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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2020 12:49:46 GMT
The Number 1 reason this Forum is being spammed so much is because Guest Users can, for some reason, post messages.
So here are a few suggestions to deal with this before - if it hasn't already - this Forum gets put on a "Sucker List" passed around Spammers as being an easy touch. (If any of the following can be done by a Moderator rather than the Sysop then all the better.)
1) A Guest User can only read, not post, messages.
2) A Guest User can be upgraded to a Full User and allowed to post messages only by contacting the Sysop.
Or
1) A Guest User can read all messages but is only able to post messages in one specific Board, call it "New Users" for example.
2) Full Users can read and post answers to messages in "New Users" if they wish to do so.
2) A Guest User can be upgraded to a Full User and allowed posting access to all the Boards only by contacting the Sysop.
Or
1) All messages auto-flagged as being Quarantined also get moved to a specific read-only Board, call it "Waiting Verification."
2) Sysop verifies message and moves it back to original Board if not spam, deletes it otherwise.
Or
1) Allow Full Users to be able to Flag messages as Spam or undesireable. If a message receives more than a set number of Flags it gets temporarily removed pending checking and possible reinstatement by the Sysop
Or
1) Since Guests are not Users it means they can not be added to a User's Block List.
2) Allow Guest names to be added to Block Lists so at least those who don't want to see the same spam messages every time they log in can do something about it.
Or
1) No Guests. Register properly.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Oct 13, 2020 17:24:55 GMT
Or, since Benziger is essentially the one and only Admin type, he finds a couple people to be moderators who have the ability to either temporarily delete spam postings and [as in place offending posts into a quarantine folder] / or block offenders when and where possible.
Truth is it's kind of difficult taking care of kids, doing a job, and riding herd on a site like this without assistance. Since I haven't seen him login for several days, perhaps he needs to take care of his responsibilities first.
Có, các bài đăng spam có thể gây khó chịu.
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Post by BlueAndGold on Oct 14, 2020 1:02:01 GMT
I agree, bizzley. Having guests make posts is an invitation to trouble. When there were fewer members and smaller exposure it was probably a good idea, but the time is probably overdue to shore up security and close off posting privileges to members only. In the beginning, there was no need for but one administrator, but Benziger has not logged in here since 28 September and there is definitely some maintenance needed. Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest if, upon his return, he appointed one or two users with Admin permissions somewhere part-way around the world (in a different time zone) and/or one or two users with moderator permissions. However, the bottom line is that this board is Benziger's baby, and his wishes rule. Only HE has the god-like powers here. 
By the way, let's hope that he is just on holiday and having a grand old time somewhere balmy!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 1:37:26 GMT
I agree, Sphinx. Having guests make posts is an invitation to trouble. When there were fewer members and smaller exposure it was probably a good idea, but the time is probably overdue to shore up security and close off posting privileges to members only. In the beginning, there was no need for but one administrator, but Benziger has not logged in here since 28 September and there is definitely some maintenance needed. Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest if, upon his return, he appointed one or two users with Admin permissions somewhere part-way around the world (in a different time zone) and/or one or two users with moderator permissions. However, the bottom line is that this board is Benziger's baby, and his wishes rule. Only HE has the god-like powers here. That's a good idea actually. I volunteer if he does decide to go that route more than two I think. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 4:22:20 GMT
A Guest User can only read, not post,
I think that's the way to go to stop these scammers bizzley.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 4:24:42 GMT
I think BlueAndGold, bizzley, SphinxCameron or tasmanianartist would make excellent moderators to help our founder Benziger , if he chooses to go that route.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 4:35:35 GMT
Có, các bài đăng spam có thể gây khó chịu
Họ chắc chắn là Sphinx Cameron khó chịu
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Post by tasmanianartist on Oct 14, 2020 6:24:31 GMT
Someone with more tolerance than I has to take on the role of 2IC in this forum - I have too much intolerance and would likely pull the plug on the forum to get peace and quiet from these vietnamese viruses. Counterproductive ... we have to wait for Benziger to resurface. Remember there still is a health issue world-wide ...
