New Users, No Signatures?

[Cel-Shaded Deku]

This is a great idea, but I think that the best way of cutting down on the number of bots is that they can only customize signatures if they have 1 post and 1 reputation point (I think new users start with zero), or whatever the starting amount is +1.

Also, I understand that regular members have negative reputation, so in case they do not get positive reputation for a while, you could also add a limit on how long they have been a member - say a fortnight or so. What do you think?

Another thing - I've also seen bots VM themselves that are links to external sources. Is there any way to prevent that from happening?

1. I wouldn't add reputation to the list, 1-3 posts is enough.
2. Fourteen days is way too long.
3. I'm no expert but the only way to prevent that, that I can think of, is to not allow links of any kind.

 

[Vanessa28]

On another site they allow you to have a siggy after 10 and an avy after 12 posts. It shouldn't be that hard for devoted new members to post. I think the idea is very good. Spambots hardly make more than 1 or 2 posts

 

[Austin]

This honestly sounds like a pretty good idea. It can help us prevent bots from entering the forum, and help us decipher who is a bot and who isn't.

One thing I wish the Spam-O-Matic thing could do is go through the forums and trash all posts from the bot, because it's a pain with VBulletin's inability to track posts.

It does have a feature for that, but we don't get a lot of posts from spam bots, so I haven't really been able to use it.

It seems that a majority of people think that we should have 5 post count for the use of signature. Therefore, I'll go with that number.. Thanks for the input, it has meant a lot!

 

[DeletedUser9]

Might be too late for me to give input, but regardless, I think 5 is too much purely because most bots do not get that many, and if they do they can probably get more. And I know that it's easy for a normal member to get 5 posts, but we want this restriction for bots, not normal members. Yes some will still get through with only 1 post, but the numbers would be greatly reduced and frankly them "mooching off us" can't actually hurt us, it's only annoying. There's no need to restrict normal members past 1 post, no matter how easy it is to make 5.

Basically my reason is that 5 posts is completely pointless and doesn't actually make things any easier than it does harder; some aspects will be fixed but most will remain unchanged and it somewhat punishes normal members (although minorly, I'll admit). It's only 5 posts, so I don't feel the need to resist it or care that much all in all, but I still think it's pointless.