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  1. #1
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    Exclamation About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    There’s a some things I wanted to be sure I addressed.


    First, is the “troll” situation. It seems there are some misunderstandings so I am going to clear them up.


    As most you of you know, there’s been one or a few people making things less than ideal here at times. This is unfortunate, but online as in life, some people can act like jerks and make things harder than they need be. Especially in a forum designed for people to get support and encouragement, I wish this wasn’t the case, but as long as we have a social community of real people, some of those people will be ones we wish would go away or that cause problems at times. This is how it goes here, on Facebook, at work, in prison...everywhere people gather and interact.


    Sometimes people say things we don’t agree with or like. Just because someone doesn’t feel the same way that you or me or a mod does, is NOT a reason they should be banned. We can disagree here on the forums, and if an opinion is different than ours we can voice ours as well in a way that is respectful of other members. This is very different than abusive or intentionally disrespectful behavior, which is what I’ll address next.


    This brings us to the situation we have been experiencing and to one degree or another will always experience, which is members who are not adding to the community in a positive way and are intentionally and repeatedly making the forums less encouraging and supportive.


    When we come across these members, we have several options. A mod can private message them and make them aware that their behavior is a cause for concern before escalating the action taken.


    If that either isn’t effective in curbing the behavior or isn’t appropriate due to the nature of the behavior, we can ban the user. Let me explain detail what that means and why it isn’t always as permanent s we’d like...


    The forum software we use is called vBulletin and is the industry leading software for forums, it’s not free, obsolete, or clunky software, it’s a $300 license which is pretty expensive by forum software standards. I only point this out to make everyone aware that we’re not trying to get by on the cheap or without the best tools available. The primary reason we use the most expensive forum software is because they offer the highest level of spam management and security and we recognize the importance of that.


    What the software allows us to do is ban users when it is necessary. When we ban a user, it disallows them from logging in again, and disallows them from registering again with that same email address and / username.


    So what is to stop a user from getting a new email address and registering again? Nothing, which brings us to the next topic, IP addresses.


    An IP address is a set of numbers that basically represents your location online. The forum software allows us to see every users IP address and if necessary, also ban that IP address. If we do this, even getting a new email address won’t allow the user to login or register again because the IP address itself is banned.


    So problem solved, right? Not always...


    Since the IP address represents a persons location, all the person needs to do is change locations or make the forum software THINK they have changed locations.


    The first one is obvious. If they were at home using the forums, they can access it from school, work, Starbucks, McDonalds, a neighbor’s wi-fi connection, etc. All of these varying access points will have different IP addresses which of course will not be banned and it will appear to be a brand new user.


    The second is by the use or proxy servers. A proxy server is basically a computer you log into and access before you go online, so to the outside world, it is not YOU accessing the web, but the proxy server. So when this occurs, we are no longer seeing the actual IP address but the IP of the proxy server.


    Relatively easily, from my location in the US, I can log into a proxy server that is 100 miles away, or even on another continent. For testing purposes, I have software on my computer to access proxy servers, and within 30 seconds I can log into a different server with a different IP address in virtually any major city worldwide. There are literally hundreds of thousands of proxy servers available and more being released every day.


    Is it possible for us to disallow access from ALL proxy servers? Sort of. Most, but not all of the time depending how advanced the proxy is, we can tell that a request is coming from a proxy. So why don’t we just disallow them completely? Two reasons...


    First, it will slow down the forums for everyone. Every time a page loads, the forum will need to check to ensure the request is not from a proxy. However, this I would be willing to live with.


    The second and more important issue, is that there are very legitimate reasons to use a proxy server and we have no way of knowing which is legit and which is actually a previously banned user. For instance, almost all corporations and schools use a proxy server, as well as most shared public wifi networks. If a user is accessing the forum from their dorm room at college or at work, we see them as coming from “University of Chicago” or “ABC Corp” or whatever. If we block all proxies we block all that legitimate traffic too.


    At this point, I’m very reluctant to shut down access to the forums from any proxy for this reason, it would block access for a large number of people who may not even know they’re using a proxy.


    As you all can see, we recently changed the look of the forum a bit. This wasn’t because we have extra time on our hands and money burning a hole in our pockets, or because we are avoiding the issue outlined above.


    The forum software periodically releases major updates to their software, just like any other software does. People that create spam bots, hackers, and other people we want to protect ourselves against come up with ways to circumvent the software protection measures over time, just like they do with anything else. To guard against this, the software builds in new and additional protection measures to keep us as secure as possible and releases new versions of the software with these changes.


