Real posts (from kbin.social magazines) are becoming quite rare. I find myself coming to this site now to do the following circuit:
sort by new and report SPAM and block users
scroll through headlines and read (the few) recent comments/posts to mags I'm interested in
come to kbinMeta and see if anyone else is seeing what I'm seeing and feeling the same way
see if the radio silence has yet been broken by the dev
It's a fascinating case study in the rise and fall of an internet community and digital communication platform. And it highlights one important fact about human community management and technology development: COMMUNICATION IS KEY.
Using this approach, I am seeing none of those posts on /science. I updated the filters a bit today. The top post is a legitimate article from 2024-04-13 and is by HeartyBeast.
Now, I understand that this is seen as an unnecessary step (too fancy) for some. People want zero ads out of the box without anything extra. So I'm thinking about the next approach here.
Framing the problem:
Filtering should be automatic
End-user wants zero additional setup
There is no active upstream development
It's not possible to inherit moderation of a magazine due to some queue of moderator application requests that is not being approved
The third point and fourth points are important here, since that's currently intractable. You can't reconcile zero additional setup with that.
But let's suppose becoming moderator of a defunct magazine (point 4) were possible while point 3 remained unresolved. In other words, at least moderators can try to pick up the pieces. Something being underestimated here is how annoying it would be for the moderator to manually cull posts every single day. I think you would have instant turnover after a couple of weeks once the tedium sets in. Manual solution is not good. Clearly, automation is needed on the moderation side.
So assuming you could actually inherit a magazine, but with no guarantee of upstream development, what about restructuring the tool above so that it's for moderators, instead of end-users? That's pretty easy, and I could make it something the moderator clicks once and it's done, auto-banning the posts. This is a pretty good method.
But you can't inherit moderation right now, so that's back to square one.
Realistically, that leaves these options at the moment:
Wait (a long time) and see
Use the tool above and make magazines readable, albeit at some sacrifice of convenience (?)
Migrate to another instance
Third approach is the path of least resistance and is best for most casual users. Second is for diehards who cannot move instances due to some personal or technical reason. First approach is the most annoying and eventually leads to the third approach after frustration sets in.
Pick your poison, I guess. I can't think of any other prophylactic approach at the moment, maybe this comment triggers some idea.
Have you been successful in obtaining ownership or moderation to any abandoned mags? I've requested to a couple that I occasionally participate in just in case they get targeted for spam, but I haven't heard yea or nay either way.
I think I'm going to give up on Kbin. Every time in enter it's full of spam, so is not worth posting anything since is going to be buried in spam anyways
Has there been a change in sourcing new magazines? Last time I tried it I couldn't get anything to matriculate, at least not kbin style with searching etc. Big turn off for me but otherwise mbin seems like the best fit.
Not from what I've seen, unfortunately. Getting new instances to federate, at least from smaller, non Lemmy instances, is a bit of a pain. In the past I've done some testing with the two mags I currently own, and it looks like things don't always properly federate.
I've also noticed the same goes for voting. There's been more than once I've seen differing upvotes/downvotes on a thread depending on whether you're looking at it from kbin vs mbin.
Maybe I should reach out to the person who runs the mbin instance I am on. They were a kbin person before and may have some insight. An mbin version of this meta would be helpful, as mentioned!
@Gordon_Freeman
It really depends on the very magazine. Basically, it's magazines with Ernest as sole moderator where these problems occur. I'd give it a wait. @Haus
Preventing this issue doesn't seem like a userscript issue (though that's definitely a good start).I think the auto report function is severely needed; it's happening everywhere. If the script can automatically block any user whose post it suppresses, it would be awesome.
But I think the issue is that we need to get support top-down on this.
If the script can automatically block any user whose post it suppresses, it would be awesome.
It does! I've reworded the OP to hopefully make that clearer. After using this approach for a few days, my blocklist (generated entirely programmatically) is ten pages long, and there is nary a bad post in sight. I'm expanding the filters on a daily basis.
I think the auto report function is severely needed; it's happening everywhere.
The idea is that it takes the burden off of myriad (N) users having to manually do this themselves, and lets a single user (the KES custodian) prepare the filters, which then propagate out to any user of KES. Instead of 1,000 people manually blocking, one person builds the heuristics, and everyone benefits.
Preventing this issue doesn't seem like a userscript issue...but I think the issue is that we need to get support top-down on this.
