The spamming of the CJ section

[mjig_dudy 11]

Just looking at the CJ section today, i can see whole lines of CJs where the last post was from the same person... where it is obvious someone is just going through a load of CJs just posting one comment after another. The seed that which this is would make it impossible for the creators of these posts to actually read an update.

And this is not just an exception, the CJ section looks like this almost constantly. To mind this is getting out of hand, with some posting 2 or even 3 times between two updates.

I wont name any names, but i ask those members who go through every CJ posting meaningless comments, to think about what they are doing... you are not encouraging the CJers, as each comment is just a gernetic comment, exactly the same as the last. Go CJ posts interact with the CJ.. don't just give it a few more comments.

So please think before you post in future.

[Krio 624]

You speak the truth mjig. It's really annoying to get "empty" comment three times from the same persons to one update. They don't read the updates, just post the same text to all CJ's to grow their message count.

[sEAhAwk fAn121 0]

yes i have seen this also... and this does need to stop

isnt spamming against the rules anyways?

[GingerBlokey 30]

I 100% prefer it when people leave comments which refer to the actual pictures. Like Seahawk Fan has done on my CJ.

Some people do annoy me by leaving empty comments.

[Interchange 0]

Spamming should give them at least a week ban if they continue to do it and yes I am very sick of the constant posts from the same people to where the CJ's aren't even fun to read.

[frogface 352]

I agree, I wish people would take time and think before post on a CJ than all this spam i've been seeing lately.

[euphonial 0]

Hi. I'm just here looking for clarification to make sure I'm not guilty of this.

I stop by the CJs once a week or so, look at what's new, and if impressed, leave comments. I might post a comment on two or three different CJs in a relatively short time. Is this what's stressing folks out? If so, I'll bail. I'm sort of annoyed by the whole posting count thing anyway. I've personally been a "member" here for 3 years, have contributed money, etc., but have only posted a few times, so I'm automatically disliked by those whose post counts are in the thousands.

My posts are always positive (because I don't believe in cutting on anyone else's creativity), and never presumptuous (I'm not so high on myself that I feel I can give others advice on their own imaginations), and if that's not enough to stay on people's good side, I'm not sure I'm in the right place. I'm here to chill out and relieve stress, not add to it for myself and others.  Am I out of line?

[pnorrell 4]

I wouldn't worry about that, euphonial. With a post count of 20, nobody will be accusing you of spamming. As for the other extreme - condemning you for not posting enough - that's just as ridiculous. You've got the right attitude - post if you want to, don't if you don't. Enjoy the site however you like. You're not offending anyone or causing any trouble so don't give it another thought. Besides, with only 20 posts, how would you know if people dislike you for it or not? I doubt anyone's ever had enough contact with you to form an opinion.

[euphonial 0]

Good points! I'll put away the Mr. Sensitive act! ;-)

Thanks for the encouragement -- I really enjoy it here.

[Duke87 1,070]

Well, I can't speak for all the other high post count people, but personally, I don't look down upon people with lower counts at all. In fact, if you make a mistake and violate a rule, I'd actually be more understanding than I would with someone with a higher post count, as they have more experience and should know better....

...at the same time though, it's understandable if people feel a bit less comfortable dealing with newer or less familiar members, for the same reason you'd be less comfortable dealing with an acquaintance than a good friend of yours. If you know someone better, the situation is more familiar.

Besides, I know what it's like to be a lurker. That's exactly what I am over at the forums for El Goonish Shive (www.elgoonishshive.com). I've been a member there since April '04, but I only have like 70 posts... yet I read through the forums at least once a week. I just don't post much. A large portion of those 70 posts were when I was new there, before I drifted off into lurkland...

[IDS2 3,344]

Well, i dislike the empty-empty generics that don't realate like "Hi how ya doin do u like burgerz" But I have nothing against a solid comment (how is it going today, hope it's going well, great job with so and so....great quality pictures, looking forward to the so and so you promised) as I usually receive. I don't care how many times they reply, as it helps me out, but so long as they make sense and are cj-related I accept comments. Unless they're ads, which are really annoying. ex.

"Come see my cj it's better than this one coming soon!!!!!!!11"

[ilikehotdogsalot 307]

are you talking about Godzillaman, just say his name, i don't think anyone minds, lol. he seems like a dork, having nothing better to do than to spam a website. that kid must have alot of friends.

[hamsterTK 93]

well I think its a responsibility of CJ authors to report to staff stuff like this when it happens in their cj. That would be the most viable solution.

I don't think its the end of world right now. sometimes its difficult to say anything, I mean you see a great picture but its hard to elaborate why its great. So I can understand why some people do that.

Anyways, post counts dont effect how I look at a persons comment

[JakeMD 107]

Whats a CJ!?

[Zelgadis 638]

Thanks, everyone for bringing this to our attention. The staff has been discussing this situation and it is being dealt with.

ISF

[david1314 44]

I really dislike the empty comments for sure.

"My Friend" is more common on this forum than 'and' or 'the'...

I used to like it, but the more I see it, the more it seems it's just highlighting the fact they've not put in the time to refer more accurately (heaven forbid you thank schulmantor in TheSixCents' thread!). It typically follows a comment about a picture for which a caption was aparently ignored or never even noticed while flying by on the scroll.

I've thought about saying something about this many a time, but I come back to the point, regardless of the fact they haven't put much time into your CJ, they have put some time into it. As CJers, we can only hope to ask for so much, we certainly cannot demand more from the readers.

If someone spends all their time posting hollow empty comments in the name of spinning-up a post counter, let their post count be their badge of shame.