    Spambots and hack attacks can shut the entire forum down or do unfixable damage, so it is very important we not only try to address the previous issue, but this as well, so we needed to upgrade our forum software when necessary. Our previous brown “wrapper” was not compatible with the new software version, so we needed to have a new one created. This is the only reason for the change. It’s not because we were tired of brown or wanted to blow some extra money on graphic designers and programmers, it’s because it was required to keep the forums protected with a software upgrade.


    So currently, the mods are spending a great deal of their time trying to keep things as under control as possible, as best they can. I for one greatly appreciate their effort considering this is a voluntary on their part. I admit I get defensive when I read posts that seem to be criticizing that the mods are not doing enough or not doing the right things from people that are as happy as clams to use the forums for their benefit but unwilling to put forth any effort to even educate themselves about the issues we face as a community and come up with a positive suggestion as to what could be done better. The mods are not professional forum programmers or technology experts either, but we are all doing what we can to figure out what can be done and what the limitations are. I would ask that everyone keep in mind the hours of work being spent trying to make things better for everyone before criticizing the effort with no better solution to offer. I would further invite you to consider publicly thanking the mods for all they do to try and provide a great community. Being politely critical is fine, but it is your responsibility to first devote the time and energy understand what you’re criticizing rather than simply taking advantage of the benefits others time and hard work provides you.


    So where do we go from here?


    There are a few options, none great, but I’m happy to listen to feedback to help in our decision.


    First, we can do nothing and ignore crummy people like we need to do in other areas of our life. I’d prefer this to not be our only course of action.


    Second, we can try to block all proxies and accept that any users behind legitimate proxies will also be blocked and will need to find another way to access the forums if they need to.


    Third, I can make the forum a paid forum. I expect malicious users would be unwilling to pay to access the forums to act foolish, even if it was relatively inexpensive like $10 a year. This would solve a lot of problems very quickly and has advantages, but is something I really don’t want to do. As the mods will attest to, it’s not something I’ve ever even brought up before, but it is a possible solution.


    Fourth, we can require all posts to be moderated and approved before they are viewable on the site. This is a huge amount of work and makes for a terrible forum experience. I would be very hard to convince me this is the right direction since it would not only make the community a bad overall experience, but I could never ask mods to do that amount of work for free, so it would need to be in conjunction with option #3 so I could compensate them.


    Fifth, someone else can tell us another solution we don’t know about. There are certainly smarter people than me, and I don’t claim to have all the answers, so I if there is a solution that works considering all I’ve discussed above, I’d love to know about it so it can be considered. If there isn’t, then one of the options above will be the path forward. I’m hoping someone can offer up something we haven’t thought of.


    This is a community, and like any community or social activity, there are positive and negative aspects of participating that ebb and flow over time. I personally think this is a great, tight-knit, and overall very supportive community with wonderful members and very dedicated moderators. If someone is reading this and thinks this isn’t a good community or that the negative aspects outweigh the positive, participation is not mandatory and effects no one but you, so you may and should leave. If however you feel like I do and that the community is an overall a positive experience, I would ask that you do your best to keep it that way and either do what you can to make it better or at the vey least, stay neutral and not take it in an unhelpful negative direction so those of us willing to make the effort to nurture it can do so without barriers from within.


    Thanks for reading, I’ll look forward to some new ideas and suggesstions!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I think the first option is the best we can do. Ignoring someone may be hard sometimes but just let them get on with it, they obviously have problems and need something to occupy their time, and if we are the target, so be it. I love this place and the people i've met here and with or without all the drama, I will continue to post.

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  3. #3
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Thanks for the feedback Scottness!

  4. #4
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    You are right admin, people can evade IP bans, I think the best thing to do is ignore them and report suspicious posts, but just because someones opinion is different that doesn't mean you should report them, I don't agree with the subscription though.

    I'm worried about DoS or DDoS attacks.
    "Free speech is like money, some just have a lot more of it than others"

    Formerly GuitarFreak

  5. #5
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Yeah, DoS and DDoS attacks are a concern for every website, but beyond being on a server monitored for that sorta thing (which we are), there's not too much to do if someone is willing to risk doing something like that which is criminal and not just aggravating. If that sort of thing happens it's not just us that gets upset but a Fortune 500 hosting company with a security and legal team that will investigate and prosecute criminally.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I'm with Scott on this one.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I'm with Scott on this one. I say we ignore a few trolls, and maybe promote a few of the older more dedicated members to moderator status. I figure, if there are a few more moderators hanging around, trolls will get nabbed quicker, and the forum may be a titch more user friendly.

