Watch whatever online

[Tiiba]

These threads are legion. How come you don't get something to filter them out? They have a very simple pattern to them - names start with the word "watch", lowercase, end with "viooz", and have a ton of links in them. Why not just ban this pattern?

Maybe they'll change the pattern to circumvent the filter... Or not. Either way, this joke is getting old.

[Douglas]

Creating a filter like that requires not only designing the filter, but also the infrastructure to support there being a filter mechanism at all. I strongly suspect that no such infrastructure exists in the software these forums use, and creating it would be a much greater challenge than making the actual filter - and a filter as simplistic as you describe would likely have a high error rate and be easily circumvented.

The mods are calling for applications to join their ranks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298595), and whenever they finish selecting recruits that should help.

[ChristianSt]

Even if you are able to automatically filter certain posts you will have problems:

The filter might discard post it should discard - which is imo really bad (even if it gives feedback for it, it just creates bad experience especially for newer board members). Funnily enough I think it would be really hard to make a filter that discards a meaningful amount of threads without discarding this thread (Reading the thread-topic I was prepared to hit the report button) - and the naming pattern isn't that easy than you make it (sure, some you might get with that, but certainly not enough to make it worthwhile).

But even if such a filter exists then the next problems is that it might just force them to make better fake posts, which makes it harder for regular users to discard such easy spam-threads. [And I don't think we reach the end envisioned in xkcd (http://xkcd.com/810/)].

[Jormengand]

Lots of them don't follow all, or even most, of your criteria. Many legitimate posts will have "Watch" in their name and a ton of links, while many spam posts will only have a ton of links.

[happyturtle]

Listen, and understand. That spambot is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.



In other words, report it and move on.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Please just report offending threads and we'll take care of them as promptly as possible.