Forum Improvements

[blackberry]

Hi Mods,


So here goes:

(1) Would BHW consider deleting all posts and threads made by permanently banned members or at least hide them so they are only viable to moderators.

(2) Remove (or hide to mods only) all threads in the marketplace created by sellers that no longer offer services or haven't made a sale in say 6 months (or are banned for whatever).

(3) Offer an escrow service for the marketplace (BHW could take a cut etc)?

I feel this would clean up the forum considerably and in the marketplace might possibly result in more sales for the remaining sellers there.

 

[blogzandstuff]

Ban useless polls?

 

[blackberry]

Ban useless polls?

Not a bad idea. I second that suggestion!

 

[Deleted member 923340]

+1 for escrow service.

Pros and Cons for BHW owners.

Pro -
Percentage from escrow
Trust in BHW marketplace

Cons -
Fewer sales threads by Shady sellers - (less jrvip membership, less money)

 

[blackberry]

Oi @Turhan and @dhia27 whats the deal voting no on my suggestions?

 

[Zwielicht]

(1) Would BHW consider deleting all posts and threads made by permanently banned members or at least hide them so they are only viable to moderators.

No. Just because a member has been banned doesn't mean their content is useless.

My response to your second suggestion is also relevant to this one.

(2) Remove (or hide to mods only) all threads in the marketplace created by sellers that no longer offer services or haven't made a sale in say 6 months (or are banned for whatever).

On October 30, 2016, I asked Diamond Damien if he could remove my old marketplace thread as I was still receiving service requests long after I closed it down. He let me know that he generally doesn't remove marketplace threads as, "it removes indexed content and can affect other people's post and like count". Therefore, I can't see this happening.

(3) Offer an escrow service for the marketplace (BHW could take a cut etc)?

The quote below may interest you.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/w...s-escrow-and-buying-services-over-pms.930503/

This is something we can look at providing in future if it appears necessary. Until then, use regulated escrow providers only - either a bank service, escrow.com or paypal arbitration (never use friends and family payments for services as you have zero protection).

 

[blackberry]

+1 for escrow service.

Pros and Cons for BHW owners.

Pro -
Percentage from escrow
Trust in BHW marketplace

Cons -
Fewer sales threads by Shady sellers - (less jrvip membership, less money)

Hey why would you think its a Con to have less threads by Shady sellers?
After all less is more sometimes (better quality etc)

 

[Deleted member 923340]

Hey why would you think its a Con to have less threads by Shady sellers?
After all less is more sometimes (better quality etc)

+1 for escrow service.

Pros and Cons for BHW owners.

Cons -
Fewer sales threads by Shady sellers - (less jrvip membership, less money)

 

[blackberry]

No. Just because a member has been banned doesn't mean their content is useless.

My response to your second suggestion is also relevant to this one.

On October 30, 2016, I asked Diamond Damien if he could remove my old marketplace thread as I was still receiving service requests long after I closed it down. He let me know that he generally doesn't remove marketplace threads as, "it removes indexed content and can affect other people's post and like count". Therefore, I can't see this happening.

The quote below may interest you.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/w...s-escrow-and-buying-services-over-pms.930503/

Hey thanks @Zwielicht

(1) Yeah good point there. What about at least making say an Archive section and move all banned members content there. I just figured it would result in less clutter and I am sure you agree that for members who are not banned their content is usually looked upon more favorably etc).

(2) Thanks for that link, I did however read it before. @Apricot writes some good stuff, nice and concise!

You have a devious mind

 

[Zwielicht]

(1) Yeah good point there. What about at least making say an Archive section and move all banned members content there. I just figured it would result in less clutter and I am sure you agree that for members who are not banned their content is usually looked upon more favorably etc).

I think the archive idea would work better for your second suggestion. @Asif WILSON Khan actually made the same suggestion back in October. https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/closed-bst-section-in-the-marketplace.977667/

When it comes to posts made by banned members, I don't like the idea of archiving them. Moving their posts (not threads) from one thread into an archive would make a copious number of threads unreadable and confusing. At most, I could see the suggestion of locking threads created by banned members as a plausibility, but anything beyond that seems cumbersome and quite possibly not worth the effort.

Insinuating that the marketplace mods, admins, and forum owner allow abysmal content through for a few extra bucks is in poor tastes.

 

[blackberry]

I think the archive idea would work better for your second suggestion. @Asif WILSON Khan actually made the same suggestion back in October. https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/closed-bst-section-in-the-marketplace.977667/

When it comes to posts made by banned members, I don't like the idea of archiving them. Moving their posts (not threads) from one thread into an archive would make a copious number of threads unreadable and confusing. At most, I could see the suggestion of locking threads created by banned members as a plausibility, but anything beyond that seems cumbersome and quite possibly not worth the effort.

Insinuating that the marketplace mods, admins, and forum owner allow abysmal content through for a few extra bucks is in poor tastes.

Thank you @Zwielicht,

I wasnt aware of @Asif making that suggestion.

Yeah, I can see how it might be administratively messy archiving or moving them. What about editing them and summarizing then? After all lets say there is a thread with a banned OP and there was say 15 pages of content. In that example if the thread was edited by a mod to summarize content that was important it would be great, since some thread replies are pointless and with a banned member whats the point of keeping 15 pages of content when maybe 2 pages have actually useful/actionable content.

 

[Deleted member 923340]

Insinuating that the marketplace mods, admins, and forum owner allow abysmal content through for a few extra bucks is in poor tastes.

