Hi Terry, Exactly right. The spammer loses credibility, the imitator falls into a false sense of accomplishment and loses credibility as well.   The forum  owner loses time and possibly good posts will be ripped off with the deletion process. Thanks for stopping back with these good points.

Hi Mary,

The simple solution to stopping spammers is to set your forum to moderated.

The problem is that it means you have to check every post and approve befor it will show.

On the one hand you get to delete the posts that are pure spam, off topic, or just not acceptable without them showing up. and without deleting posts that were made after the ones you reject.

On the other it will reduce the number of people willing to post.

Bill, The solution you mentioned is a viable one. However, most do not want to take the time to do so. It is difficult to keep a conversation because you wait for the forum owner to respond. I have had threads I wanted to make moderated but you can only do that to the entire forum. Personally I stay away from moderated forums. Here's the problem: If one is imitating bad business practices such as spam which you mentioned. The offenders simply go on to another spot. There are many unvisited threads and forums where one can post forever. It is possible to spam many in a short time. It is a waste of time. The dilemma is that if you are watching a what you think is successful marketer and you see it done then do the same. That is what is happening here. We are multiplying the problem. This forum simply points out, you are wasting time, choose who to imitate as you are hurting yourself and anyone who emulates you.

Hello Mary,

I have a moderated and unmoderated forum.  When I had just the moderated one, I sometimes wished I had chosen to have it unmoderated, so I set my 2nd one up that way.

I had a fellow post a new thread in the unmoderated one and I was unsure of what to do with it.  I finally decided to leave it because I really didn't know the protocol and it was a good article.  He had previously posted it and I had moved it then he posted it for the 2nd time.

I just visited Jill's forum and she states PLEASE DO NOT POST A NEW THREAD.

Had I done what she did, I wouldn't have been faced with that particular dilemma.

Sincerely

Terry 

Hello Terry,

When you create a forum you control it no matter what. It part of your membership and her is entering your benefitted area.

You can state for anyone to ask permission first and if they do not then delete them and say why. 'Your house, your rules.'

Have a good evening

Kenneth