Registering and joining the auswine forum

Gavin Trott · Post by **Gavin Trott** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:34 pm

Hello everyone

I'd like to post a bit of an update on joining and registering and using the auswine Forum.

Naturally I'd like as many people as possible and who are interested to join the auswine Forum and join in the community. Usually this is quite a simple and easy process, well at least it should be.

Unfortunately what's been happening now for some months, and shows no signs of letting up, is a rash of phoney user registrations. These happen each and every day, anything between 10 and 50 a day.

Most of these are done by things called bots, little pieces of software that
are written to go around and register on forums all around the world.

While we have nearly eliminated those people who post spam on the forum, thanks to lots of work by myself and other helpful moderators like RB and others, we are far from stopping, or even slowing down, these registrations.

The registration user names are an incredible mix, some are clearly and obviously phoney because they use names that are clearly false, but some don't, they use people's names.

The other complication is that some genuine people looking to register, choose really strange user names as well.

So each day I'm faced with a stream of user names which are a mix of the phoney, the likely, and the improbable, and have to make decisions about deleting them.

In this situation in inevitably I make mistakes. Every few days it seems I have inadvertently deleted a user who was genuine.

What we need is a solution to this problem, or ways for me to tell the real from the phoney. As such here are a few ideas and suggestions that I would value feedback on.

Ideally I would like everyone on the forum to use their real name, and to register as their real name. However I don't want to make this policy, firstly because I don't like instructing forum members what to do, and secondly because many long-standing members have user names that they like and they are we are used to.

Also some people don't want to use their real name because they're involved in the industry in some manner, and would find this a problem.

For these reasons, while I encourage you to use your real name, I don't want to make it mandatory. Some boards do, most noticeably the Robert Parker board, but hopefully we can avoid it here.

However there are a couple of things that I would like new registering people to do that will help us out, and be reasonably simple.

Try to make your username something that is clearly to do with wine or something related. In this scenario, it's very simple for me to tell that this person is a genuine name are looking to join the forum.

If you don't wish to do this, then there are two other things that will help me choose between real and phoney registrations.

the main things that show a phoney registrations are

They do not activate their membership
they post no details about themselves in their profile
they make no posts on the board at all

If you don't wish to use your real name, then to make the process of joining in simple, I would ask you to do the opposite of this. That is

activate your membership,
puts some details about yourself in your profile, (can be simple, where you are located, your interests, does not need to be personal information)
and if possible make a post to the board as soon as you can.

In this way when I am looking at the registrations I will see something about the user, notice that there are active and notice that they have posted and therefore leave them in.

It may seem a little fussy, but it is relatively simple, and will help us avoid this problem andmove with a smooth running forum.

I will leave this as a message at the top of the forum for a little while for new members to see, but also value any feedback about this?

707 · Post by **707** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:46 pm

Seems simple and easy to me.

How about those already registered updating their profiles with at least a location please. It does help if you know where someone is posting from.

Alan Foo · Post by **Alan Foo** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:47 pm

I do agree with 707 that it is easy and knowing ones location is good.

Gavin Trott · Post by **Gavin Trott** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:58 pm

Yes, no need to post anything too personal, especially if you don't mean to be identified, but a few things you enjoy, where you are located etc.

I don't think you need give anything away

and

I'm pretty sure the 'bots' don't fill these in ... yet!

Example this week.

New member called 'Santa'.

Yes, real name, but I deleted her not knowing. I'm sure you can understand why!

However, they're back, and have been most understanding!

Welcome Santa!

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:07 am

Santa doesn't exist! You sure it wasn't Satan?

Santa · Post by **Santa** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:09 pm

monkeyboy wrote:Santa doesn't exist! You sure it wasn't Satan?

That will be Ms Santa to you thank-you

And, what kind of name is 'Monkeyboy'?

If you have time, and have myspace, check this out for a laugh...

animatricmonkeyhead (I cannot post the webpage link yet, as I am still a newbie)

John Mayer's famous monkey head 'friend'

707 · Post by **707** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:47 pm

Good one (Ms) Santa, you didn't fill out your location!

Don't put the North Pole either coz we won't believe that, it's now just mostly water due to global warming!

Santa · Post by **Santa** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:58 pm

707 wrote:Good one (Ms) Santa, you didn't fill out your location!

Don't put the North Pole either coz we won't believe that, it's now just mostly water due to global warming!

Hello Steve,

No, I have never been to the North Pole...or the South Pole for that matter.

I live in Brisbane, Queensland.

Hope to chat with you further in the forum. We being lovers of 'a drop' or two.

n4sir · Post by **n4sir** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:14 am

Ms. Santa,

Is there any truth in the "..... only once a year" line? :twisted:

(Sorry, I just had to ask) :wink:

707 · Post by **707** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:23 am

[quote="Santa] I live in Brisbane, Queensland. [/quote]

Brisbane - nice. But don't forget to update your profile with that info or we'll forget. Once you log in, just click on the Profile button and update.

Look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy what we serve up here.

winetastic · Post by **winetastic** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:18 pm

This thread reminded me of a joke...

Did you hear what happened to the dyslexic devil worshiper? He sold his soul to Santa.

Gavin Trott · Post by **Gavin Trott** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:02 pm

People please

this was a serious post!!!

:wink:

Santa · Post by **Santa** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:13 pm

Gavin Trott wrote:People please

this was a serious post!!!

Thank you Gavin. I wonder why I was starting to feel the 'butt' of many jokes :oops:

And guys....laugh now, you'll love me by Christmas! :twisted:

n4sir · Post by **n4sir** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:37 pm

Santa wrote:I wonder why I was starting to feel the 'butt'...

