Close threads after 12 months

[TerryH]

Why are threads left open?

It seems BSAC is under attack yet again by spammers using old threads.
How about simply letting the site software lock them after 12 months?

Even if I was desperate to respond to a post in 2006, I can cut & paste or
link in a new post, so what's the point of keeping it going?

[Nigel Hewitt]

It seems BSAC is under attack yet again by spammers using old threads.
How about simply letting the site software lock them after 12 months?Because they'll just click random threads until they find an open one.

[TerryH]

Because they'll just click random threads until they find an open one.

Er no.

Without the availbilty of the archived posts, the accessble ones are seriously
reduced in number and the mods have a lot less to chase after.

Ok you'll still get some posts, but you wont get all these resurrected ones.

[Vic]

It seems BSAC is under attack yet again by spammers using old threads.
How about simply letting the site software lock them after 12 months?

That will have little effect, if any.

The spammers are generally automated systems. They keep probing until they are stopped. They are currently attacking old threads because their attacks on new threads fail. But that hasn't stopped them trying to create new threads.

If you want to stop the spammers, you have to stop them acquiring posting privileges in the first place. And, given the *huge* number of spammers who have registered but not yet been banned, it's going to be a while before we get a reduction in the attack rate - nevertheless, the longer we put off doing something, the worse the problem will get.

Vic.

[Vic]

Er no.

Er yes.

Without the availbilty of the archived posts, the accessble ones are seriously reduced in number

That doesn't matter. The spammers attack across the fora. If there is a place where the posts get through, then that is where the spam turns up.

They also appear to be running some sort of rudimentary feedback system, so the trend in attack site changes slowly over time. Thus if there is a place for legitimate users to put posts up, that is where the spammers will try to put posts up.

We are only going to address the spam problem if we make some attempt to distinguish between spammer and legitimate user. No such distinction exists on these fora. No such distinction is planned for these fora.

and the mods have a lot less to chase after.

I don't think that will make any difference whatsoever; I believe that all the mods use the "new posts" facility to find new activity. This shows up the spam whether they are new threads or continuations of old threads.

Ok you'll still get some posts, but you wont get all these resurrected ones.

You'll get the same number of spam posts, and you'll have reduced the capability of legitimate usrs to continue a discussion.

It's debatable whether or not the harm to legitiate users actually matters - but it's not going to do a thing to stop the spam, so I don't actually see the point.

Vic.