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FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#101: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:20:27 PM

The idea of earning the privilege of posting external links by making some number of real edits is interesting.

The definition of "real edit" as it pertains to a young account becomes important. Right now, I'm thinking you could state it as:

A 'real' edit causes a change to the text other than a 'whitespace' change. The change contains no external links. The change does not decrease the length of the text significantly.

Of course, a change that adds bullshit random text to the article would pass this test.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
INUH Since: Jul, 2009
#102: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:25:34 PM

Well, the "bullshit random text" edits could be brought up on Ask The Tropers, and mods could have access to a button on the edit history to flag an edit as not being a "real edit."

edited 26th Jun '11 6:25:46 PM by INUH

Infinite Tree: an experimental story
MarkVonLewis Since: Jun, 2010
#103: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:27:21 PM

I'd suggest we define "real edit" as something constructive, myself. That's my idea.

joeyjojojuniorshabadoo Since: Nov, 2010
#104: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:27:40 PM

[up][up]Although if someone's making edits consisting of bullshit random text, wouldn't it be a good idea to ban them regardless? I'm not sure an additional mod function is necessary.

edited 26th Jun '11 6:28:01 PM by joeyjojojuniorshabadoo

thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#105: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:32:23 PM

Hmm...What if we limited it to number of edits and set it to ten or something like that. There's normally someone watching recent edits and they'd be able to snatch it up if someone was making an edit of just a space or something.

edited 26th Jun '11 6:33:18 PM by thatguythere47

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
INUH Since: Jul, 2009
#106: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:34:10 PM

^^Fair point.

Perhaps an edit ban, even a temporary one, would reset the count to zero?

Infinite Tree: an experimental story
FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#107: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:37:32 PM

So ... a big increase in article length (from a new account) should be something we report so mods can find it.

That works.

@Mark, in case that wasn't a joke: Yeah, we are trying to define either 'real' or 'constructive' in such a way that a program that speaks no English will understand what we are going on about.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Hydronix I'm an Irene! from TV Tropes Since: Apr, 2010
I'm an Irene!
#108: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:40:55 PM

[up] Would a troper page of themself be an exception to this?

Quest 64 thread
MarkVonLewis Since: Jun, 2010
#109: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:47:00 PM

Oh, sorry Eddie I worded that badly, my apologies.

What if the program just bumps new edits by new accounts up to the top of recent edits list, so that people who watch new edits can more easily check em over?

edited 26th Jun '11 6:48:42 PM by MarkVonLewis

thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#110: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:52:29 PM

There's a filter to only see new account edits.

Okay, so they have to make a number of edits on the MAIN page of something for it to be considered a constructive edit. Can the tech handle that?

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#111: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:54:33 PM

Or a way to view just the changes by new accounts. I know that a lot of times I'll go through just the large edits and new accounts. It's a good way of spotting shady business.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#112: Jun 26th 2011 at 6:56:33 PM

A troper page containing no external links would be flagged as a big change, not denied, like a change containing an external link.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Hydronix I'm an Irene! from TV Tropes Since: Apr, 2010
I'm an Irene!
#113: Jun 26th 2011 at 7:01:04 PM

[up] Ah. Gotcha. If you were referring to me.

Quest 64 thread
TheInferno |Y| = |X| Add 5 from probably on Earth Since: Jul, 2010
|Y| = |X| Add 5
#114: Jun 26th 2011 at 8:20:17 PM

On account aging... I don't really like that. People have been known to go on vacation and be away from a computer for a few weeks (or with major vacations, maybe a few months), and if we increase the wait period/inactivity deletion any further then it'd be useless.

"The fact that your food can be made into makeshift bombs alarms the Hell out of me, Scrye." - Charlatan
FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#115: Jun 26th 2011 at 8:23:55 PM

Yeah, we have moved on from there to new accounts earning privileges via certain kinds of edits.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
TheInferno |Y| = |X| Add 5 from probably on Earth Since: Jul, 2010
|Y| = |X| Add 5
#116: Jun 26th 2011 at 9:14:24 PM

That I like. It does move us away from the openness we had before, but we had that with the Google Incident and we survived just fine.

Hmm. I know spam anywhere is bad, but how bad would it be for links to be allowed on discussion pages? If new people have legitimate links, could have them post it in the discussion and have link privileged troper put it in the page, and if someone catches it they can edit it out of the discussion item and report it to the mods. If the concern is primarily spam on the "white pages" then this would work well, but if we want to stop spam overall everywhere no exceptions then it wouldn't work.

"The fact that your food can be made into makeshift bombs alarms the Hell out of me, Scrye." - Charlatan
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#117: Jun 27th 2011 at 5:21:02 AM

I would hope not. Spammers would waste no time to see they could just spam the discussion pages.

edited 27th Jun '11 5:21:18 AM by Ghilz

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#118: Jun 27th 2011 at 6:24:19 AM

A new troper with a legitimate interest in posting links could apply in the fora to have their restrictions removed early.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Raso Cure Candy Since: Jul, 2009
Cure Candy
#119: Jun 27th 2011 at 7:46:12 AM

[up]If they are a prolific fanfic writer or such yeah I see that working.

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!
LadyMomus Since: Apr, 2009
#120: Jun 27th 2011 at 8:17:57 AM

All the spammers I've seen so far has had two features: new account + external link(s) in posts/edit reasons.

Is there a way to mark edits as containing an external link the same way "new account" is marked on the "New Edits" page? It would make monitoring edits for spam much easier.

On requiring email: It only takes about five minutes to create an e-mail account with Gmail or Yahoo, so requiring an email address doesn't do much to stop spam. (Unfortunately, I know this from experience.)

Hydronix I'm an Irene! from TV Tropes Since: Apr, 2010
I'm an Irene!
#121: Jun 27th 2011 at 8:32:40 AM

[up] However, the e-mail thing also allows us to send an e-mail for our passwords. So it's not actually a bad idea at all. Not that you don't have a good point there.

Quest 64 thread
ThatHuman someone from someplace Since: Jun, 2010
someone
#122: Jun 27th 2011 at 9:33:20 AM

A 'real' edit causes a change to the text other than a 'whitespace' change. The change contains no external links. The change does not decrease the length of the text significantly.

Of course, a change that adds bullshit random text to the article would pass this test.

There's also Natter cleanup which should count. Yeah, I dunno how to automatically differentiate Natter cleanup from unhelpful blanking.

something
TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#123: Jun 27th 2011 at 9:35:21 AM

Editing first-rank bullets as opposed to second or third-rank bullets, maybe? Not perfect, but the majority of natter does fall into the latter category.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
TheInferno |Y| = |X| Add 5 from probably on Earth Since: Jul, 2010
|Y| = |X| Add 5
#124: Jun 27th 2011 at 9:43:59 AM

The problem with that is that there are tons of wiki editors currently who never, ever come to the forums. Unless it's a one-stop thing as you sign up where it says "Go to the forums, new guy", I can see a ton of people not knowing how to link.

"The fact that your food can be made into makeshift bombs alarms the Hell out of me, Scrye." - Charlatan
CentralAvenue Literally A Princess from The Palace of Serenity Since: Sep, 2014
Literally A Princess
#125: Jun 27th 2011 at 10:33:06 AM

However, the e-mail thing also allows us to send an e-mail for our passwords. So it's not actually a bad idea at all.
This is why I support the idea of requiring email addresses.

Heapers’ Hangout

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