A newcomer sandbox: first hours without links and media
A gentle way to stop spam that needs no captcha and stays invisible to real members.
A spammer arrives and leaves within the first hour: join, drop a link, disappear. A real member usually reads first. The sandbox is built on that difference.
How it works
For the first N hours after joining, a newcomer cannot use what spam needs: links, forwards, media. Plain text is allowed — getting acquainted, asking questions, joining the conversation is unaffected.
After a day the restrictions lift automatically, with no moderator involved.
Why it is gentler than a captcha
A captcha is a barrier at the door: some people fail it and never come back. The sandbox lets everyone in and limits only what spam relies on. An ordinary member never notices it — few people open an acquaintance with a forward.
What to configure
Duration. 24 hours is a sensible start. Six is enough in a busy chat, a full day suits a slow one.
What to restrict. Links — always. Media — if the chat is text-based. Forwards — nearly always: bulk advertising travels that way.
What to do on violation. Not a ban. Delete the message and explain that the limit is temporary, or the person concludes they were kicked for nothing.
What to pair it with
The sandbox catches “join, post, leave” but not a patient spammer who waits a day. Word filters, flood control and shared spammer databases handle that.
Sandbox settings live on the moderation page.