Should Admin Disable The Shoutbox?

[galii]

I never deal with it but if it is toxic it should be dealt with.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

Shut it down. Useless feature anyway.

[Voyager1]

I never use the Shoutbox but it shouldn't be ruined by some disgruntled former member seeking attention. Admin(s) will just have to keep banning these accounts.

My vote is no, even though I don't use the Shoutbox and even if the majority of votes are yes, Winston has said this is not a majority rules forum.

[MarcosZeitola]

I never use the Shoutbox but it shouldn't be ruined by some disgruntled former member seeking attention. Admin(s) will just have to keep banning these accounts.

The forum settings make it impossible for new users to have their posts show up until they are "approved" by a moderator. I'm sure @Winston, being the admin of this forum, can simply change the settings so unapproved new members can't use the shoutbox, either. It should be a relatively simple solution to the trolling problem.

[Yohan]

To close down the shoutbox is more or less a surrender to trolls. I rarely use this shoutbox, but my answer is NO. Do not shut it down.

[Lucas88]

The forum settings make it impossible for new users to have their posts show up until they are "approved" by a moderator. I'm sure @Winston, being the admin of this forum, can simply change the settings so unapproved new members can't use the shoutbox, either. It should be a relatively simple solution to the trolling problem.

I think that this would be the best solution. Some responsible members like to use the shoutbox to express themselves and I don't see why they should lose that ability just because of a few unhinged trolls.

If the administration simply limits shoutbox access to approved members, then everybody here wins - except for the trolls!

[WilliamSmith]

@Pixel--Dude
Well based on how you phrased the poll ("No. The shoutbox is a useful tool for members who aren't trash to exchange valuable information") I had to vote "No," because like we were discussing in the shoutbox the past two days, I think you're right that it makes sense for only veteran users only (regardless of if they all disagree with or even hate each other, LOL) to be able to post in the shoutbox.
I don't know where the cutoff should be about how many posts a user should have before getting access and it's no business of mine to say since I'm also only a reasonably new member here for only a few years since I decided to bolt from the USSA, but it's not like anyone who wanted to be a legit contributor and share info here would be desperate to spam the shoutbox, so you and @Winston and maybe other forum "brass" like @gsjackson, @MarcosZeitola, @publicduende, @Yohan, etc, could talk about it and decide where the cutoff should be, right?

That'd take care of a lot of the troll problem there of people creating fake "sock puppet" accounts and filling the shoutbox with garbage (which they obviously do on purpose just to try to ruin the atmosphere of the place), rather than just disabling the whole shoutbox feature.

However, if it is impossible to restrict which users have access to the shoutbox, then it's not a big deal if you want to just shut it down so it's not parasitically leaching off your time to deal with the troll problem there. The shoutbox is not really an essential feature, even though it'd theoretically be fun to keep it if only users who actually like the forum are allowed to use it...

[publicduende]

Shut it down. Useless feature anyway.

Agree 100%.

[Shemp]

Never use it, don't really care either way. Maybe create a pinned thread called "Shoutbox Thread" to replace Shoutbox if moderation features only work for threads.

[MrMan]

@Cornfed
@WilliamSmith
@Yohan
@Lucas88
@publicduende
@MarcosZeitola
@MrMan
@Shemp
@Voyager1
@Natural_Born_Cynic
@gsjackson
@fschmidt
@Winston
@galii
@69ixine
@kangarunner

I've just tagged people who I know the most and who I've interacted with the most and who are still active on the forum, but anyone is welcome to pitch in and have a say. I'm sure you've seen Mercer mercerlessly trolling the shoutbox with his vile vitriol every time I go through the mundane process of sniffing out his bullshit accounts and removing him because he's permanently banned and too disruptive to be allowed to stay.

My question to all of you is: if Winston cannot find a way to make the shoutbox invisible and inaccessible to new, unregistered users should we just disable it so these trolls can't keep making throwaway accounts and spamming the shoutbox with shit attacking people's children and wives, or talking mad bollocks about everyone being FBI operatives and all that shit.

Submit a vote if you have an opinion. Also any suggestions on how to combat these shithead trolls (beyond having them whacked ) would be appreciated. If the shoutbox is disabled or made invisible to new users it means Mercer and PAG or any other shit for brains trolls have to put more effort into trolling by first having to make three posts that need to be approved by a moderator.

What are your thoughts guys? I'm keen to hear your feedback.

I don't use the shoutbox, so I don't really have an opinion.

[Winston]

I never use the Shoutbox but it shouldn't be ruined by some disgruntled former member seeking attention. Admin(s) will just have to keep banning these accounts.

The forum settings make it impossible for new users to have their posts show up until they are "approved" by a moderator. I'm sure @Winston, being the admin of this forum, can simply change the settings so unapproved new members can't use the shoutbox, either. It should be a relatively simple solution to the trolling problem.

The Shoutbox is an add on and option that I installed. It is not part of the default forum software, so there is no way to prevent new members from using it or block members from using it. Are guests who are not logged in able to see the Shoutbox?

[Yohan]

The Shoutbox is an add on and option that I installed. It is not part of the default forum software, so there is no way to prevent new members from using it or block members from using it. Are guests who are not logged in able to see the Shoutbox?

Yes, I can see still the shoutbox after logout.

[fschmidt]

What do you think @fschmidt? Should we just get rid of it?

I never use it, so I don't care about it.

[Winston]

Hi all,
We are going to have to temporarily shut down the Shoutbox since the Mercer spammers are back and abusing it and there's no way to block them from doing so. Sorry about that.

[WanderingProtagonist]

Hi all,
We are going to have to temporarily shut down the Shoutbox since the Mercer spammers are back and abusing it and there's no way to block them from doing so. Sorry about that.

Well that just plain out sucks...I generally use it just to quick post something if I don't feel like making a thread...Poor decision.