Announcing the Spam Watchlist and other anti-spam tools

[Nick Barr]

Later today, we'll be releasing the Spam Watchlist — a new tool to help you fight spam.

This feature surfaces a list of people on your Ning Network that might be spammers, based on an algorithm that analyzes their content:

 

It's totally up to you to take action (either to suspend for spam or whitelist as not a spammer). All the Spam Watchlist does is let you know who seems fishy. You'll find it on your Members Moderation page, and you'll only see a link when there are any members in the list.

The algorithm will get better as you and other Ning Creators interact with the Spam Watchlist — it learns as you either suspend or whitelist members who appear there (if you choose to whitelist a member, they won't show up in this list again). For that reason, we recommend giving it a few weeks to warm up. If you have any feedback on the feature, please let us know using the feedback link that appears on the Spam Watchlist page!

In addition to the Spam Watchlist, we want to help protect your Ning Network from profile comment spam, which we know is particularly annoying.

Today, along with the Spam Watchlist, we're introducing a new checkbox that allows you to completely turn off profile comment emails. Obviously this is bad for engagement and not recommended, but we want to give you a last resort option in the event you're seeing a lot of spam. You'll find this option on your Email Settings page.

Additionally, in the next couple of weeks we'll start scanning profile comments for spam as they are posted. When we see suspicious posts, we'll be able to not trigger an email notification, or throw a CAPTCHA. We'll have more details on that in the coming days.

Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts.

[solo]

you guys are just getting more awesome by the hour..thanks and a +1

[Chris]

This is great. Good thinking, and the effects are up to NC's, not automatic. Looking forward to it!

[SweetPotato]

[Writer Chick {Diane}]

I like this.  Can't wait to see it in action on my site!

[Speed Racer]

Nick, you just earned yo self........A CARLTON DANCE! OH YEAH!

 

[Nick Barr]

yess

[Anthony]

Regarding turning of commenting, a better option would be to limit the amount of comment a new member can post on a profile.

All new member can only place 5 profile comment per day for the first 30 days unless NC lift that limit. I will some time have a member sign up and by the time I fetch a glass of water they already left 500 profile comment. They know they will get banned but their objective is to send out as many messages before that happen.

 

Limitation on new member is what we need....Maybe they can accumulate points to unlock features of the site.

[Chris]

I like this. A probation time - can't add friends / comment / reply, can only act passively for a week or a month (or a year)

[Eric Suesz]

Great minds think alike, Anthony. We've thought about that, so it's something we're considering. That type of ladder of privileges could be powerful -- provided it doesn't turn off new people from participating.

[Chris]

I agree, in fact I seem to remember I may have mentioned something like this once or twice before... <big cheesy wink>

[Brian Floe]

good thinking! I agree :)

[The PL Team (d&e)]

Killer implementation team!