Banned for post count spamming, please may I have an explanation?

[gupsterg]

Hi,

As per title I'd like to know why I was banned? as in my view I hadn't done spamming.

Regards
G

[kalniel]

A mod may respond privately with a full explanation as we're not privy to the details, but some thoughts:

Post count spamming is a bit different to normal spam - it's where people are making posts solely in order to get the free postage offer. We've had a real spate of it recently to the detriment of the forum as older threads get dragged up while some new person just adds a sentence or so with complete disregard for previous posts - someone may have asked for advice 2 years ago, so to get a quick 'you should get x' at the bottom is really unhelpful and makes the forums less information relevant for everyone else. Other times people just bump an old post with nothing useful at all.

Usually non-contributory posts like that are just removed, but I think there was such a huge number that mods implemented a temporary suspension and you may have got caught. But don't worry - you were not banned, and we very much look forward to your posts - as a non post count spammer the short suspension has no ill effects in the long run! Welcome back

[Saracen]

Hi,

As per title I'd like to know why I was banned? as in my view I hadn't done spamming.

Regards
G

Well, from a quick review it doesn't look to me like you have, either. But I'm away at the moment, on a very intermittent connection that's taking about a quarter of the age of the universe, or so it feels, to do a single page refresh.

If it's still outstanding when I get back, I'll have a closer look.

At a guess, a very rapid 20 posts, and then the post rate falling off a cliff, looks very much like post-count spamming, which ISN'T the same as spamming. The offer Scan extend is supposed to be for contributing members, not people posting 20 posts to get free shipping, then stopping.

We always have reserved the right to zero postcounts, or even ban, spammers or post-count spammers, though sometimes we monitor and/or enforce that more diligently than others. You may have been caught accidentally in a clamp-down, and the best way to neutralise that is to keep posting well beyond 20 posts, because anyone posting 20, 21 times, or so, in an hour, then stopping, IS going to set off alarm bells.

[gupsterg]

Thank you very much for your post and PM , your words make me feel better about what happened .

Totally agree the free postage offer must attract spammers like magnets! the free postage offer does appeal to me as a tight git but TBH not a biggie for me as only use Scan 2-3 times a year at most.

Someone on HUK had highlighted this feature of Hexus membership to me but my posts were not in anyway to spam but were to help.

The only one which I thought was cheeky (necrobump) was this Forum avatars... how? but after reading the thread I felt compelled to post! LOL but perhaps my bad in hindsight!

Even if that post made bells ring at Mod / Admin HQ I really felt my previous post's would have shown enough thought or content to not be classed as spammer.

Anyway will tread a bit carefully until mature as a member here .

At a guess, a very rapid 20 posts, and then the post rate falling off a cliff, looks very much like post-count spamming, which ISN'T the same as spamming.

Hi Saracen,

Thank you for your post and view, the reason for the posts dropping off was the banning. I joined 19th March, banned on 24th March, reinstated 31st March. I did visit after the ban lifted but thought it prudent to wait a few days before posting again.

TBH my working life means I can be online virtually all the time, on VWAF I have over 5000 posts. On some occasions I'll do 5-10 posts within minutes on that site. Recently started branching out online .

[peterb]

Your posts attracted a couple of reports. There is a pattern to post count spamming, and some of those posts fell into that category, and so you account was suspended, initially for seven days.

In fact the suspension was lifted before the seven days was up.

But thank you for returning and asking for an explanation, which we are delighted to give. 😊

We look forward to your future contributions.

[gupsterg]

Hi Peterb,

Thanks for replying , I returned as I really felt ashamed for several days looking at my login name with banned for spamming and wanted to know what I'd done to be banned.

Without an explanation I couldn't reconcile things in my mind.

Just to show I didn't join just for free Scan postage offer I will not apply for it until I reach 100 posts or 3 months of forum membership (which ever is longer).

Bit confused which posts would have made peeps click report? but guess I can't be privy to that information.

