Operational changes for spam

[BigV]

The solution shouldn't be more difficult than the problem here

Agreed.

How do other boards solve this problem? More moderators?

I think that putting the burden of human labor into the equation is necessary, and should be shifted to the user wherever possible and away from the moderators.

The reason spam works at all is because the sending cost is zero or nearly so. Increasing that cost will have a direct inverse effect on the amount of spam. As to the balance point of costing so much that it drives away new users, an increased cost is not always a negative. Consider the truth of behind the strategy of adding value instead of reducing price (the salespeople in the audience will certainly understand this).

There is *much* value here, and consequently much potential room for some "cost". Putting some of that cost at the beginning, especially for such a legitimate cause, is something I heartily support.