    Also, for the paid forum idea. All I have to say, is that I'm a student with no job, and I don't have 10 dollars to spare, just so I can come online and talk with a friendly community about emetophobia. Also, I think we will be alienating a lot of members that maybe don't want to pay or maybe are too young to have a credit card (as I'm sure you're aware there are some younger members).

    Also, I don't think many of the trolls on here are smart enough to DoS, DDoS, or RDDoS.
    Life is a wonderful ride.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I think option 1 is best. Let's just ignore the jerks! The idea to block proxy users terrfies me as I suspect I am currently using one. I have recentley moved to a new state and I am using my apt. complexes free wifi. This would mean that I would not be able to log on from home! Yikes! Especially upsetting because i have never been one to pay a whole lot of attention to the negative vibes that happen here sometimes...granted, I am not as active as a user as some..or so it may seem...I log in almost daily and have for the years I've used this site...I just don't post as much because I'm a fairly reserved, shy person. I'd be bummed if I couldn't log in because of a nut job or two. Let's all just have a laugh at them instead of getting upset about it!! :P

  9. #9
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by jwavrek View Post
    I'm with Scott on this one. I say we ignore a few trolls, and maybe promote a few of the older more dedicated members to moderator status. I figure, if there are a few more moderators hanging around, trolls will get nabbed quicker, and the forum may be a titch more user friendly.

    Also, for the paid forum idea. All I have to say, is that I'm a student with no job, and I don't have 10 dollars to spare, just so I can come online and talk with a friendly community about emetophobia. Also, I think we will be alienating a lot of members that maybe don't want to pay or maybe are too young to have a credit card (as I'm sure you're aware there are some younger members).

    Also, I don't think many of the trolls on here are smart enough to DoS, DDoS, or RDDoS.
    Yes, I sure don't want that either, but I wanted to outline all the possibilities so I can be sure to get all the other suggestions everyone has.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I think we should just ignore the trolls, too. It would be awful if people had their access restricted because they belong to a university network etc. And to be honest I think a dedicated troll WOULD pay $10 a year although perhaps would not create *quite* so many accounts. The problems we've had aren't due to a timewaster; they're due to someone with quite profound issues. So the best option is just to ignore people like that.

    I don't think any of us would want someone banned because of a disagreement. Disagreements are usually fairly civil and quite quickly resolved; it's when intentional troublemaker(s) have got involved to make it a 'divide and rule' sort of situation that they get very out of hand (the vast majority of the major 'upset' threads in the past two years or so have had this sort of input, I'd say!!). Also I don't think any of us usual users would criticise the mods; it tends to be the troublemaker(s) who bitch about that.

    I think we're all very grateful to have this support site here so thank you to all the admins and mods

  11. #11
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I totally agree on just ignoring them. If they don't get the attention they covet they will move somewhere else.

    What about a sign up process where you have to authenticate new accounts via a text on a mobile phone? I don't know if that would be possible here but it would be a good way to keep the site free for the students who can't afford a membership fee/don't have a credit card but still auto-monitor new accounts. One account per mobile phone number type of deal.
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  12. #12
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by barbiegirl View Post
    I totally agree on just ignoring them. If they don't get the attention they covet they will move somewhere else.

    What about a sign up process where you have to authenticate new accounts via a text on a mobile phone? I don't know if that would be possible here but it would be a good way to keep the site free for the students who can't afford a membership fee/don't have a credit card but still auto-monitor new accounts. One account per mobile phone number type of deal.
    This would work, Craigslist uses phone authentication to stop spammers.
    Taking a sabbatical from IES, moving on, and making concrete changes to live my life without fear.
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  13. #13
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by barbiegirl View Post
    I totally agree on just ignoring them. If they don't get the attention they covet they will move somewhere else.

    What about a sign up process where you have to authenticate new accounts via a text on a mobile phone? I don't know if that would be possible here but it would be a good way to keep the site free for the students who can't afford a membership fee/don't have a credit card but still auto-monitor new accounts. One account per mobile phone number type of deal.
    Oh I agree with Barbiegirl about the new accounts thing! Like new members have to be approved by a admin? I have joined some meetup groups that I have to get approved before joining the group. And I agree with ignoring them and everyone using their "report" buttons. ALthough I have never used oen I have had suspisions and they have seemed to be correct. I think you guys are doing pretty good!

