, that just seems like a lot of work to me. I've always just judged a thread on a whole: if the majority of it is crap, I'd close it.

I mean, I'd delete a post if it has sensitive information (personal, source, etc), but everything else I'd leave alone.

My two cents.

One example I can think of is the poster your enemy. He spams threads. Posting links irrelevant to the thread or long articles/rants not relevant to the thread are spam in my book.

I am the reigning champion of interior spam.

Eat it OlRaw. :)

I tend to edit or delete this sort of thing when I see it. Page stretchers don't seem to be an issue anymore and I haven't seen any super long nonsense spam in a thread in a while; This may just be because I haven't really been looking at SG.

I am the reigning champion of interior spam.

Eat it OlRaw. :)

:( Quit rubbing it in.




Oh, if there's a long post with irrelevant material, then I'd consider that as spam.

What about posts that are nothing to do with the topic and instead is just a attack on you?

I used to delete those. But a couple of people made a good argument for that being an abuse of power, and not figuring to bother Zok or AM, I just stopped doing it.

I've also removed posts that are just an uncalled for attack on another user... So it's not like it's because those kind of posts bother me - they are a little irritating - but mostly because it's just irritating to see crap like that - no matter who it's about - in the middle of an otherwise mediocre or above thread.

Still, I think you owe Stupid Noob an apology ...

I think I use a more laissez-faire approach, like Social. If the post isn't explicitly against the rules, I try to leave it alone.

I allways though blank posts were spam.

I allways thought a poster posting things like

Post1:
S
Post2:
P
Post3:
A
Post4:
M
Post5:
L
Post6:
O
Post7:
L

was spam. I delete things like that.


Please dont tell me I've been fucking up again..





I also thought that it was okay to edit in a caution in posts where someone has posted a link to something unpleasant/scary/icky.

No, you are right, that is spam and should be treated as such.

As for editing in warnings for unpleasent/harmful links, that is up to the person posting them to do.

And if they don't I will edit out the link and give an infraction for posting harmful links.

Please dont tell me I've been fucking up again..


You have done a grave thing: infringing on a poster's right to create an artistic statement by posting one letter of a message at at time. For shame. ;)

*rips Moderator badge off of yoyobek's uniform*

What about posts that are nothing to do with the topic and instead is just a attack on you?

I used to delete those. But a couple of people made a good argument for that being an abuse of power, and not figuring to bother Zok or AM, I just stopped doing it.

I've also removed posts that are just an uncalled for attack on another user... So it's not like it's because those kind of posts bother me - they are a little irritating - but mostly because it's just irritating to see crap like that - no matter who it's about - in the middle of an otherwise mediocre or above thread.

I agree, we are almost duty bound to leave up personal attacks on us (or rather move them to B&M). Although if those attacks become spam (ie 'Meta is faaaagggggg!111' threads everywhere then of course deletion is necessary).

Attacks on others really depends on the situation. There is a rule about trying to be nice. I've had to slap down a couple of posters (Gus, Carbon B) for going over the top . 'slap down' =edit out comments and leave a reminder that there is border that shouldn't be crossed.

But often such attacks are simply replies to attacks on themselves. And if you call someone something nasty then you needn't come crying if they flame back and hotter.