For example, the idea is that search engine spiders follow the links to boost their Google rating or whatever, so why not make all links submitted in comments point to a location that does not exist until the links are verified by some sort of email based activation or other hoop-jumping-through-activity?

This will force the spammer to maintain an active email account (which can be banned) to activate the links which will otherwise result in 404 errors if followed, consequently reducing their Google rating and defeating their original objective.

It won’t prevent them from posting, but it may end up to be more trouble than it is worth.

The downside is that it becomes a pain for the regular users - we are punishing everyone for the misdemeanors of the few.

This reply brought to you via spellcheck.net. I like the little drop down menus for spelling suggestions. Then again, if Firefox had an inline spell checker ala Safari/OS X, it wouldn’t be necessary…

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if I was Alex and returned from snowboarding to find that lot, I’d try to consider some kind of creative vengeful hacking…

Don’t tempt me.

now, if I was Alex and returned from snowboarding to find that lot, I’d try to consider some kind of creative vengeful hacking…

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you go away for _one_ week…

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