  14. #14
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I agree we should just ignore them, it's not like we have loads of trolls, it just seems that way due to one person creating all those multiple users - I think trolls have three aims, one is to upset people i,e with overly graphic posts, and this is where the mods come in, in making sure they are removed asap, the second is to cause arguing amongst existing members which tends to happen when someone criticises or questions them (possibly because they suspect they are a troll) but then someone else jumps in to defend them etc so while we are all entitled to voice our opinions i don't think we should start fighting amongst ourselves saying someone else is wrong for what they have said as again this is giving a troll a thrill - stirring it up then sitting back and watching the fireworks and lastly they just want plain old attention - a rabbit forum i go on actually has it in the rules that you are not allowed to talk about banned members or closed threads, and i'd always thought it was a bit OTT but I can see the reason why now, i think making it a rule and giving out infractions for doing so is a bit harsh but maybe if it could be a suggestion to all members not to talk about a particular trolls/banned members/closed threads so as not to give them the attention they crave in the hope they will eventually get bored and bog off when they realise they aren't getting any reaction. If we all just hit the report button when we think something is out of order and then let the mods deal with it, then it is all done behind the scenes quickly and quietly.

    I don't think we should cut off whole swathes of genuine emets who use proxy servers from getting on just because of one person and I don't think a fee would put of the particular troll giving us hassle at the moment either as if they are shelling out money to open up their own forums then I think they would also pay to create new users on here.

    I think the mods do a great job, we could maybe do with a couple more to cover all time zones as the European based ones haven't been on for a while but they do all deserve our thanks in keeping things under control and running smoothly and thank goodness IES exists and long may it continue!!

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  15. #15
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I agree that a troll would probably pay to terrorise if they really wanted to. I also don't think banning proxy servers is the most practical either, as previously discussed there are some members that would not be able to access the site if they really needed to. My other half works in telecommunications, and does know his stuff to an extent, and can't actually see any other ways to prevent what is happening, other than what has already been suggested.

    My only suggestions would be: A firm set of forum rules, if someone / a new member breaks those rules then the post is deleted as soon as a mod is able, and a polite message is sent reminding them of the rules. 9 times out of 10, if the poster is genuine, they will see it's a friendly reminder and could post again perhaps leaving out horrendous details, or anything that may cause problems. That, or we could carry on as before with mods editing posts to be more 'suitable'.

    My second suggestion is more moderators, particularly in varied timezones, who can keep an eye out and quickly delete any posts that are clearly malicious. I don't mean go at it like there is no such thing as free speech, but if someone is clearly trying to cause trouble then to use their discretion and get rid of those posts before there is a chance for other members to see them. I would suggest the mods need to be people that can read about things in graphic detail etc and not be too upset by it. If we have more eyes on the boards then there is more chance of these people / person getting stopped in their tracks.

    It's such a hard topic. It's hard that we really just do not know who is a genuine new member and who isn't. I agree that ignoring is also a great thing to do, but I also fear they may then take things to more extreme levels which would still cause upset, unless deleted off the boards quickly.

    I think more mods is the way to go, with a firm set of forum rules (which everyone could be a part of deciding) - any posts that do not meet those rules should be deleted. It may seem a little harsh, but most genuine people would not take offence and would understand, in my opinion.

  16. #16
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I like barbiegirls idea.

    Personally, I feel as if we have ignored this troll/psycho for a good while and nothing has changed. Just the sheer existance of this site fuels her fire. I know in reality ignoring them makes them go away and get bored but that has yet to happen. How long was Paisely a member for? She/it has many approches. I know there can be something done to filter the board without restricting anything crucial. I also like the idea of having more than a handful (or less) of mods. There are really only actively two and with a forum this active it should be more moderated.

  17. #17
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Yes I forgot to say I agree with barbiegirls post too - is there a way that mobiles can be used? I think it's a great idea as at most there would only really be a few phones any one person could get their hands on to create new accounts.

  18. #18
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    First of all, I would like to apologize to the Admins and the Mods if anyone was offended when I (and other members) stated that they aren't doing enough to keep up with our troll issues. When this post was originally made to address the changes to the site, it was in the midst of quite a bit of drama and there was no mention of anything that was being done to prevent further problems besides "keep using the report button". I don't apologize for what I said because I feel that it was valid to question why the mods weren't addressing the drama going on and it just seemed like they wanted to upgrade the site. That is why I became slightly angered to see a brand new site but nothing done to improve our situation. Also, I did not offer any suggestions because I'm not very tech savvy. I can do a lot of things on a computer but when it comes to a very technical situation, I'm not the person to go to. I left my post open for other people with more knowledge about computers to leave their input though figuring that someone who knows about computers and IPs and Proxys might be able to offer some help.

