Q2.4 What is robo-moderation?

    Robotic moderation, robo-mod, auto-mod, and using a mod-bot
    all refer to use of scripts or programs to process messages.

    Typically, messages arriving at the moderation address are examined
    to see if they fit criteria determined by the moderator, and if they
    do they are automatically approved and posted to the newsgroup.

    Messages which do not fit the criteria may be manually approved, or
    discarded as inappropriate for that newsgroup, or handled in some
    other way by the moderator, which may include changes to the criteria.

    For example, if a message arrives from a previously unknown poster
    (or e-mail address), the moderator may read the message and approve
    it, send the new poster a copy of the FAQ for the newsgroup,
    and add the poster's address to a list of pre-approved posters,
    so the poster's next message will be automatically approved.

    Or, the moderator might reject the message (as for a too-common FAQ),
    send the poster a copy of the FAQ file, and expect that the
    prospective poster's next message is more appropriate for approval.

    Commonly used robo-mod criteria might include:

        message is not a duplicate of a recent message

        message has new material in good proportion to quoted material

        message is from a known poster who can be expected to post well

        message contains words or phrases
        particular to the topic of the newsgroup.

    negative criteria might include:

        message is inappropriately cross-posted

        message is from unknown poster

        message contains words or phrases
        that trigger review by human moderator
        ("make money fast," "modem tax," "good times virus")

    For an example of a feature-laden and very security-conscious
    robo-moderation package, see:

        http://www.algebra.com/~ichudov/usenet/scrm/robomod/robomod.html
            STUMP - Secure Team-based Usenet Moderation Program

        ftp://ftp.algebra.com/users/ichudov/pub/stump/
            STUMP sources