Sometimes I get members joining a forum I own where they just copy parts or snippers or even whole articles from places like ezinearticles, wikipedia, etc. They then post them directly on my forum as a new thread or a reply to another members thread.
Is there a way of getting a script to automatically check for duplicate post content before it gets submitted to the forums so that I don’t have to keep filtering through every post by typing parts of the post into Google just to check if it’s duplicate content or not.
This on 100 posts a day takes about 1 hr, but if I had 10 times the amount of posts, it would take over my life.
With having a more automated way, I can then get onto other tasks.
Yes, the part with more moderators is a good advice, if you can afford it, but you may also try a really simple method. Put all the threads and the replies in a word file and try to search with some key words similar posts. Then click Ctrl+F(Find) and select Find all(with the key words).
Look for more moderators to moderate your forum. Another thing is, if they give a credit link where they get the article, I guess that would be fine, but if not, it is considered as steeling. Give warnings.
Since you are the owner, you have the power to delete their threads and answers you think they just copy-pasted it. try to use Copyscape to distinguish whether the thread or answers are just being copied.
So there’s no automated way so that it can stop the duplicate posts and then I still check for crap once all the duplicates have been removed via the automated software/script.
I use a good bit of automation on my site, for example, if I have to add a game a day, I normally would upload and write unique descriptions for about 60 games and then use a cronjob to get one of them games approved into the site each day rather than having to go to the site daily to get it approved.
I guess one way you could deal with the issue is to make the forum invite only (for posting) or for customers with valid payment ID’s, while less people will contribute you can wipe out all traces of spam (or perhaps have moderators set to validate the first 5 posts of any individual who wants to contribute). If there was a way to eliminate spam, fluff, reposting, theft or anything else that occurs on forums the inventor would be a very rich person indeed.
thanks to the surfeit of “seo experts” this type of spam is not going to stop, and your only choices are (1) exercise constant vigilance and swift banning, or (2) throw your forum open and let it be inundated with crap
Give warnings.