I think the creation of this thread will largely start to limit the problem. As people see many do not feel empty comments are welcom, they will revise their commenting in a more thoughtful fashion. It would indeed be harsh and unwarrented to claim new rules with an excess of gray area in the name of a few well-meaning posters.

[powerdc 0]

I have only recently started my first CJ and appreciate anyone who visits. I try to visit the CJ's of all my visitors, I think this is only fair. Most of my visitors, as a first CJer the number is not huge, are longstanding members of the site, and help build my confidence. However, in the end the goal is to expand your audience. I have a number of other CJ's that I like and post comments on a regular basis. I try to make constructive comments but obviously at the same time I am also advertising my own site.

How else can you attract people to your CJ, with so many open CJs active at the same time, even when you post an update you are lucky if you stay on the first couple of pages of the CJ library for more than an hour or two. It does not take long to disappear back into oblivion again.

In the end it's the size of membership that causes the problem. If there was only a hundred or two we would all know each others work pretty well. The fact is there are now thousands of members and who knows how many active CJ's. If you are new to the site, the only way to attract visitors is to advertise.

Having said this, I must say if I don't like a particular CJ I will not post a comment. I still believe in constructive criticism and will not post for the sake of it. On the other hand, if there are 20 Cjs that you like, it is often difficult to come with 20 different compliments . We all have our personal favourite phrases and these will appear on a regular basis.

In the end how do we improve the situation. Perhaps limit members to one posting per update or reply. The trick is how this is enforced and who is going to monitor each and every CJ.

To that I do not have an answer.

Jeez, I don't think I've ever posted something this long. Hope you find this constructive and would be interested to hear your responses.

Cheers Dave

[Krio 624]

powerdc: The CJs usually go to 2. or 3. page because of those spammers, who just post that same comment to every CJ.

e.g you update your A-topia, then member x comes and say "great work, let's see more". Then he goes to e.g Aspire, posts the same, then he goes to Avon, posts the same. Suddenly your CJ is in the half way of the first page of CJ section and all new comments to all CJs are from that same member x.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

David, I am not sure about my relationship to TheSixCents you reference. Please clarify. Thanks.

[Glenni 1,444]

The way some members just spam through the Cj section is just annoying, i mean, i spend several days getting an update and all i get is someone which i do not is wish  to name says some generic stuff like " Hello my friend i like your update, my friend, take care my friend, looking forward for more my friend!

~some name~

THEN, he posts again after two others have posted:

Looking for more my friend!

And after two comments again:

i'm looking for more my friend!

I seriously wonder if this guy has a .txt with generic sentances where he just copies and past into st forums reply window....

And then when he posts multiple posts in at one time,  he doesn't even delete the excess ones!

i've also been told that this highly pathetic person also sometimes come in and BRAG about his post count in St chat!

And think about this, i'm fairly active in St forums, i have over 2000 posts after which is soon going to be 3 years.  This guy got 2900 after just 4 months!!

Is this guy hunting for a huge post count or something? If so then he's so lame, and should consider getting a life, or use more of the time in his life to watch Home And Away....

[Cjah 15]

Now...I'm not gonna say this thread is right....but come on...look at yourselves...if sloppet was still here half of you would be pointing the finger at him....or anyone else who posts more then 50 comments a day...I used to be a part of the 50 comments or more club myself....

Now I know some of you see 50 and think...damn...Cjah must be a nerd...acatully back in the day...I had no City Journal and I was not able to play SC4...a bit of my time was spent here...

Anyway as for what is consider an empty comment...

I consider anything....to simple...

like..."good update friend..I wanna see more..."I posted something like this once...maybe not as simple...

or when someone starts a CJ..."Great start!"

Or when a comment is just so pointless...

"where did you get that bat?" or the dumbass comment...."Visit my CJ...its better then yours!"

these comments...are useless....

Also....to the people who post repeated times...it insults me...it makes me feel as if YOU the poster think that I am BLIND to your comment which is in my CJ right in front of ME!

If you post something more then once and its the same old stuff over and over again you are just telling the CJ author..."look at me" "look at me"....

but the Author alot of the time barely has time for an update...let alone time for replies...so come on now...don't double or triple post generic comments...

[Rayden 7]

All this has been like that since I remember, some go but others come, and there is always someone willing to beat the other's post count. Solution: Hide the posts count, they're useless for the active member, why do we need to know if we have 10 posts or 10.000 posts. I'm sure that 50% of the actual useless posts would disapear in no time. And the other 50% in a little while longer. There's always the persistent ones

[Godzillaman 21]

would you guys consider me a spammer? i post things like "great city, its way better than mine" and i tell the truth.

[IDS2 3,344]

godzillaman: occasionally

Yes, yes, there may be a certain person...

hotdogs: you mean the multiple incidents requesting depressed sims living on the street? I;ve seen it happen too much.

So long as the spammy leaves a short geneic .txt saying "wow!" or "neato!" but the person some of you are targeting doesn't leave empty comments...actually refers to a particular section. But anyway, yeah...the longer the comment, the longer the reply.

[Firebird 40]

Hmmm, how about we stop complaining, and actually do something.

Theres no gain in complaining.

There is gain in trying to cooperate, and being open minded to other peoples suggestions.

How about...we go suggest to home and away (frowns at glenni) that he should cut back on his postings and post more insightful comments.

Remember the Simtropolis motto "Many Cities, One Community". If the cities don't listen to each other, you're not going to have much of a community.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Enough, already.  I think this message has been delivered pretty strongly and effectively.  Since I don't wander around in the CJ section, but do moderate other parts, I can assure you the message has been received.

[Joesocwork 4]

I don't always do this of late... but by popular request & to stay in practice... thread closed.