Dealing with Spam Threads

Hello everyone,

I know this is a bit off-topic, so we can delete it once the general opinion is clear. Also, we should remove the word "important" once we have a few opinions. However, I still think it's worth addressing this topic.

We have quite a lot of low-quality threads here – see, for example, the one that was locked last night, which is by no means an exception.

However, I wonder if blocking is a sensible measure, because on the one hand, it clutters up the forum, and on the other hand, it degrades the search function, which certainly also searches through the blocked threads, and therefore provides little useful information for the person searching.

I would prefer to delete such content rather than simply blocking it, perhaps with a modification where it is first blocked and then deleted after x hours ( @Rainer: Can the software do this automatically?). Then the user who posted the content would receive feedback, but there would be no unnecessary "junk."

I would only apply this to threads that start with nonsense (like "how do I build an LDA," "what does AGR mean," etc.). We should NOT block legitimate threads that are "derailed" by someone posting pointless questions, but rather just delete the irrelevant content to preserve the actual discussion.

What do you think... please click on your favorite.

Best regards,

Jan.

Simply deleting something causes problems because the same content reappears. This wouldn't be the first time. I think we should find a constructive way to address this, but as I said, just deleting it won't solve the problem. Experience in other forums also shows that there's always tension when a moderator deletes something 'for no reason.' This morning, I was tempted to delete a thread because of blatant stupidity, but given the situation, I just closed it for now.

Perhaps the access questions are simply too easy.
Generally, I have to say that the trend towards superficiality, repetition, and a lack of depth is increasing here. There are hardly any truly new topics anymore. It's always the same: performance loss, stuttering, starting problems, and tuning (no offense to your revised tuning article, @ulf). It's all been discussed countless times before. The suggestion to use the search function often results in: 'I searched, but I didn't find anything relevant.' Which is nonsense, because there are often at least 20 threads with the exact same problem or something similar. Other users then react rudely and discourage such comments, because they don't have the time or desire to search.

'I've often handled things this way recently and have missed a lot. However, that's not the forum's concern, as there are many others who will then spread misinformation and nonsense.'

Hi,

I usually handle things by first locking a post and providing a reason for it. However, if a post is deemed inappropriate or simply silly, I simply delete it and ban the user (which is unfortunately sometimes necessary, but thankfully very rare).

From time to time, I go through and delete locked topics that have little informational value. When I get around to it and how thoroughly I do it is another matter...

It would be great if the forum software had a "block and delete after x days"(*) function, but I haven't implemented anything like that yet.

In other forums, there's a "junk pile" for this, but the effort required to modify the search function so that the "junk pile" isn't included is also present (although it seems to be easier than *).
The disadvantage of this solution, and therefore why it was not implemented: an additional forum would increase loading times and enlarge the backup.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello,

I would be in favor of:

Locks with a deletion notification that are implemented after a certain period of time (ideally automatically).

Perhaps a comment in the thread should be either hidden or deleted.

The lack of substance in this thread could harm other threads and will therefore be deleted at (date, time)

to give the writer something to think about

My ideal scenario would be an automated "nonsense ratio" for each member, similar to where x opened threads resulted in y being deleted, possibly combined with an automatic forum cleaning function (-> members are deleted if they exceed a certain threshold).

Whether the rate of intellectual disability should be displayed in, for example, a profile or as a symbol bar (like stars) is still something that needs to be discussed.

My ideal scenario would be an automated 'nonsense ratio' for each member, similar to where x opened threads resulted in y being deleted, possibly combined with an automatic cleaning function for the forum (-> members would be deleted if they exceed a certain threshold) .




How about a Mc. Donald's-style marketing strategy? Something like 'Employee of the Month,' but instead, 'User of the Month.'

hi,
It's nice to see another thread like this pop up again.

But who decides what is junk and what is not?

Hi,

Quote:

But who decides what is junk and what is not?

Good question. Rainer is the admin, so he's the one to ask in case of doubt.

Personally, I believe that any strategy that relies solely on a single use of the search function and/or a cursory review of the list of articles is useless. It doesn't address any specific aspects and only provides superficial information (e.g., which hose goes where, how to connect an LDA). In my opinion, such an approach is simply garbage.

Then there are things that are definitely not junk, such as in-depth questions, or those that go into detail or suggest that the person asking has already extensively researched the issue.

And finally, there's the "gray area"... and in those situations, mercy should prevail over strict adherence to the law.

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi!
"Lately, I've also been getting very frustrated with the same topics being raised repeatedly, often when they've already been discussed just a few posts below. That's why I've been leaving comments in the past few days. I would be very sorry if the truly interesting topics and discussions were ultimately lost in the noise. My suggestion would be: delete them immediately! And perhaps send the author a private message or email. However, I'm skeptical about a "nonsense rating"... Instead, it would be better to follow Rainer's approach and get rid of these fleeting posts, ban users, and generally make it more difficult to post in the future."

Best regards,
Dirk.

@kamil

The question is a good one. In reality, the forum's terms of use determine this. The administrator established these rules, and they are binding. Anyone who registers here agrees to them and 'pledges' to abide by them. So far, these rules haven't been strictly enforced, and hopefully, they won't be in the future. However, unfortunately, there are always individuals who blatantly ignore both the rules and instructions on how to use the search function. It takes a lot to disregard all these guidelines and then post such content. I don't want to be discussing the types of seat covers and which processing methods are more absorbent in two months. This is a technical forum with a core focus on diesel engines, and it should remain that way. The posts mentioned sometimes make it a bit boring and tedious. As I said, often, the search function can resolve these issues. If there are still questions after that, it's no problem to find a solution, but writing without even trying to search first is not the right approach.
@marco

I don't think your solution is bad. However, what happens if a real competition starts around this 'employee of the month' program? Then there will be even more of these recurring posts!

@all
'Overall, I think Rainer's approach is already quite good. Personally, I don't want to take it upon myself to delete anything. I've also been rather conservative with using the 'lock' feature so far, and I want to continue to be. And to ensure that remains the case, everyone here needs to contribute. So, folks, let's pull together, and I'm especially talking to new forum members. This should remain a technical forum, not a place for idle chatter!'

Hi everyone,

I'll remove the word "important" because it pretty much says everything already.

Here's another relevant link on the topic:

http://www.lugbz.org/documents/smart-questions_de.html

"How to ask questions effectively."

While it concerns open-source software, it can also be applied to our forum with minor adjustments.

@Rainer: If you need help with occasionally manually deleting older, locked threads... just let me know.

Best regards,

Jan.

.l.. it's always the same: loss of power, stuttering, starting problems, tuning (@ulf - this isn't directed against your revised tuning article). It's all been seen before many times. The suggestion to use the search function then results in 90% of the time: 'I searched, but I didn't find anything relevant.' Which is nonsense, because there are often at least 20 threads with exactly the same problem or something similar...

Hi,

While duplicate or nearly identical threads can be annoying and boring, they also have the advantage that, over time, it becomes possible to quantify which problems occur most frequently.
I don't think we can always expect something new. Where would it even come from? TDIs are probably so mature now that there are only a few remaining weak points or problem areas that are likely to repeat themselves.
Feel free to delete anything that's truly nonsensical. However, it should be allowed to use your imagination and ask 'what if' questions, even if they are somewhat unrealistic.

Stay cheerful...

Eike.

Hi,

Quote:

But it should be allowed to sometimes indulge in a little imagination and ask "what if" questions, even if they are not always very realistic.

That's not what it's about... I don't think anyone has ever banned her, quite the opposite, everyone likes to create things like that .

Initially, I was mainly interested in questions that could be answered immediately with a single search.

Best regards,

Jan.