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sirram
Senior Printer
No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money
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Post by sirram on Oct 14, 2020 14:22:51 GMT
"Moderators" sounds good. I was a moderator of a local history website for quite a while. We didn't require posters to register before posting but the option was there if they wanted to contribute specific articles. Most weren't registered and they were usually recollecting memories of a local school they attended, or where they had worked, had lived or something about the local area. However, EVERY post had to be approved before becoming visible. In our case, it wasn't just to trap spam but also to ward off defamatory remarks about "that dodgy Mr Jones who took us for Geography in the 1970s".
The disadvantage was the time-lag before posts became visible if none of the moderators (all volunteers) was online.
For this forum, since spam is rare, it would be better to allow posts through but have a small team of moderators who could retrospectively delete spam.
In the UK, I happen to subscribe to the online version of a national newspaper. Readers can comment against articles and their posts appear pretty well instantaneously. Every so often, a post (none of mine of course!) gets replaced with a "Post deleted" message. So, no queue of posts to be approved but with moderators in the background who can retrospectively delete anything. This approach seems to work pretty well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 19:08:08 GMT
"Moderators" sounds good. I was a moderator of a local history website for quite a while. We didn't require posters to register before posting but the option was there if they wanted to contribute specific articles. Most weren't registered and they were usually recollecting memories of a local school they attended, or where they had worked, had lived or something about the local area. However, EVERY post had to be approved before becoming visible. In our case, it wasn't just to trap spam but also to ward off defamatory remarks about "that dodgy Mr Jones who took us for Geography in the 1970s". The disadvantage was the time-lag before posts became visible if none of the moderators (all volunteers) was online. For this forum, since spam is rare, it would be better to allow posts through but have a small team of moderators who could retrospectively delete spam. In the UK, I happen to subscribe to the online version of a national newspaper. Readers can comment against articles and their posts appear pretty well instantaneously. Every so often, a post (none of mine of course!) gets replaced with a "Post deleted" message. So, no queue of posts to be approved but with moderators in the background who can retrospectively delete anything. This approach seems to work pretty well. If my posts had to be approved before becoming public I would never post. Here in Montreal it's turning into a police State. You can't stop your car to look at the sky without the police approaching you. Especially if you have ugly short hair. Too much control is gross |
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Post by tasmanianartist on Oct 14, 2020 23:36:29 GMT
A team of moderators who can monitor and act on inappropriate posts and contents is fine for an outfit like a newspaper (they get paid for it). But it is a purely voluntary/hobby/pastime thing for forums like this, where the moderator/s consist (in this particular case) of fellow authors who attend to the moderator function 'if and when', as a matter of low priority. Having said that - I've already been a party to exactly that (a family group on facebook, where the originator and only 'moderator' suddenly died; he knew he was dying, but did not think of installing another moderator - the group was, of course, memorialized
I'm not saying that the member/moderator called 'benziger' is in the same situation as the family group member above; however, if they have left the forum to its own devices indefinitely, one advice would be to create a new forum and from the beginning instal 2 additional moderators (best practice), and leave this one be as is.
Personally, if I wish to read an article on an online newspaper, I close the tab if I get a message to subscribe and pay if I want to read it; and if I become a member of a forum, I don't mind logging in as my computer automatically logs me out and deletes all history upon switching off at night (unless I can post as a guest, tho that's fraught with danger...), but I won't persevere if I have to wait 2 weeks before I see my post.
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Post by tasmanianartist on Oct 14, 2020 23:37:36 GMT
Mag2024 ... Canada, Australia, US, EU, Britain, ... doh
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Post by BlueAndGold on Oct 15, 2020 0:51:56 GMT
Most of the spam is posted by s single "user": baotp123. An Administrator can delete the user and all of his posts, then ban the IP address (or group of them) he posts from with a few mouse clicks. At least that's how it works with PHPBB and VBulletin. I'm sure it's similar here.
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Post by tasmanianartist on Oct 15, 2020 1:07:31 GMT
The ProBoard Support has now removed the spam - as soon as 'benziger' is available to us again (and not just me - anyone who has the opportunity to chat with 'benziger' when online), members here need to approach 'benziger' about installing at least 2 other moderators.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2020 5:25:25 GMT
I hope benziger is OK. I'm going to find out.
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