I understand, but the stated goal of KES is addressing issues that can't, or won't (due to some design conflict), be addressed, or which fall through the cracks. At the moment I'm seeing a lot of people voicing frustration, but due to the skeleton crew situation with administration of the site, it seems like screaming into the void. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and hopefully it gets some traction. But my job with KES is just to provide fixes for the end-user, albeit of a third-party nature.
FYI, I tried the process you mentioned, I'm not sure it's as simple as your post implies (if that process could be called "simple" anyway). I've tried a few different orders of "report, delete, ban", and clicked the "ban" button in at least two spots (one that was directly in the feed and another that comes up under Reports in the magazine panel). No matter what I do, it always shows up as "unban" in the mod log. However, there is a list of bans under the magazine panel, and that does show the accounts as banned.
So, I'm really not sure what is going on here. Maybe it's just a problem with the log and not with the banning itself?
Anyway, thanks again for pointing this out. Hopefully someone can figure out what is going on.
Actually, it would really help if the "Block" button was right next to the username on the spam post. Having to hover over the name and wait for the modal to appear and then go click on "Block" makes it more of a nuisance. I wonder also if in the future you could choose not to display posts by user accounts less than a month old with only downvotes or who have been blocked by hundreds of people.
Thanks for the hard work!
Even though I don't post much so mostly ignore all those messages, still it is a big problem. Until we get it sorted out having tools like these helps stop "bleeding" by people who want to use kbin.
Had few pop up on my magazine even though there is barely a traction but saw few times bloat when posted on other magazines which is really discouraging.
I don't read magazines in-depth much either, so I wasn't aware of the extent of the issue at first, but I was appalled at what I saw. I agree with you that it creates a negative impression for anyone wanting to venture into or use a magazine. I know that needing KES upfront may be a non-starter for some people, but for me the difference with filtering is night and day now.
@Melkath imo the biggest problem with Bethesda games is the amount of time you have to spend in menu due to the equipment stat spreads, “junk” collection/economy, and character management. I’d be much happier with an “unlock” system for weapons and armor where you could pick up equipment and unlock it rather than add to inventory. Then have the game economy be around quest rewards rather than junk hauling to sell. Have consumables follow the Witcher pattern of charges until resting. This would massively reduce inventory time and make the games way more playable.
I understand if you don't want to add yet another third-party tool just to browse the site, but if you feel at all inclined, give it a try. For me 99% of magazines went from unusable to essentially clean.
I don't use a smartphone. im a smartphone luddite. Heck I don't even have a cell phone on me often unless I know I need it (expecting a call or oncall)
Not just you. I don’t remember which Fallout game I got, but it probably wasn’t the first, and I got to like the second objective where I’m supposed to help some settlement restart their power generator by finding some part, and I realized I was too bored to continue. It was like I could see the entire game stretched ahead of me as more of the same.
Not all games are for all players, so I never thought “Fallout sux”; it just wasn’t my bag. I think the Fallouts are micro-farming long-winded objectives for really small benefits; I guess a lot of people like that, but it’s not for me.
Having played them all a lot, I still feel the urge to go back every year or two.
What gets me over that hurdle I think you’re describing is there’s a goal I want to reach. A different way to do a quest, a DLC I’ve not played in a long time, a character build to try.
Given that the games are so open ended coming up with a reason why you’re playing of your own matters.
For me, the mods keep the game from becoming too punishing. FNV needs a lot of mods to keep the bugs and the invisible walls from killing your game. FO3 and FO4 need quest fixes and additional quest mods to keep them interesting.
It just feels like each game has its own "youre gonna suffer for a very long time, then you will get to good part of the game" energy. And god forbid you put the game down before you reach the end, because you will never get to the end again.
It's more of an indictment on my attention span than the game, but fuck man.
I recently played fo4 with mods and over did it. I’m running around in power armor with infinite energy, with a crazy railgun, mowing down everything that moves. It got old fast. I’ll have to go back in with different mods that are more fun.
This sounds like average Bethesda experience. I always get hyped by their pre-releases, but I find the actual games to be tedious and boring slogs.
I know it’s down to personal taste, but I think I enjoy a bit more rail-roading and bit less sandbox. Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 are “just right” for me, the story is tight. Bethesda games a bit loosey-goosey (ha!) with their storytelling.
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