Trader's Lab NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM

[Reaver]

Good evening fellow Lab rats...

There has been much discussion lately about attempting to weed out bad apples without disrupting the quality of the content here or making any unnecessary restrictions.

I believe one of the best things we can do is implement a type of Neighborhood Watch program. What I mean by that, is to report any suspicious activity to your friendly neighborhood moderators.

The moderators here do an EXCELLENT job of weeding out the bad posts, spam, etc...but it is still quite a task, as besides being moderators, they are also here to enjoy the forum just like you.

So, what can you do to help keep this forum clear of all spam, spammers, and overall bad posts?

Glad you asked!

#1. Report any unsolicited PM regarding any vendor sent by a new member to your friendly neighborhood moderators. One of the main tactics of spammers on a forum, is to register, join a discussion thread, chat up the members a little...then start sending buddy buddy PM's regarding vendors, under the guise of "just helping out".

It's a tried and true way to spam without being in the open.



#2 If you see any suspicious, questionable, or offensive posts, don't just assume the moderator will see it....there is a complain button on the right-hand side of each post. It looks like a big yellow S. Click the S and it will open a PM box in which you can express your disdain of the suspect post and send it directly to the mods.


Don't be scared you will hurt someone's feelings by reporting their post.


a) if the post is deemed acceptable, they will never even be aware that it was reported.
b) even if the post is deemed unacceptable and deleted, they will not know who reported it.


Remember, the mods are not robots, they will review the posts to see if they should be deleted. They will make the final call. Your job is to be a scout here and report if you see anything out of hand. They will take care of the rest.


In summary:

A. If you receive a PM from a brand new member regarding any vendor or product, report it to the mods.

This will greatly decrease the "secret spam" circulating the forums.

B. Use the big yellow "S" button on each post to report anything suspicious to the mods.


This forum depends on us all to keep it at the top of the food chain as far as quality content. Be a part of the neighborhood Watch Program.


YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT JUST TAKING THESE TWO SIMPLE STEPS WILL DO TO HELP THE FORUM!



Enjoy the forum! Help us keep spam down and quality up! Become a Lab Rat today!

[MC]

Great post. As a new mod I can say these suggestions will better help us keep TS the best site on the web.

[Reaver]

Why thank you. I know it's cliche to say all that...but people need to realize they have to be proactive to stay on top of these crafty spammers. Their entire job is to figure out a way to get you to spend their money..they don't spend time trading, they spend time figuring out ways to fool you.

Report the parasites and we'll move forward. I think it will work great.

[torero]

Great post and announcement. Yeah, we don't get reports often so don't be shy about reporting them.

[Reaver]

This is worth reading...especially after yesterday's fiasco.