Ideas / Issues / Problems / Fixes / Updates: Aliases and User Abuse
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Aliases and User Abuse

Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: Site Support
Forum Name: Ideas / Issues / Problems / Fixes / Updates
Forum Discription: Find something broken, Have an Idea, Find something new!
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10175
Printed Date: 11 May 2024 at 1:30am


Topic: Aliases and User Abuse
Posted By: James
Subject: Aliases and User Abuse
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 10:57am
Well folks as you know there have been alot of sites getting hammered by spam and the occasional hackers. Our site has seen its hay daze of this activity along with aliases that stirred up the pot. So hang out and read a long post here if you choose. If you are a new registered member that has not been approved and want to know why your not approved please read this whole post.

Over this last week we have had several users that have registered but  did not get approved. After email exchanges which often don't prove squat I approved these accounts since they seemed to know paddling terms, local rivers and in some cases had excuses on why they did not meet the criteria I have set for approving accounts.

In any case I am writing this to let everyone know that all the moderators need your help identifying spammers, hackers or aliases. Clearly there is a big difference between an alias and an abusive alias that the later can only be seen after the abuse has been made. So keep an eye out and help our team keep the board clean of driftwood.

To kayakerbabe (aka Sharon Micock) and the other recent joins, I am sure your all just a bunch of fun loving paddlers and since your on other boards and have returned my emails your approved, but be warned that our group does not deal well with jokers who hide behind aliases and although paddlers boast thick skins the northwest has a way of thinning them down.

For everyone else that did not get approved or those that might wonder why I never even responded on why they were rejected here is the criteria used.
Registration Approval Process

  1. I run your listed email through http://www.stopforumspam.com/ - StopForumSpam.com if you are listed I don't even bother moving to step 2 or responding.

  2. I run your requested username through http://www.stopforumspam.com/ - StopForumSpam.com if you are listed I will email you back to determine if you are a legitimate paddler that just picked a hot username. I still proceed through all steps before emailing.

  3. I run your IP address through http://www.stopforumspam.com/ - StopForumSpam.com if you are listed I email back to explain your IP has been listed and request an explanation or proof that you are indeed a paddler not a spam/hacker. A few of you have taken offense to this and threatened to use other boards or basically accused me of a bad attitude. Understand that because IP addresses can be re-assigned I don't make this a final rule as I do with steps 1, and 2. However I do need an explanation. If you start with abusive language or racial responses accusing our moderators of being racists or preferring countries that is not the case and we will likely not approve your membership due to your inability to accept that this process keeps our board functional.

  4. If your entire registration passes the StopForumSpam test then your email is run through a google search. If I see your registered on notorious spam boards, show post history of spam or even listed as a user on various security breeching sites (astalavista, fobu etc) I am going to ask you for an explanation as to your credibility as a paddler. Again don't be offended I am just trying to prevent some of the security problems that we have had and make sure once your a member you have a great time without these headaches.

  5. If you passed all those steps your registration is then approved.
So thanks for reading all this if you did not skip to the bottom, and enjoy the board. If your waiting for approval understand that this process can take a while since it is a multi step and we get up to 10 - 20 new registrations per day with around only 25% being legitimate requests.

~ James



Replies:
Posted By: Tobin
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 11:29am
Thanks James!

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Sure?


Posted By: chipmaney
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 2:05pm
Sounds reasonable to me, James. 

I also say kudos for instituting moderators and banning combative posters, as the site has really become much more positive, and I have noticed a lot of new people now using the site. So, Thanks!

Speaking of moderators, I am pretty unclear about how that works. In particular, I am wondering why the really inflammatory language posted on the FITW Video post was never edited or removed??? Is that within the power of the moderators?


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sitting all alone on a mountain by a river that has no end


Posted By: James
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 2:33pm
The moderators have full ability to perform all functions Except: access the database tools which really only pertain to the back end of the site. Moderators can edit, remove, move, limit, ban and help change accounts, posts, threads and forums.

I just found the thread you are talking about Chip and I did not see that until now. I still help out but I am not "the moderator" anymore. I would have probably moved it to the closed zone myself but I am trying not to be involved outside of keeping the site operational since that was the role I was asked to take. Lastly since Leif chose to leave this board, I think our community would best served if we did not continue to bring him back up on the board.

Now not to get off topic - this ain't about moderation its about registrations


Posted By: dave
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 10:04pm
Originally posted by James


To kayakerbabe (aka Sharon Micock) and the other recent joins, I am sure your all just a bunch of fun loving paddlers and since your on other boards and have returned my emails your approved, but be warned that our group does not deal well with jokers who hide behind aliases and although paddlers boast thick skins the northwest has a way of thinning them down.

 
Umm, James, Sharon Micock? You better look at that name a little closer....


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Nomad


Posted By: kurle
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 10:15pm



Posted By: SupaSta
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 11:49pm
I think I know her.  Doesn't she paddle with Seymour Butts and Phil McKrakin? 

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Life is short, paddle hard!


Posted By: Travisimo
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 11:52pm
I think she drives a Rolls Canardly.


Once she rolls she can hardly get back up again.


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H2O please


Posted By: Tobin
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 7:32am
Did Barry Mycochner also join up?

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Sure?


Posted By: James
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 8:34am
Example of a user that just registered a few moments ago.

To activate the new membership  tanie1rearptait click on the link below: -

Stop Forum Spam Email: http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=tanie1@kolonie.pomorze.pl - http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=tanie1@kolonie.pomorze.pl

Stop Forum Spam IP: http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=221.214.27.252 - http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=221.214.27.252

Google Search: http://www.google.com/search?q=tanie1@kolonie.pomorze.pl - http://www.google.com/search?q=tanie1@kolonie.pomorze.pl



Posted By: irenen
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 9:47am
Wow, I had no idea it took that much work to keep the forum clear of spammers -  I get comment spam from those types of people all the time on my blog but it's a lot less work for me to kill the comment before it gets posted, thanks for going to all the effort here.

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It's all fun and games until someone loses a paddle.


Posted By: James
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 11:20am
It's not really a choice. We get about 5-10 spam registrations per day and if even a couple get through the spam posting on the board would be an absolute nightmare. Most of the fake accounts are folks in other countries that want to post ads and CPP links to make money not actually hack. Even despite the effort to keep them out we still have had a few leak in. If we were to run open registration like we did years ago it would be a daily job cleaning out the forum.

The fake alias issue is much less common and obviously harder to deal with since most people myself included use handles for web posting.

Clearly we have a heavy simpson audience also.

Mike Rotch! Mike Rotch! Hey, has anybody seen Mike Rotch lately?
Listen to me, you little puke. One of these days, I'm going to catch you, and I'm going to carve my name on your back with an ice pick!


Posted By: septimus prime
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 11:56am
lmfao

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Jon Shell Bee


Posted By: Tobin
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 12:24pm
Simon Feldersnatch?


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Sure?


Posted By: Weide
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 10:41pm
Adolf Oliver Bush


Posted By: chipmaney
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 4:29pm
Drew P. Weiner

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sitting all alone on a mountain by a river that has no end


Posted By: AaronS
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 8:03pm
Wilma Fingerdoo



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