soccerdatauk wrote:
>
>
> I am notified of new members, some of whom only join to circulate
> rubbish. I delete these people's details as soon as I can, and hope they
> do not cause you too much trouble.
>
> I had to close my last bulletin board when it got overwhelmed by these
> people - hopefully I can keep on top of it this time.
>
> Regards, Tony

Tony

Sorry to hear that spam merchants are such a problem.

A couple of suggestions that might help deal with the problem.

When you receive a request to join the group you could send back an
email requesting more information, along the following lines.

'What are your particular areas of interest within football
statistics"? (or some similar question). I suspect that someone who is
just joining to spam will not be able to provide a credible answer.

You could also use skill testing questions, like the following
examples, which bona fide applicants should be able to answer.

Who was the first team in the twentieth century to complete the double?

What was the significance of the 1953 cup final?

You will note that I have deliberately worded the questions a little
vaguely because I don't think a google search of 'double' or 'cup
final' will provide the answers.

However I would think that everyone on this list and most genuine
applicants would be able to respond with Tottenham Hotspur and Stanley
Matthews.

While these suggestions would create more work for you initially they
would reduce the work of having to delete these people and their emails.

regards

d.c.a. (declan) mulcahy