Forum Nonsense!

According to...??

Cc already has one, and one of the drawbacks is that non-paying members may have the answer to a question from a pm, but are unable to post.

To Doggy_Style, Don't think that will work, think of a sockpuppet creating that many accounts in a month time before he can start posting.

Imagine a different qualification.... fifteen visits to the site, all on different days. Now you're in logistical nightmare territory for sockpuppets, spammers and ne'er do wells.

I do like the idea of a probationary type before they can start posting.

Try these measures...

New accounts:

Week 1:  you are allowed to post 1 thread the first week (exceptions for customer support/feedback forums), and respond to 10 threads/day max.

Month 1:  you are allowed to post 1 thread/day.

Ongoing:  5 threads/day maximum  

Login/Logout changes:

When you log out, you can only log back on with the same account, not a different one (control by IP and/or by cookie) until a 15 minute timer passes.

Posting changes:

Put a captcha check on every new post (not replies, just new posts) to prevent bots and to irritate/delay sockpuppets.

@btickler: that last measurement is not possible. An IP address is not static anymore. Your ISP can give you another IP address the next time you login. A cookie value is much more reliable than an IP address, although it is still not completely reliable.

They can, but they don't.  Most IPs are almost completely static, and change very occasionally, maybe once every several months.  If the sockpuppet in question knows enough about requesting a new IP for each login, they may get noticed by their ISP...regardless, it adds time and annoyance to the sockpuppet's day.  The only downside is that a legit account switch has to wait 15 minutes...maybe you could give the first switch free each day, which would handle most legit account switches.

Clearing cookie values are actually easier to handle for the average user...but I will add it anyway because it's easy to implement.

There's an important key here...you don't have to have foolproof measures at all, you just need to make the process annoying enough to the sockpuppets that they get tired of wasting their time, and therefore stop wasting everyone else's time.

Wizard_Esk wrote:

Perhaps a sub forum specifically for sport related stuff!

Why not just post then in off topic?

that's a good point, also fabelhaft is a very good contributor who doesn't play here. gameknot did away with their forums in the end, it would be a shame if the same happened here.

Here is an example above where this member should have his posting restricted.

Only sarcasm :P (Mostly...)

I understand the concer.  But my query is, can I become a GM if I work really hard for 90 days?  And why don't people resign when I want them to? And who was better: Bobby Fisher, Capablanca or Don Mossi? 

Why does my opponent take so long to move?!!???!!!

I think you'll find that his posting privileges have been restricted, in this thread, anyway.

yes say the expert sockpuppeter.

^new member seems to know how it won't work here.

Damn you, kco!! (I'm too lazy to edit my post)

That ok, everyone know that I am not a new member.