Some frustration

[ARR8]

Apparently, I cannot edit my Calibre plugin post to update the code because of restrictions on new accounts, and the scant information I've been able to find about the situation directs me to make unrelated posts to try to shed "new user" status.

Given that this website is apparently the exclusive distribution platform for Calibre plugins through the official installer, hello. My goal here is to upload a plugin I've written for myself to the benefit of other potentially interested users as a way to give back to the community in some small way. I was sure this would be a five-minute exercise but this website is quite honestly making it harder than it needs to be.

I say this not to vent but to express an opinion I am sure represents not only myself but other potential plugin devs who have silently given up and kept their code to themselves.

Beware Trivial Inconveniences

[Sirtel]

What would you recommend? Unfortunately we can't do without restrictions for new users, as we would be inundated with spam.

[ARR8]

In my opinion (and thank you for asking), new user restrictions definitely make sense. I think moderator approval for each new thread is no problem and in fact is expected among software developers - many distribution platforms will actually check and test all uploaded software prior to showing it to end users.

But once a thread is approved, I don't personally see a reason to prevent editing it. Surely the spammers aren't so sophisticated as to post an innocuous comment but then transform it into spam once approved? And if they are, why not subject post revisions by new users to approval just like post creation, but still allow them to be attempted/submitted? Either way would have allowed me to edit my plugin.

[PeterT]

Simple solution; just be actgive! Post in some of the "fun" Lounge threads for instance.

I *do* try to look out for moderated posts in the Calibre forum and approve them, but hadn't seen any today.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ARR8

But once a thread is approved, I don't personally see a reason to prevent editing it. Surely the spammers aren't so sophisticated as to post an innocuous comment but then transform it into spam once approved?

That's what many of them did, yes.

[ARR8]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Simple solution; just be actgive! Post in some of the "fun" Lounge threads for instance.

I *do* try to look out for moderated posts in the Calibre forum and approve them, but hadn't seen any today.

That would be fine if I were just here to gab but I'm here to share some code and (no offense) don't have any interest in that. Tying one to the other is like if a charity only accepted donations accompanied by filling out a survey. Are they going to get more surveys filled out than otherwise? Probably not; they'll just get less donations.

[Karellen]

Originally Posted by ARR8

Surely the spammers aren't so sophisticated as to post an innocuous comment but then transform it into spam once approved?

This is exactly what happens. It happens on another forum I admin. We lock newbies into no edits until a certain time/post count is reached. Once they reach that, they go back to their original posts and edit in all sorts of links. So imagine what they could do if they have immediate edit privileges. Most of them are now using AI generated posts so it is easy to pick them as spammers in waiting.

There are cases where the newbie is genuine and known to us and we can override the restrictions. Don't know about this forum though.

[PeterT]

Sorry that's how you feel.

Attitudes like that tend to remove my interest in helping

Sent from my TB350FU using Tapatalk

[Aleron Ives]

Feel free to just link to your plugin's GitHub page and do all your discussion there, if you prefer. MR's new member restrictions are annoying, but they're less annoying than having the forum flooded with spambots and AI slop.