

Do not allow newly created accounts to create new threads - mellampudi

For the past couple of days I see that there are advertisements being submitted to HN.
For example.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=523061
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=523001
And the accounts through which these threads
are submitted are just created (2 hours and 1 day in the above cases). 
I thought we can prevent this by not allowing
user accounts created within a couple of days to create new threads or by not allowing user accounts with 0 or lesser karma to create new
threads.
Any thoughts ?
======
mooism2
These attacks are probably automated, and it would be trivial for the spamming
software to be updated to get round these restrictions. I don't think it would
take long.

The cost would be that HN would be less welcoming to newcomers.

That's a permanent loss for temporary gain, and I don't think it's worth it.

I think your idea can be improved on:

(a) instead of hardcoding conditions that we think indicate spamminess, the
server should be keeping track of what characteristics spammers tend to
display (sprinkle Bayesian magic pixie fairy dust here)

(b) new threads that are neither clearly spammy (banned) nor clearly unspammy
(allowed on as now) should be provisionally allowed on the new page, but then
banned should a single reader flag it, without the intervention of a moderator

(c) moderators should be able to unban threads if need be

The important thing is: although we have to play whack-a-mole with the
spammers, we must take care to play whack-a-mole at as high a level as
possible and not have to worry about the details.

~~~
aj
<i>(b) new threads that are neither clearly spammy (banned) nor clearly
unspammy (allowed on as now) should be provisionally allowed on the new page,
but then banned should a single reader flag it, without the intervention of a
moderator</i>

Don't you think that will start flagging wars or egregious flagging without a
just cause? I think a score should be maintained by tracking how many users
flag an article and based on a combination of Bayesian filtering and user
reputation (karma) and perhaps some other factors, the post be killed or let
remain.

~~~
mooism2
Maybe.

I was thinking that if the server marginally decides a thread isn't spam, it
should be easier for readers to overrule it, and so classifying threads into 3
threads is better than into 2.

I think your idea is better.

------
allenbrunson
spam isn't just a problem for "the past couple of days." there have been a
flood of spam submissions for probably a year now. they all get killed
eventually.

pg has the situation under control. if he needs to take further measures to
handle the problem, i'm sure he'll do whatever is necessary to keep things
running smoothly around here.

------
alnayyir
I concur with this proposal.

