Timewaster's Guide Archive
General => Suggestions Box => Topic started by: Spriggan on January 16, 2006, 09:33:55 AM
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We've been getting lots of spam lately, both phishing and porn related, and it's time we discussed anonymous postings here on the forums and whether or not we should turn it off.
So what do we get by having it and what do we get by turning it off?
I don't see any negatives to not having anon posting, the few real posters would probably register to post and if they don't who cares? 90%+ of them only post once and those that post more have ended up registering anyways.
True right now we're not getting a lot of spam, a few a week, but it's been escalating and eventually that'll mean we will be getting lots more, and we don't have a forum admin who's on when the others are in bed so sometimes this stuff is on for much longer then it should be.
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I've been wondering why it's been escalating. I don't suppose there's a middle ground anonymous posting thing, like the text recognition test that I've seen on Blogger? If there isn't something like that, I'd say just turn off anonymous posting.
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One positive thing about anonymous posting is that a few of us who don't think we'll become regulars might want to contribute something, and it enables us to when we can't be bothered to register, otherwise.
Not that this necessarily makes anonymous posting worth it. But at least it's one positive thing.
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Wouldn't the spam people just create accounts to spam with if we disabled anonymous posting?
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Not if they are auto-spammers.
One thing about turning it off is that a lot of the time when members want to post at a computer where they don't have their account saved, it is an easy way to still post.
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That does happen quite a bit.
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Considering how much we've gotten just today, I say take it out or filter or something. We could just all remember what our passwords are so we can post from other computers when we need to, right? These spams are pretty annoying.
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I'm of the opinion that it was nice to be able to post anonymously (for when you were ay work or otherwise away), but now it appears TWG has gotten the attention of less savory elements. So perhaps it is time to turn off the anon posting.
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like like 4 today!
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I was going to be in favor of anon posting, but not signing in to post is something I've done once, and that because I'm lazy.
But I've deleted three five spams today. That's as much as I do my email. I'm going to have to vote we turn off anon posting.
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I agree with E - I can take the 5 seconds to log on from a strange computer if I want to.
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And I've deleted one as well, not to mention the one that we just mocked instead of deleting. We are getting nearly the twice the traffic we used to, and I'm hoping it's not all smap bots, but either way I'd like to keep the boards as clean as possible. I say we kill anonymous posting.
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and lo... it is done.
I was just waiting for the go ahead from Fell.
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Wow, 5 in just a few hours today that's annoying. Considering how easy our register system is I don't see this as driving people away.
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Wanted to vote in favor of locking out, but...I see you already did it. Yay.
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Does this have *anything* to do with the recent rash of annoying newbies since anonymous posting has been disabled? Or is it just horrific coincidence?
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I think their idiocy defies the laws of cause and effect.
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now now, you were all noobs once... :D
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As someone who never got the smackdown I reserve the right to grumble. Loudly.
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/me goes in search of his cricket bat
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*Fish calls her lawyer and prepares to file assault charges.
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As someone who never got the smackdown I reserve the right to grumble. Loudly.
Obviously, that means you were well-behaved. Contrary to popular belief, only those newbies who are deserving actually get smacked down. Sadly, most newbies here are deserving on at least one of the two following cardinal sins:
1) Leet Speak
2) Thread Necromancy
That's why we keep Entropy around.
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Also Fish you were a student of EUOL's when you joined, he told us not to use the smackdown on you (like he does with many people who come to the forum trough him).
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People who use full punctuation are drastically less likely to be smacked down.
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EUOL didn't know who I was when I joined, so he can't have told you who I was and not to smack me down. It was a full month later that he found out my identity.
Mostly I think it was because I didn't post outside the Please Save Paul thread for a month after I arrived, because I didn't want to be annoying or look stupid.
More people should have these fears. :P
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These people wouldn't need these fears if they just had a little bit of sense.
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There are definitely some socialization issues with many of the noobs.
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It doesnt hurt that many of them are like 12.
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Okay, guys, I get the hint! Geez, I hate when people talk about me like I'm not there.
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Where are all these crazy newbies coming from? The Palladium forums via the folks praising Fell?
It's a spawning season for annoying posts.
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Would it be unreasonable to make a short grammar/IQ test as part of the registration process.......
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Sadly, yes. Besides, what else does Entropy have to do these days?
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I only read 1 in 10 threads these days so don't count on me to notice stuff happening.