Non-Member Forum Posts

Could we please return the forums to read-only for non-members? We're getting too many threads by driveby posters who never respond to the answers we provide. Plus, it's too easy for a certain gadfly with too much time on his hands to pepper the board with sockpuppet aliases.

it's too easy for a certain gadfly with too much time on his hands to pepper the board with sockpuppet aliases.

I don't think we need to turn it off.
There are many measures taken, some visible, some hidden, that blocks unwanted posts.
Just as an example - unlike many other forums that requires registration, we hardly have any spam...

I agree with the OP and personally, have always disliked this open-to-anyone posting feature. Spam really isn't the major issue. The issue is that too many non-members post questions and don't bother to follow-up after regular members put time and effort into giving them answers. Half of the time, you don't know even if they returned to read the answers. This is disrespectful and annoying to those members who take their personal time and share their knowledge and experience with others.

As you know I'm also of the mindset that we need to register to post. If they don't want to take the time to register an account do we really expect them to contribute, or even bother to return at a later date?

?

Curtis Neeley wrote:

?

Step away, gadfly. You're only making things worse for yourself. You've already stepped over the line by creating accounts under my name and that of Greg's. All that bluster and BS about suing me for being mean to you and you just opened yourself up to a very realistic one for identity theft.

it's too easy for a certain gadfly with too much time on his hands to pepper the board with sockpuppet aliases.

admin wrote:

I don't think we need to turn it off.
There are many measures taken, some visible, some hidden, that blocks unwanted posts.
Just as an example - unlike many other forums that requires registration, we hardly have any spam...

Like Steve and Greg explained, it's too easy for drivebys to post a question, then not even stick around and acknowledge a lengthy, thoughtful answer. It's a big disservice to the honest non-members who do post, because there are times I (and probably the others) just don't bother answering sometimes.

And given the behavior of our recent gadfly, I'm about to quit answering any non-member queries altogether. He's shown total disrespect to the board and its members and thumbed his nose at the posted norms of conduct. He's proven already that if you give him an inch, he'll take a mile. If you chop all of his accounts (including the ones that qualify as identity theft), he'd still be able to come back and drown the board in phony posts. He may have begun so already, for all we know.

OrcaBob wrote:

Could we please return the forums to read-only for non-members? We're getting too many threads by driveby posters who never respond to the answers we provide. Plus, it's too easy for a certain gadfly with too much time on his hands to pepper the board with sockpuppet aliases.

I agree.

I agree with register to post. just my 2cents

I don't know if this helps - but in the past I have run forums on my on sites and the bbs system we were using was able to display the submitters IP address. Is there any way in which this can be used to identify whether someone is spamming the board, I know it is not foolproof, but will at least help deter those individuals that are just out to cause agro. It would be a shame for a few individuals to destroy a great community that has taken a while to build up.

That's a good point.
There are several systems we're using to track down spammers, and IP information is one of the tools we're using.
I prefer not to mention the details, to avoid giving any information to the wrong hands.

BTW, do you feel there is a lot of spam here?

I don't believe that I have seen too much spamming (mainly I was referring to previous posters concerns) - example : http://www.photographyboard.net/black-images-in- picture-5714423.html - http://www.photographyboard.net/black-images-in-my- pictures-5714523.html

but the above example may just have been a genuine request, just from someone new , not understanding the usual etique of forums and double posts, (even if the username was different).

It does also appear that since the forum was opened to guests to post, several just "post and run" which is out of the norm for the community that was built up here (( I do understand that you (us) also may not want a "clicky" group that excludes all new change or members, but I think we all enjoyed new genuine members who seroiusly wanted help and would participate in the community))
It is always understandable that some visitors may visit once and never come back. If a guest does visit and make a post - How do they get notified that there is an answer that someone has taken the time to provide ?

I'd like to know how to QUIT being notified by email when there's a reply.

I keep getting email notifications about replies in certain threads, even though I've repeatedly invoked the "unsubscribe" option in the notifications. The link claims to work, but it doesn't do shit. I don't recall asking for notifications in the first place and it's pissing me off.

OrcaBob wrote:

I'd like to know how to QUIT being notified by email when there's a reply.

I usually use the (My Page) link - top right - which takes me to my profile page - If I scroll to the bottom - I see all my subscribed threads - I normally remove the ones that I no longer wish to be notified about.

Hope that helps.

I'm checking this out.

Can you please reply with a topic you have received emails to which you have subscribed to? (Or did you use the "I do not want to get any notification" through your profile page)?

I used the Unsubscribe to All. Several times. Each time the link brought me back here and said I'd been unsubscribed to everything. It lies.

If I have to, I'll just slap a filter on my email so I get no more notifications from this site.

Can you please reply with the next subscription you get falsely.
In addition, can you please check on the topic page, if the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of the thread turned into "subscribe"?

Thank you for your help.

If a guest does visit and make a post - How do they get notified that there is an answer that someone has taken the time to provide ?

With all the rush to check if there's a problem, I never answered this one
A guest can leave his email if he wants to be notified on replies (only on the full screen mode, maybe we need it on the small one too?)