100+ spam messages from the same new user

[Steve Freides]

We use a XF add-on, Spam Cleaner Everywhere, and it works very well. Its purpose is to let me, while in the moderation queue, flag spammers. This add-on, in combination with a recommended-and-implemented User Promotion, means I see every newly-registered user's first posts in the moderation queue every morning first thing. Typical on my forum is a few new posts from the overnight hours, and I'd estimate a 50/50 mix of legit new users and spammers.

All this is fine.

This morning, I found 125 new posts in my moderation queue, and it turns out the first 123 of them were from the same new user. The Spam Cleaner Everywhere add-on was brilliant - flagged the first one as spam, went to the bottom of the page and Updated the moderation queue, and 123 were gone and I only had 2 left.

But I would like a way to limit the number of posts a newly-registered user can make so that I don't get 100+ from a single user any more - just a waste of everyone's time and resources to even allow this to happen. Is there a place in the ACP where I could limit this?

Thanks in advance.

-S-

 

[Chris D]

There may be add-ons that can limit posts by new users, but I'm not confident it would work against posts that are effectively "not valid" in that they are moderated posts rather than visible, and therefore these add-ons may not actually count them.

Whether a spam user creates one post or 100 or even 1000, does it really make that much of a difference? I don't really understand the waste of time and resources point. The spam cleaner will do its job, admittedly it would take marginally longer to loop through the content, but we're talking a matter of seconds, if that.

If it wastes anyone's time, it's the spammer. Especially if the flood timer is set to 30 seconds (which it is by default). This would mean that the spammer would have to wait 30 seconds between each post, so it would have taken them the best part of an hour to make 100 posts, all for it to be removed in a matter of seconds.

If you have reduced the time allowed between each message, that may well allow them to make more posts more quickly so you may want to look at increasing it (though I wouldn't generally recommend increasing it beyond 30 seconds, it can be annoying for legitimate users).

 

[teletubbi]

Give registered user only 10 posts per day. And this must be in moderator queue.

After that they are promoted to the next stage. For example second group "approved members"

So if you come online in the morning every new user have only 10, or what ever you want, post in queue.

 

[Chris D]

The concepts you discuss there either aren't part of XF or won't solve the issue. "10 posts per day" is not a concept we have in XF at all, so this may be an add-on. I would expect that to only count valid posts, too, but I guess that depends on how the add-on has been implemented.

 

[teletubbi]

You are right.
It is daily post limit

https://xenforo.com/community/resources/th-daily-post-limit-by-themehouse.1919/

Installed it for other purpose but do a good job in this case also.

 

[Steve Freides]

If it wastes anyone's time, it's the spammer. Especially if the flood timer is set to 30 seconds (which it is by default). This would mean that the spammer would have to wait 30 seconds between each post, so it would have taken them the best part of an hour to make 100 posts, all for it to be removed in a matter of seconds.

If you have reduced the time allowed between each message, that may well allow them to make more posts more quickly so you may want to look at increasing it (though I wouldn't generally recommend increasing it beyond 30 seconds, it can be annoying for legitimate users).

My ACP search on Flood found only a multiplier for discouraged users - where would the primary value be located, please?

I also found a Registration Timer but that doesn't seem to be what you're talking about - that's time for registering, not time for posting.

Thanks.

-S-

Flood Time Multiplier

The standard minimum time between messages can be multiplied to make discouraged users wait longer between posting. Enter a multiplier here.

 

[Steve Freides]

Never mind - found it under Message options, will experiment.

-S-

 

[Steve Freides]

I found mine Time Between Messages was set to 20. I changed it to 60, and gave permission to the group Verified to bypass the flood check.

This should help what I need to happen, happen.

-S-

 

[AndyB]

You might like this ad-on:

https://xenforo.com/community/resources/new-content-limit.5078/

 

[Steve Freides]

@AndyB, that looks good. I am, for now, going to see if my solution using the built-in tools will suffice. I can increase the time between messages to an absurdly high value if I wish, since most legitimate new users only post a single message, anyway, and perhaps include the fact that this time limit exists in my notes to new users during the registration process.

But, yes, that add-on would do exactly what I need.

-S-

 

[AndyB]

I can increase the time between messages to an absurdly high value if I wish

I think you will find this solution to be less then desirable. Sometimes members like to post two messages in a relatively short time. I suggest the time be set to 5 seconds and use the add-on to prevent new content flooding.

 

[Steve Freides]

@AndyB, I promote my users to the group called Verified after their first approved post, and I have granted members of Verified to bypass the time limit entirely. The only people who will actually experience the value are people who are members of Registered but not Verified, and that means only people who've signed up and have their initial posts waiting for me in the moderation queue.

-S-