Hey, chill man, I am not insinuating anything. Just thinking like a black hatter. After all, this is one thing I learned from blackhatworld, to quote @blackberry "having a devious mind".

 

[Zwielicht]

Thank you @Zwielicht,

I wasnt aware of @Asif making that suggestion.

Yeah, I can see how it might be administratively messy archiving or moving them. What about editing them and summarizing then? After all lets say there is a thread with a banned OP and there was say 15 pages of content. In that example if the thread was edited by a mod to summarize content that was important it would be great, since some thread replies are pointless and with a banned member whats the point of keeping 15 pages of content when maybe 2 pages have actually useful/actionable content.

I'm going to use a real life example to respond to your suggestion.

Meet @oxonbeef. He's a former Exeuctive VIP member on this forum and a banned member as of 2014. Oxonbeef has 2,240, which doesn't include posts he's made in the lounge. Here's a rather pointless thread he created in 2009, which I've closed to prevent any members who are reading this thread from bumping. We, the moderators, would have to read through all of his posts in that thread and then merge/summarise them in a way that still makes the thread readable.

Furthermore, if all of us moderators started dedicating time to editing posts to summarise them, the peanut gallery would try to use this as "proof of censorship on Black Hat World". Not that their opinion matters, though.

Something else to keep in mind is that I often use a previously banned member's raw posting history to catch them should they return to the forum. Sometimes, I connect the way they word their posts, and other times I'll find minor details which lead me to their alternate accounts.

 

[blackberry]

I'm going to use a real life example to respond to your suggestion.

Meet @oxonbeef. He's a former Exeuctive VIP member on this forum and a banned member as of 2014. Oxonbeef has 2,240, which doesn't includes posts he's made in the lounge. Here's a rather pointless thread he created in 2009, which I've closed to prevent any members who are reading this thread from bumping. We, the moderators, would have to read through all of his posts in that thread and then merge/summarise them in a way that still makes the thread readable.

Furthermore, if all of us moderators started dedicating time to editing posts to summarise them, the peanut gallery would try to use this as "proof of censorship on Black Hat World". Not that their opinion matters, though.

Something else to keep in mind is that I often use a previously banned member's raw posting history to catch them should they return to the forum. Sometimes, I connect the way they word their posts, and other times I'll find minor details which lead me to their alternate accounts.

@Zwielicht Yes thanks for the example. I skimmed through that and while it is a pointless thread I did find it funny too. Some people just don't get sarcasm.

I see your point about censorship, but at the same time I believe in free speech with consequences. I could call you (insert insult here) and that's my right but the consequence is I would be banned from BHW. Or if someone new starts a thread asking "whats a backlink and how does it help my site" well anyone with a bit of brains would agree thats a thread that should be deleted because its kinda like saying "water is wet" and asking peoples opinion on it .

The rest of it makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Zwielicht]

I see your point about censorship, but at the same time I believe in free speech with consequences. I could call you (insert insult here) and that's my right but the consequence is I would be banned from BHW.

Actually, you'd receive an eight point infraction mod surfing/abuse. Assuming you don't have active infractions totalling four points or more, this wouldn't result in a ban.

Or if someone new starts a thread asking "whats a backlink and how does it help my site" well anyone with a bit of brains would agree thats a thread that should be deleted because its kinda like saying "water is wet" and asking peoples opinion on it .

I know which thread you're talking about.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/whats-a-backlink.985075/#post-10541215

Normally, I delete or close those threads to prevent members from inflating their stats, although that one in particular was posted in the lounge, so I didn't bother. Also, whenever I see another moderator comment on the thread first, I prefer not removing or closing the thread as to avoid "stepping on their toes".

 

[blackberry]

Actually, you'd receive an eight point infraction mod surfing/abuse. Assuming you don't have active infractions totalling four points or more, this wouldn't result in a ban.

I know which thread you're talking about.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/whats-a-backlink.985075/#post-10541215

Normally, I delete or close those threads to prevent members from inflating their stats, although that one in particular was posted in the lounge, so I didn't bother. Also, whenever I see another moderator comment on the thread first, I prefer not removing or closing the thread as to avoid "stepping on their toes".

Well @Zwielicht thanks for addressing my suggestions and explaining everything.

And yeah that's exactly the thread I was talking about and yeah its kind of a unspoken rule to leave threads to the first mod, but good to see it written.

Lastly thanks to all Mods who give their time, thanks for making BHW what it is. Mods are underappreciated. And no I am not kissing ass, its a fact that very few people do say thank you.

 

[Deleted member 657006]

what about auto deleting any post that have url in the title we no it spam will save mod time in manually deleting it.

 

[blackberry]

what about auto deleting any post that have url in the title we no it spam will save mod time in manually deleting it.

It depends....only a mod would be able to judge that since regular users wouldn't (imhp) know of the filters already in place to prevent it.
What your asking is likely to require custom programming.

 

[Deleted member 657006]

It depends....only a mod would be able to judge that since regular users wouldn't (imhp) know of the filters already in place to prevent it.
What your asking is likely to require custom programming.

if it was a good idea trust me it be programmed ...

i am sure the forum owner got there own programmers ...

 

[blackberry]

if it was a good idea trust me it be programmed ...

i am sure the forum owner got there own programmers ...

Yeah I am sure it can.

However lets assume they are using Askimet to successfully block 95% of spam, would it make good fiscal sense to spend (pretend) $1,000 on getting rid of potentially 4% of spam ? (I say 4 and not 5% because you will never block 100% of spam with high traffic sites)