Forum Upgraded to SMF 2.0.1 - Bugs and Updates Here

[goodsamaritan]

We have just upgraded http://rawpaleodietforum.com to SMF 2.0.1

We also moved web hosting to one of my super fast dedicated servers as well as a separate dedicated database server for ultra fast super duper hosting service.  Best ever.  Unmatched.

At the same time hard at work with ANTI-SPAM measures:

- deleted spam profile members with zero posts
- deleted spam applicants today

Total deleted almost 20,000 robot spammers

Temporarily membership application is closed until we come up with a more solid membership registration feature that blocks automated robots.

There will be manual spammers, and we will find ways to crack down on them as well.

Spammers are not welcome here.  Go away.

We are the guardians of this body of knowledge known as Raw Paleo Diet and Lifestyle, ready to serve those in need.

Members, please indicate concerns and bugs in this thread.

If you have any ideas to help improve our cause, please reply here as well.

First idea to kill spammers: require $1 for new member registrations.  What do you think?

Best wishes to all,

GoodSamaritan
Network Administrator

[TylerDurden]

I am none too fond of the 1 dollar registration fee. I mean, there are RVAFers around the world who do not have any access to credit-cards/bank-cards so can't register. Plus, the more we make it a real bother to register, the less likely it is for people to go ahead. Whereas, up till now, some have quickly registered some months or years before, and only started posting later on.


Other forums I've heard of usually just do exactly what you are doing, wait until c. 20,000 members have been reached, do a purge of all the robot spammers - some of them then require people to re-register to the new forum-format.

[goodsamaritan]

Great point.

I've learned to ask random security questions now at registration.
Try it out.
Registration is now open.

[ys]

what happened to rawpaleoforum.com?

[goodsamaritan]

what happened to rawpaleoforum.com?

Superseded by rawpaleodietforum.com for better rankings in the search engines for the key word "Paleo Diet".

[goodsamaritan]

The upgrade to SMF 2.0 came with a hitch.
I could not find a way to retain country flags.
So everyone will need to re-assign their own country flags.

Please do so when you have the time.

[goodsamaritan]

New CSS 3 Theme, please test on Iphone and Android

[RawZi]

    How do you change or add the country flag?

[goodsamaritan]

    How do you change or add the country flag?

Click on Profile
Mouse over to Modify Profile
Click on Forum Profile

[goodsamaritan]

Happy to report that our little upgrade and additional human verifying questions had stopped the robot spammers registering on our forum!!!

http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/mlist/?sort=registered;start=0;desc

So far that is... let's see how long it keeps them out.

[goodsamaritan]

Anyone noticed the fonts have grown LARGER?
Is this good or is this too big?

[TylerDurden]

Too big, I guess.

[KD]

seems to make my posts look even longer...

[goodsamaritan]

seems to make my posts look even longer...

ha ha ha ha ha 

[KD]

the edited by/at box seems to be gone. Also I suspect one of my posts was edited (perhaps by mistake) to a previous version.

[Ferocious]

Anyone noticed the fonts have grown LARGER?
Is this good or is this too big?

too big, I liked how it was before

[RawZi]

Too big, I guess.

    Big is good.

[goodsamaritan]

Quote fonts now larger.

-----

WE ARE NO LONGER VALUABLE TO SPAMMERS

Website links are now disabled in the  Members List Page

http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/mlist/?sort=registered;start=0;desc

And I have also disabled signature website links until they reach a threshold number of posts, which means they really want to participate in the conversations in this forum.

[Wolf]

Don't captchas work well to keep out robot spammers?

And spamming posts to reach a specific post amount is quite easy for someone who is that determined to spam us.  Although, all that work just to put a link in their signature seems a bit much.  And if you want to go so far as charging people $1 to register, I'd think using sms/text/call verification would be easier and cheaper.  Although you still run into the same problem as for those who do not have phones or cell phones or those who do not have texting on their cell phones.. but I know that's how gmail has started verifying their email accounts so that people won't spam so much from them, you have to give your phone number and they text you or call you with a verification code to activate a new email created on gmail.

You could also possibly make certain parts of the forum only accessible to those that have been registered both for a certain amount of time and have a certain amount of posts, and make a "newbie" forum section, that way you can always search the newbie forums for spammers and ban them before they can reach the advanced forums.  But the newbie section could also serve as an introduction to the Raw Paleo diet for those who are new to it, as well. 
(The post limit is to force them to have to make posts so that you can see which ones are just spam, and the time limit is so that even if they spam 100 posts in one day just to reach the limit, they still can't get into the advanced forums.)

and yeah, fonts are now ugly.  However, fortunately it allows you to edit your font.  =D

[Wolf]

Okay another thing I dislike is that after posting in a thread, now it sends me back to the forum list rather than to my post?  I don't remember if it was always like that, but after I post something, I like returning to my post, because I like to reread my posts a few times (both before and after posting it) in case I find any mistakes so that I can fix them, or if I think of anything else I want to say that I can add or forgot to say.. 
but, that's just me.  Customizability is also a wonderful thing, having options to choose whether you want to be redirected back to your post or back to the forum list is awesome.

Also,  in the drop down menus for "profile," "my messages," and "members," the background picture thing is pretty dark and makes it difficult to see the words in the menu.. it would be easier on the eyes if you could lighten up the background on those drop-down menus.

[TylerDurden]

I am horrified at the thought of people needing to have mobile phones to avoid being seen as spammers, as I am blissfully without one, just using a landline phone and PC for e-mails.

[cherimoya_kid]

Quote fonts now larger.

-----

WE ARE NO LONGER VALUABLE TO SPAMMERS

Website links are now disabled in the  Members List Page

http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/mlist/?sort=registered;start=0;desc

And I have also disabled signature website links until they reach a threshold number of posts, which means they really want to participate in the conversations in this forum.

Excellent.  This will be very useful.  I get very tired of banning 2-3 spammers every other day.

[Löwenherz]

Anyone noticed the fonts have grown LARGER?
Is this good or is this too big?

Hi GS,

the fonts are WAY TOO BIG!!

PLEASE make them smaller again. ;-)

Löwenherz

[Wolf]

I am horrified at the thought of people needing to have mobile phones to avoid being seen as spammers, as I am blissfully without one, just using a landline phone and PC for e-mails.

Well, I suppose that's why they also have a call verification option, so that you can use a landline as well.

[RawZi]

Well, I suppose that's why they also have a call verification option, so that you can use a landline as well.

    Maybe one of the reasons I was healthy for a time without animal foods is that I had no phone at all for years (or computer, television-appliance, radio).  I doubt anyone on this forum reaches it via internet cafe though, so the land-line option sounds good.  Even if they did, I'm sure you could tell their sincerity if they really wanted to reach the forum.