[Saracen]

Hi Peterb,

Thanks for replying , I returned as I really felt ashamed for several days looking at my login name with banned for spamming and wanted to know what I'd done to be banned.

Without an explanation I couldn't reconcile things in my mind.

Just to show I didn't join just for free Scan postage offer I will not apply for it until I reach 100 posts or 3 months of forum membership (which ever is longer).

Bit confused which posts would have made peeps click report? but guess I can't be privy to that information.

Well, what generates a 'report', like moderating, is a judgement call and as such is as much art as science. We generally encourage people to report anything they consider deserves it, but it doesn't mean we'll necessarily agree. It may not even have been the content of posts, but the posting rate that looked like post-count spamming. I guess we've put out the message that we'd rather people reported, and drew our attention to things they suspect, than not report and let things that should be dealt with slip by.

I have to say I'm impressed by this tone of this thread. Often, such threads are ..... aggressive. This one has been a model of how to handle your .... erm, concerns. It is the absolute antithesis of someone spamming for free shipping, and not wanting to engage beyond that.

So, after a slightly sticky start, welcome to HEXUS.

[Knoxville]

I have to say I'm impressed by this tone of this thread. Often, such threads are ..... aggressive. This one has been a model of how to handle your .... erm, concerns. It is the absolute antithesis of someone spamming for free shipping, and not wanting to engage beyond that.

So, after a slightly sticky start, welcome to HEXUS.

This

For reference, if you want to look less suspicious in future just take the mick out of me for something. It's easy done and it'll help you blend in

[gupsterg]

Hi Saracen,

Great explanation and thanks for it , I totally agree on the ethos being encouraged to members and yes my post rate on some days was a bit high. Especially the day I got banned, perhaps my new signature will help peeps know my affliction and not to click report! LOL

Yes I was upset by the ban but without constructive dialogue I'd never have been able to have got an explanation, so I guess as my intentions were good as such set the tone for thread.

Anyways on with the posting

[Knoxville]

In fairness mate, before the forums got rebooted back in 2003 I was king of the high post count per day, the only difference was that back then post counts weren't tied into any rewards so they just beat me with sticks instead of suspending me. Some unruly members of the mod squad who will remain nameless may have even changed my avatar to a can of spam at one point to reflect that... So I had to become one of them, then it was back to business as usual

[gupsterg]

In fairness mate, before the forums got rebooted back in 2003 I was king of the high post count per day

...

Some unruly members of the mod squad who will remain nameless may have even changed my avatar to a can of spam at one point to reflect that...

...

... So I had to become one of them, then it was back to business as usual

[excalibur2]

Well mods can be human..I once had a temporary ban on a different forum because in my post to a mod I mentioned that he kept going off topic talking about his cat...well his cat he loved had just died (I didn't know this) and got an instant ban, well it was overturned by some one senior about 2 days later on review.

[Saracen]

In fairness mate, before the forums got rebooted back in 2003 I was king of the high post count per day, ....

King?

Oh, hell, no. Nothing so mundane.

More like Galactic Overlord.



What was that about taking the mick?

Still, you know the old adage .... if you can't beat 'em, recruit 'em.

[herulach]

OP has 5 posts in this thread - is he the most cunning post count bumper ever?

[sammyc]

The orange & reds are doing pretty well out of the thread too blatant touting for thanks, I say




/runs

[peterb]

Well mods can be human..I once had a temporary ban on a different forum because in my post to a mod I mentioned that he kept going off topic talking about his cat...well his cat he loved had just died (I didn't know this) and got an instant ban, well it was overturned by some one senior about 2 days later on review.

True, we don't always get it right, as this thread shows, so my apologies!

OP has 5 posts in this thread - is he the most cunning post count bumper ever?

Well in that case I'd let it go for sheer inventiveness and 'neck'

The orange & reds are doing pretty well out of the thread too blatant touting for thanks, I say




/runs

Surely not...

(And you can run


But you can't hide, Molesworth.

(As ne fule kno )