Why don't you create a forum (call it after the thread title ) and put things like people that "can't sign up" and stuff in there.If you exclude that subforum from searches for new posts the target audience for spamming and trolling will be minimal and we all can go along our business as usual.

The problem I see with this approach is that many spammers just spam to link to sites of their own. Allowing any type of spamming would generally have a snowball effect.

Trolling is also usually dependant on your point of view, what may seem like trolling to one person might not to another. If you see what you think is a troll just don't feed them and they soon die off.

I think too, Trolls and Spam chefs WANT their muck to be seen, so would avoid a forum just for them fearing rightly that no one would visit.

You got me wrong there.
What I am hinting at was that the subforum wouldn't be included in searches for new posts and only mods can move a thread there that they think fit the description - no creating threads for anybody else.

That way you don't see it when you do a search for the new posts and things you don't see you won't reply to except for people that are specifically going to the subforum an look thru the posts.

If somebody wants to post a reply - beautiful but since it doesn't show up in the new post searches the thing will be dead in no time.

Edit: I wouldn't really call it spam or anyting like that.Maybe 'kindergarten' would be nice and insuspicious.

I realise what you mean about mods being able to move threads there but it sounds like we would just be moving the problem and not tackling the root cause problem.

Having done a quick google search for forums that seem to have implemented this type of system there seem to be 2 types:
1) The first is where lots of theads get put and they are periodically all deleted. This isn't really in keeping with LQ policy as we try not to delete posts unless absolutely necessary.
2) The second is where the threads are all just left to fester in the forum. In these cases there seem to be as many spam messages on the forum as there are legit posts on the rest of the site.

Have you seen any good examples of this working on other sites that we could use as a basis for comparison?

Actually I've seem that on a mldonkey forum a while ago.They got something they call the dustbin there.
If I remember right they don't allow replies there but I think just keeping it out of the searches for new posts would be enough.
Might be more work than it's worth though.Doesn't seem to me that kind of stuff is a big problem here.

Yes, since spammers post at random and adopt a hit-and-run approach, they wouldn't be affected by any policy decisions or even by technical decisions at LQ.org. Of course, their spam still has to be dealt with...

As for trolls - again, genuine ones will do everything possible to get around rules and restrictions.

As for a "junk" forum, I don't think that idea would be of much use in combating either spamming or trolling, as trolls and spammers will continue hitting and running at will and no policy decision or technical decision affects them in any way. What it does do is give moderators more work to do and more decisions to take.

I personally think that posts of no value should merely be removed permanently (of course, in those rare circumstances only). Threads of no value are naturally closed as well...

which is more logical- "bad spammer, you posted in the wrong forum, here, let me move it for you" or "bad spammer, SLAM!"

titanium_geek

What kind of spam does LQ attract?

I haven't seen any, and am curious as to why kind of crap they are promoting.

Mostly selling/buying stuff. Occasionally another website... But thanks to the ever diligent moderation team and a lot of effective anti-spam filters, they are well under control and are taken care of very quickly.