BAD Santa! BAD Santa! :twisted:

Santa · Post by **Santa** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:56 pm

n4sir wrote:
Santa wrote:I wonder why I was starting to feel the 'butt'...

BAD Santa! BAD Santa!

Ms. Santa,

Is there any truth in the "..... only once a year" line? Twisted Evil

(Sorry, I just had to ask)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note the two messages above from you, and know that I was 'Good' until I began chatting to you......

You don't by chance happen to be vertically challenged with pointy ears, and wearing a cap?

n4sir · Post by **n4sir** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:12 pm

Santa wrote:
n4sir wrote:
Santa wrote:I wonder why I was starting to feel the 'butt'...

BAD Santa! BAD Santa!

n4sir wrote:Ms. Santa,

Is there any truth in the "..... only once a year" line?

(Sorry, I just had to ask)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note the two messages above from you, and know that I was 'Good' until I began chatting to you......

You don't by chance happen to be vertically challenged with pointy ears, and wearing a cap?

Well, now that you mention it.... I don't think my ears are that pointy. :oops:

Serge Birbrair · Post by **Serge Birbrair** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:09 am

Gavin,
this is what I do:

I do NOTHING for a week.

THAN, once a week, I delete all ZERO POSTERS.

This way you don't delete legit or active members, regardless of their names.

J · Post by J » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:43 pm

Gavin,
Have been on for a week can but cannot update my details. Could you have a look at it please.
Ta
J

d0pey26 · Post by **d0pey26** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:50 pm

oh dear, no wonder I've been deleted countless times!! my username is from my email. Have been using that for the longest time!!

I'm Dawn. So please advise whether I can still keep d0pey26?

thanx gavin.

Gavin Trott · Post by **Gavin Trott** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:06 pm

d0pey26 wrote:oh dear, no wonder I've been deleted countless times!! my username is from my email. Have been using that for the longest time!!

I'm Dawn. So please advise whether I can still keep d0pey26?

thanx gavin.

Please register, and

1 give a few details about yourself, location etc

2 then post a message as soon as it is convenient.

This is how I tell, have they given details, have they activated and posted?

Or even better, use your real name? :lol:

d0pey26 · Post by **d0pey26** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:17 pm

Please register, and

1 give a few details about yourself, location etc

2 then post a message as soon as it is convenient.

This is how I tell, have they given details, have they activated and posted?

Or even better, use your real name? :lol:

[/quote]

I have already registered. I'm from Singapore. Have recently picked up wine from my dad cos I don't really like hard liquor nor beer. Tried out other wines from other countries as well. So I've already posted a message for a topic on recommendation of cabernet sauvignon. Would that be fine?

aj_syrah · Post by **aj_syrah** » Sun May 13, 2007 5:18 am

Just registered, thought I'd post here to indicate that I'm not a bot.

Gregoire · Post by **Gregoire** » Fri May 18, 2007 1:13 pm

Gavin

Standard practice is now to present a "number" rendered on the screen as an image (so bots cannot read the number) along with the user registration details - so your server can match user-entered-number with what you flashed on the screen at registration time.

Know what I'm talking about?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu May 24, 2007 11:36 am

Gavin,
this post is just to let you know that tasiordog is a real person. I'm short, dark haired and- according to others- have a temperament like my username
...though I'm not that smelly :lol:

Kat

simm · Post by **simm** » Fri May 25, 2007 10:58 pm

Serge Birbrair wrote:Gavin,
this is what I do:

I do NOTHING for a week.

THAN, once a week, I delete all ZERO POSTERS.

This way you don't delete legit or active members, regardless of their names.

That's great Serge. I am often serching through this forum but according to your criteria I will no longer exist and then have to register again. Don't you think this might create more work for Gavin instead of less? I'm thinking of more appropriate reasons to delete a member, but you may not like it. Pffftttt!!!!!

DarkAndInky · Post by **DarkAndInky** » Mon May 28, 2007 11:39 am

Hi - new member here. I was going to put some information into my profile but I cannot do that until I have 5 posts. This seemed contrary to the initial post to me (putting profile information ASAP).

That said I have not been deleted yet, so whatever you are doing appears to work

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:20 am

Gregoire wrote:Gavin

Standard practice is now to present a "number" rendered on the screen as an image (so bots cannot read the number) along with the user registration details - so your server can match user-entered-number with what you flashed on the screen at registration time.

Know what I'm talking about?

If you check the registration screen that feature has been implemented. And the bots are smart enough to read that sort of stuff these days...

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:21 am

DarkAndInky wrote:Hi - new member here. I was going to put some information into my profile but I cannot do that until I have 5 posts. This seemed contrary to the initial post to me (putting profile information ASAP).

That said I have not been deleted yet, so whatever you are doing appears to work

Only one more post to go then....

louise-vin · Post by **louise-vin** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:13 pm

Jumping in late, but - I like the 'ask a question only a human could answer' approach
'what colour is the sky?'
'what is 2 + 4 (in numbers)'
'is a chardonnay a red wine? (yes or no)' (works especially well here!)
'write "yes" below if you are a real person'
'copy the second word in the page title, below'

make your own list, rotate them randomly and they should be fairly effective. There are probably plugins that offer it, but I would suggest your own questions

(I haven't poked around to see what softwae this forum is running on)

One other technique I like is to add a hidden field. Bots just can't help but fill it out, but Real People can't even see it. I've been testing this recently and its good

HIH
Lou

Scoobth · Post by **Scoobth** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:29 pm

As I just went through the signup process I agree with what Louise-vin just suggested. Real world questions are a great way to see if the person signing up is human.

The best suggestion I can recomend is to keep your phpBB software as uptodate as possible. This stops old bugs being exploited and usually changes the format of signup to disable bots which are not up to date.