Author Topic: Registration disabled  (Read 7939 times)

Alan W

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Registration disabled
« on: June 16, 2009, 12:04:41 AM »
OK, enough is enough! I've stopped new registrations to the forum for the time being. The number of troublesome new participants has become too great. (Unless you've been viewing the forum round the clock, you won't have seen all the spammy and sleazy posts I've deleted over the past couple of weeks.)

I'll investigate options for imposing an appropriate screening procedure so I can reactivate the registration function in due course.

In the meantime, if anyone reading this wants to join up for the true purpose of the forum (which is to add to the enjoyment of people using this website), send me an email about it, and I can join you up if you seem like a real person interested in word games.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2009, 04:16:24 PM by Alan W »
Alan Walker
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birdy

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2009, 12:12:05 AM »
So sorry you've had to go to all this trouble, Alan.  It seems to be a problem on all forums/fora.  Wish we could backtrack to the source and send a nice hag-like curse to destroy the originating computer.

anonsi

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2009, 12:16:03 AM »
I had something similar happen on another forum I read. The administrator there noticed that most of the spam was coming from a specific set of IP addresses. So he ended up banning all IP addresses within a certain range. I don't know more about it beyond that.

Alan W

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2009, 12:27:28 AM »
Whenever I ban someone, I also ban the IP address(es) they've used. But the numbers vary quite a lot, so there are no obvious ranges to ban that would have much impact. And, as I said, the intrusions look to be coming from various parts of the world. I suspect there are lists of forum websites that circulate amongst such people. Maybe if it's impossible to register here for a while, we'll get dropped off some of those lists.

I was hesitant about starting a forum in the first place, because I'd heard horror stories about spam and black-hat hackers, so I was pleasantly surprised when things went so smoothly for the first year or two. Seems like all good things must come to an end.
Alan Walker
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greenone

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2009, 07:06:29 AM »
Sensible idea Alan - to clamp down on registration for a while.  It is still simple for players with a genuine interest in joining the forum to do so via an email to you.  Perhaps you should keep that system in place.  glad you are keeping the forum going though.  I haven't contributed much lately, but I like to have a quick scan to see what is being said.

technomc

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2009, 08:48:40 AM »
Thanks Viral for your vigilance, but what a lot of work for you when it shouldn't be necessary...sorry you have to go to the bother.
I for one would miss my forumates should it stop...

biggerbirdbrain

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2009, 12:49:11 AM »
It really is a shame, esp. when someone who has been playing a long time eventually gets motivated enough to chime in with this loverly bunch of cocoanuts here!

But we indeed grateful for your constant diligence in the face of such disgusting, exhausting and ridiculous attempts by slimeballs to throw us all into turmoil while all we want to do is exchange and have fun.

Kudos, O wise and wonderful GAGL, for all your efforts -- and many thanks from your devoted forumates!  :angel:


Alan W

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2010, 12:25:20 PM »
Almost a year ago I suspended the normal registration procedure for this forum, because of the large number of spambots registering and cluttering up the forum with spam and sleazy stuff.

Since people could only register by e-mailing me, there have been only a handful of people who have done that. (But they have been high quality forumites, of course!) Probably some genuine potential forumites were deterred from bothering.

I decided to turn registration back on for a while to see how things go, but before I had finished writing an announcement of what I had done, somebody registered and posted a message about online casinos! (Which I have now deleted.)

So, registration has been quickly suspended again.

Eventually I will set things up so people can apply to join the forum via the Register button, but the registration form will ask a question designed to identify the real people: e.g. "How did you learn about this website?" Applications will have to be approved by me, which unfortunately will cause a delay in people being able to participate. However, it may be a while before such a scheme starts up, because it requires tinkering with the forum software, which I'm not very practised in.

So, for the time being, the way to join this forum is to drop me an email. Please feel free to do that (unless your main topics of conversation are online gambling and penis enlargement).
Alan Walker
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pat

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2010, 07:00:46 PM »
What a shame that the actions of a moronic minority interfere with the enjoyment of so many; this is true of just about all web sites, not just this one.

Alan, I don't know if it would result in more/the same amount of/less work, but instead of asking a question of potential new forumites, could you not use the approach adopted by other web sites i.e. make people type in the number they see?

Alan W

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2010, 12:10:59 PM »
We did that, Pat, but they seem to have cracked it. Also, they have to confirm registration by replying to an email, but that hasn't stopped some of them either.
Alan Walker
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Steadyguy

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Re: Registration disabled
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2010, 06:58:24 PM »
As the song goes

"What a crazy world we're livin' in!"

It takes all sorts to make a world, but hell, we don't have to take 'em..... >:D
Diem Carpe et Amplexa.
(Roughly translated means 'Don't just seize the day HUG IT!)