[SATLUG] Seeking robot immunity in my feedback form

[Brad Knowles]

At 10:10 AM -0600 2/5/07, Sexton, Art, ISD wrote:

>  Just my 2 cents, but anyone who has a better idea about how to solve
>  this issue I would love to hear it.

This problem is just another form of abuse, and I have written a 
six-part article on the current "best practices" for fighting spam to 
be published on the LOPSA.org website.  I'll be glad to share a copy 
with you, if you agree to give me feedback.


For blogs with comments, I think the best solution is to simply not 
allow comments at all.  If others want to post comments on their own 
blog, they should feel free to do that, but they should not feel that 
they need to be allowed to post their comment on your blog.

Failing that, you clearly have to moderate all comments by default, 
and then after a given commenter has proven that they are clueful, 
you can allow them to be approved by default -- until such time as 
they demonstrate that they should have that privilege revoked.  You 
could further ease your burden by using black lists of certain words 
that cannot be used, certain IP addresses that are not allowed to 
post, requiring that people have accounts with your system before 
they are allowed to post, etc....

More common systems like Slashdot, Engadget, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, 
Metafilter, etc... have all worked out these issues pretty well, and 
none of them require CAPTCHAs.

-- 
Brad Knowles <brad at shub-internet.org>, Consultant & Author
Co-author of SAGE Booklet #15 "Internet Postmaster: Duties and 
Responsibilities"
Founding Member and Platinum Individual Sponsor of LOPSA: 
<http://www.lopsa.org>
Papers: <http://tinyurl.com/tj6q4> LinkedIn Profile: 
<http://tinyurl.com/y8kpxu>