Limiting number of own quotes

[guvenck]

Hello, I hope this is the right place to post this topic.

I would like to limit the number of posts a user can quote his own messages, preferably per day.

I think I need to customize the Post() function in Post.php and add a control check in

Code Select Expand

// Posting a quoted reply?
if (!empty($topic) && !empty($_REQUEST['quote']))
{

I think I need a custom table to keep the quotes made by user along with a date field.

OR check all the posts made by user during the day, which include some quote tags (his own). I guess that would include some regex, which is far beyond my abilities.

Any advices? Some code help is so appreciated.

[Kindred]

Why?

[landyvlad]

OP, Kindred's post is intended to get at the root of the problem, so to speak.

If we can understand what's the purpose of the request we might be able to offer a way of solving your issue without resorting to a complex solution as you proposed.

For example, if you have a particular member continually quoting their own posts - deal with that member's behaviour no need to modify the whole forum around them.

[guvenck]

Thank you for replying.

Oh, it is complicated.

We are a football forum.

It started with a particular member. He is constantly posting "prophecies" about events in the future and when it happens, he quotes his own post, stating "I have said it before" and expects some sort of ego satisfaction from it.

When other members post this event, he quotes their posts and his older post together, trying to say "I have said it long before you".

Forum members even made a joke out of it and named this behaviour after his surname: Surname-ing. They are now thinking twice before posting anything and search the whole forum if that member posted it before them. So they don't get surname-d.

He is a valuable member, as he is constantly scouting wonder kids and reports them. But this behaviour is killing us admins and moderators.

When we talk about it, he says "I am aware of the forum rules and quoting is not against the rules".

How can you make a forum rule out of this?

So I have decided to control quoting on code basis, so we can say "you are allowed to quote X times a day" and make this a forum rule. If we can't check this programmatically, we must count quotes manually and we don't want that.

Stupid, eh?

[savo]

When he quotes himself, are they back to back?  You could always add a no bumping rule.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

This sounds like a social issue really, if you try to solve it with a technical limitation, then the same behaviour will still be there just maybe without the actual quotes. (And your next question here will be how you stop a certain individual from linking to their own posts, and so on...) So what I would suggest, is to simply explain the situation to the individual in question, and ask them nicely to avoid doing it. And perhaps, making a rule that says something along the lines of what I have in my forums - Not all rules are written down, when moderators say something it's the law unless you can get an admin on your side.

[live627]

Perhaps tell that user that his actions discourage others from posting which could eventually spell doom for your forum and that such behavior is not acceptable. Entertain the idea of post moderation and cooldown bans.

Technical solutions are usually only a crutch at best because people will eventually find ways around them.

[landyvlad]

I think Lex and live627 advice is very good.
Over the years I've seen all sorts of ways people circumvent rules, and short of banning or 'pausing' the user there's really no effective way around it.

Don't be a hostage to this member. Sure he might be a good contributor BUT at the same time it sounds as if he's being disruptive and putting off other members.  Even if he spits the dummy and leaves it may well be a blessing in the longer term.

But if it's explained to him as has been mentioned above, it'll probably work out OK.

Maybe consider a rule that it's not permitted for a member to quote their OWN posts?