How to deal with Forum Spam and Reporting Posts..

[computerworks]

There has been a significant increase in Spam (junk advertisements) Posts on Club Cobra recently. We are not alone; this is occurring on many special interest forums.

Here are the guidelines we ask you to observe:

If you see a post or a new thread that is clearly out of the scope of our community ( ad for drugs or weight-loss, etc.), we ask you to do the following:

1. Report the Post to a Moderator (more on this later).
2. Post a quick reply indicating that you have reported the post; this is so 300 well-meaning members all don't report the same post.
3. Do not reply to the author; do not click on any links in the post.

These are usually automated processes that create the spam, so when you see one, do not expect the "poster" to be hanging around to read your angry reply.

..there is no one listening.

Also, observe caution if hotlinks are imbedded in the post...don't be curious; it is best to not follow the trail.

Many have asked "...how do I report a post like this?"

Every post has a clickable symbol in the upper right corner:

Clicking on this allows you to explain why you are reporting the post... a simple phrase is sufficient.
Upon submission, the Moderator team will be immediately notified about the post...
...usually the first one of us that sees the notice will handle the issue ASAP.
If it doesn't get dealt with immediately...don't worry, it will be dealt with shortly.
Upon notification, we take these steps.... we lock the thread, we handle the necessary steps to ban the source and prevent further intrusion, and then delete the offending thread.

Use this same icon to report any abuse or objectional behavior on the Forum.

Thanks
ron
ClubCobra Moderator