If we don't start yanking the posters who sign up to post ads promptly I think we're going to see more and more of them. It's a nuisance....and unethical. For me, it's the digital equivalent of people who post bills on other people's property. Leave one and you get more.

Actually I'd like to punch them around the head.

I'd like to see them removed promptly, there is still one that was posted on the 25th November, which's a bit over the odds.

ditto and all the others; there are now more adds in some places than genuine posts.

Completely unethical. Any ideas to combat unethical spam?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_spam
http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=427488#

Yes. Appoint some of the regulars as spam deletor moderators, authorised to toss spam into a spamfile, but keep the items in case they go off track and start doing it to people they disagree with, as happened at the Aussieseek boards.

I visit other forums and they don't have this problem. I rarely see these types of ads there and they don't seem to stay on the forum for days. So, why here? Lack of interest? Paid advertising? Christmas vacation?

There is no catchpa for for every post. Just at registration only. And some are better than others.
I think also because there are many search bots, the topics posted here also appear on google etc, which might attract bots from the internet.

I think the forum is going to be snowed in spam.

Other forums are much more actively moderated too.

I received a reply from Alisa Kelley of The St James Ethics Centre, which is shown below when I emailed about the spam infestation last week.

Quote:
Thank you so much for taking the time to contact us regarding the forums and the spam they have been inundated with recently. I understand your distress – we have been equally appalled by it. The move to the new website has meant a number of changes in the management of our site. It is only recently that we have been able to appoint dedicated moderators to each forum. Prior to this, the clearing up was done weekly by one overloaded person! I hope that the situation will now be hugely improved – however I would be most grateful for further feedback from you should this not be the case. End quote

Hi, just delete the e-mail address in your post. Otherwise she might be spammed too.

Hi !
I've just visited this forum. Happy to get acquainted with you. Thanks.