Moderator Approval Required?

[sanman]

Hi, I've just registered and joint the forum, and I was enjoying the conversation in a couple of threads I'd started. But suddenly I'm seeing that my message postings require moderator approval when I post them, whereas they weren't before. I just want to know if I'm doing something wrong, or if I've triggered some issue/problem, because this wasn't happening to me before.

I was just hoping to keep a naturally paced flow of discussion, without needing moderator approval for my posts to be seen, since that wasn't happening to me before.

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

 

[wsimpso1]

When you stick url's in a post, they get caught in a spam filter, and the mods have to look at it. See the code of conduct comments on hot linking, which we generally like to avoid.

 

[Dana]

Note that this also happens when you reply with quote to a message where the message you're quoting includes a url. After a certain number of posts that goes away, I'm not sure of the exact number.

 

[sanman]

When you stick url's in a post, they get caught in a spam filter, and the mods have to look at it. See the code of conduct comments on hot linking, which we generally like to avoid.

Hi, but is linking to Youtube URLs not allowed? I was just linking for reference purposes, to provide more information on what I'm talking about.

 

[Dana]

Youtube videos are fine. What Billski was talking about is linking to photos on other sites rather than checking the box to retrieve (copy) the image to HBA. That way the photo is still visible here even if the original site goes down or the image is deleted on that end.

 

[Vigilant1]

Sanman,
Sites like this are constantly besieged by scammers and spammers who join up, make a post or two filled with links to their site or other sites who pay them for traffic, and are never heard from again. One tool mods use to combat this is to put new accounts into a probationary period during which any posts they make which contain links go to a bin that requires mod approval.
After some (unspecified) amount of time or posts you'll be able to include links in posts and they won't go to the bin.

 

[Hot Wings]

That way the photo is still visible here even if the original site goes down or the image is deleted on that end.

So I've been doing this backwards?
I have generally linked to the off site photo unless I though it would have relevance to this site far into the future thinking it helped to keep the size of the HBA site on the servers smaller.

 

[wsimpso1]

As pointed out by Dana, our preference is to copy images to the post, that way we have it here even if the original evaporates. We all hate to click on a picture and get 404'd. And it helps prevent scamming.

 

[BBerson]

The code says hot linking is posting images.

11. Hot Linking - Hot linking is the practice of posting images or files from one website on another website when the original website maintains the file on their servers. Doing so can adversely affect the performance of both websites and may also violate copyright laws. Some hot linking is appropriate, such as posting your personal images from websites such as photobucket.com or imageshack.com.

 

[pwood66889]

"When you stick url's in a post, they get caught in a spam filter..."
I copied a URL from a prior post. I had followed the link and read what was there. I figured it was harmless - a judgement call on my part.
Will see if I get busted...
Really appreciate the moderators in this crew - they are the Real Value Ad IMHO.

 

[Admin]

The first few posts are checked for spam. There is a list of some favorite spam words and the then general indicator of a link. After the first few posts, the spam is not checked.

 

[Pilot-34]

As pointed out by Dana, our preference is to copy images to the post, that way we have it here even if the original evaporates. We all hate to click on a picture and get 404'd. And it helps prevent scamming.

I really appreciate you doing that

 

[Marc Zeitlin]

As pointed out by Dana, our preference is to copy images to the post, that way we have it here even if the original evaporates. We all hate to click on a picture and get 404'd. And it helps prevent scamming.

While this practice does what you posit, it MAY also violate copyrights. What is the moderators' position on that issue?

i.e., to use my two (well, three) websites for example, if anyone copied pictures (or anything) from it, all of which are copyrighted per the notice at the bottom of every web page, I'd request that it be removed (and have), and that they merely link to the site instead. Sure, there are some "fair use" issues as well, and maybe the copying of small parts of a website fall into that, but if an owner of copyrighted material didn't want their content copied, it seems rude to copy it.

No?

 

[Admin]

The posting here is usually photos people make on their own. We are trying to avoid flikr and photobucket. Those can change and pull all photos off, or put watermarks on that ruin the photos in a good thread. While we would love to have your photos directly uploaded, it is perfectly understandable to use the link method to the photos on your site. So, there is a place for both methods.