Spam Threads - A Reminder

Legit User Threads

A lot of threads have been getting locked lately due to being considered spam. How can a user-generated thread be considered spam? Please review this image, which is plastered on the right of every "Create a New Topic" page on the Vine:

If your thread pimps product on another site: Locked.

If your thread is click-bait: Locked.

If your thread is nothing more than a link or a video with nothing to develop a conversation: Locked.

The purpose of our forums is to generate discussion with original thought. If all you have is an idea, or some else's idea, then we don't want it. Bring something to the table and contribute to the dialogue our site constantly has going.

And remember that mods have the ultimate say as to whether something is spam. If you know your thread is toeing the line and it gets locked then accept it and move on. If you think a thread was improperly shut down then contact a mod and get some clarification. Threads can be just as easily unlocked as they are locked. (And, despite the naysayers, mods do admit mistakes and reverse decisions.)

Spambot Threads

As some of you have learned from firsthand experience, DO NOT post in a thread that is clearly made by a spambot. Your witty comments, inappropriate suggestions, and lazy whatnot may seem like a great way to get your post count up, but you can also get swept up by our spambot detector. I short while ago many users were banned (and all of their posts deleted) when a bug hit the spambot detector. Users have also been banned who have posted in a spambot thread that got "cleaned up". If you post in a spambot thread, it is possible that you will be erased from Vine and have to beg our engineers to undo the damage to your account.

DO NOT POST IN SPAMBOT THREADS.

Questions?

There always are, so ask away.

what is a spambot?

@cosmicallyaware1: A fake account created by software (or sad employees) that serves to post threads devoted to having users click on external links, sometimes to malicious sites. You've seen posts by a spambot: "My best friend makes $20,000 a month and only works five hours a week from his bedroom and just got a new Mercedes Benz. Click here [link] to learn more."

Sometimes these accounts make their own threads or blogs. Our security sweeps through the Vine from time to time and cleans these out.

See also: the repeated threat of foreign spam.

@renchamp: ahhhhh, I see. Thanks for the info! Much appreciated

Are joke battle threads ok?

@cgoodness said:

@jedixman@god_spawn

@renchamp: If you post a lot of threads on a broad topic such as the character Batman or Star wars the force awakens is that considered spamming?

@batman3000: It depends on if the thread presents a new theme to be addressed. For example, a billion threads (total exaggeration) flooded Off-Topic about race and feminism. Each thread ended up boiling down to the same talking points. As such, one thread was created for each topic.

In the Batman thread, there is no problem having a different thread about Bruce's relationships with women, feasibility of his gadgets, preferred costume, and so on. Each has its place and doesn't need an umbrella thread that encompasses all of the discussions for Batman.

In the case of the new Star Wars film, there are threads devoted to spoilers, why the movie would/does suck, how the movie expands on the lore of the franchise, and everything in between.

Spam happens when ideas are just getting regurgitated/duplicated or when they can be placed in already-existing threads. We don't need a thread dumping on Star Wars VII in General Discussion when we have a thread already being used for that in its own forum.

@renchamp: Ok thanks

Mods, lock this thread for containing spam.

@cgoodness: To an extent. We do allow joke threads but when it gets ridiculous like someone making a 400th John Cena vs the odds thread it isn't funny.

@god_spawn: So as long as its original and doesn't do any harm its fine? So like my Hulk vs Mark Henry thread?

@cgoodness: And you're not doing it too often. It can get to the point that if you're making too many joke threads then it can be regarded as spam and there can be repercussions.

@renchamp: when i did join i did make like 12 posts would that mean that i did spam beacuse i already now about comicvine i did want to join

@lejon: What? If your posts contributed something then you are fine.

Doesn't comic vine have its own ads for the usual "make thousands a day without leaving your home" spam?

GUESS WE HAVE TO BAN COMIC VINE!

Are joke CaV tournaments okay? . . .

@jucaslucasa: i think so, as long as nothing is offensive should be good

Well, then I have work to do . . .

I think Andre the Giant has already taken the fall.

Here rhttp://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/gen-discussion-1/powerfull-ilm-91-7023339183-by-black-magic-special-1818851/#1

http://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/gen-discussion-1/business-problam-solution-91-7023339183-specialist-1818853/#1

http://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/gen-discussion-1/jai-maa-kaalka-91-7827738197-divorce-problem-solut-1818854/#1

@gr898: ???

@renchamp: I've created a Kickstarter and the artists include people of note. Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, Farel Dalrymple and many more. I think people would like to know about this as it is a news worthy comic. How do I go about posting about it without it being considered spam?

@trailofdead: We typically discourage users from pimping their own wares. The site can't be seen as promoting the causes of users, as we can't vet each instance. Hence the general ban.

@spambot apparently no one is allowed to post in your threads anymore. sorry man :(

@asgardianbrony: Its a conspiracy against me.

This issue really annoyed me because I had an account, I’ve been using that account since 2014 and they locked me out but now I finally created a new one. This is a big problem.

Also, I sent a warning to the guy doing it, but please don't post countless "who's hotter" threads. We don't need to see if Daisey Ridley is hotter than everyone on the planet.

Spamtastic

Oh alright good job and i'm wondering why Spambots are on the websites?

@gokluma: Assuming you mean how, and not the logistics of why. The how is because our anti-spam system is imperfect and we don't check the forums constantly. I usually do a check several times a day, only logging in if I see spam or a problem, usually.

@wildvine: Well alright,thanks for the answer and sorry if i wasted your time since was just very confused by spambot's existence.

@gokluma: No I get it. Spam is annoying and when you see multiple bots per day it makes you wonder if anything is being done about it. Feel free to ask any questions you have in the future.

@wildvine: Alright thanks for understanding and i will support you since moderators are great people.

Now if only we could talk about the bumping threads matter, because I have a serious problem with that.

There is SO much spam coming from China...

Fixed

A debt of gratitude is in order for the information! Much valued