    I understand that the mods are doing what they can and I appreciate all their help this far. IES is a great place even with the troll(s) and it's not going to scare me off. I do like Barbiegirl's suggestion. It makes it so that even our younger members are able to authenticate their accounts (if they have a cell phone which I'm sure most of them do). I would not agree with the suggestion of having to pay though even though it's the safest thing to do but only because it would prevent legitimate members who cannot afford the fee from joining the site and receiving the help they need. I also like the suggestion that someone brought up a week or so ago about maybe taking a picture with your member name to prove you are a "real" member. And for the members who don't want their faces shown, they can just hold the piece of paper in front of their face. Know what I mean?

    Either way, I think the new site looks cheerful (although it's taking some time to get used to) and I'm looking forward to seeing the progress we are able to make as a community.

    Best of health and happiness to everyone <3
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    -Originally an IES member since October, 2009-


  19. #19
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by JadeNight View Post
    I like barbiegirls idea.

    Personally, I feel as if we have ignored this troll/psycho for a good while and nothing has changed. Just the sheer existance of this site fuels her fire. I know in reality ignoring them makes them go away and get bored but that has yet to happen. How long was Paisely a member for? She/it has many approches. I know there can be something done to filter the board without restricting anything crucial. I also like the idea of having more than a handful (or less) of mods. There are really only actively two and with a forum this active it should be more moderated.
    I agree with Michelle. We have tried countless times to ignore whoever this is and it's not worked in the least. The troll is even still a member of this site now under a username that hasn't been detected yet. She admitted it herself (although how valid her story is I couldn't tell you). I was also going to bring up the point that having only a few moderators on a site that has truly grown a large amount should be changed. I feel that there should be at the very least, five mods. It has been said multiple times by the mods that they often don't have a chance to read every message they receive so maybe if they could appoint a couple of more members as mods and see if that helps to ensure that nobody's messages, complaints or suggestions get accidentally looked over. That being said, the moderators chosen to step on board need to be fair and as non-judgmental as possible.
    My Mantra:
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    -Originally an IES member since October, 2009-


  20. #20
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I don't think the picture thing would work, anybody could take a picture of their name if you think about it.

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  21. #21
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    that's true but say this trolls joins, submit a photo with her name, gets banned because shes a troll, she would have to do all over again and they would know its her,no?

  22. #22
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    But if it works out that people are submitting photo's of names on paper and can cover their face, anybody can post a picture like that over and over without it looking like the same person?

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  23. #23
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I thought the point was people cant cover their face? lol. Other than that I don't know how that would work.

    What about this? Has this been tried?

    http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=207966

  24. #24
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by Cupcake x View Post
    I also like the suggestion that someone brought up a week or so ago about maybe taking a picture with your member name to prove you are a "real" member. And for the members who don't want their faces shown, they can just hold the piece of paper in front of their face. Know what I mean?
    I was referring to this Michelle.

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  25. #25
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    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    I really like Barbie's idea, I hadn't thought of that. It doesn't seem anything like that exists currently, but if someone tracks it down, let me know. That would indeed be a great option.

    I don't see requiring a photo working on a forum like this where anonymity is a concern. Especially for people that have never been here before and have no trust developed. We're also not going to manually approve every member. It's a ton of work to avoid one or two troublemakers, and there would be no way of knowing if they were or were not one of who we're watching for anyway.

    I appreciate the link to the forum mod. Unfortunately that is compatible with a very old version of the software and only checks the banned IP which is the root problem, we don't know the true IP because of the proxy. We already ban by IP, but thanks!

    To the upgrade itself...the greater point is that although we have a pain in the ass user, we don't stop doing everything else we need to focus on that exclusively. We do what we need to AND we try to improve on that issue. Sort of like just because you may need to go on a diet, you don't need to quit your job to focus on that entirely because that would cause it's own set of new problems.

    I appreciate the suggestions!

  26. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    934

    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    One of the first things I learnt when I was a child when I got bullied was to ignore them. It was difficult but they soon got bored and I soon got tougher. Ten, twenty years on and the school bullies don't have very fulfilling lives at all. I got bullied for being clever at primary school, believe it or not. Well, what a shame for them. I ended up getting top grades, a degree and a good career because of it, so I had the last laugh.

    But it's so, so easy to ignore bullies online! To be honest I'm not sure why everyone is letting this trolling business get to them so much. Obviously it's unpleasant and even more so when we get duped into supporting someone who is a troll and we don't realise it. I only dip in and out of the forum so I tend to miss a lot of the dramas and find out after the event. Mostly, it's a problem for the moderators as they give up their time do moderate. For the rest of us, we should just not discuss it and get on with things.

    I'm lucky in that I have a busy offline life, i.e work, friends, family etc and if I encounter troublemakers in real life, I ignore them and cut them out of my life. That can be difficult, but I will never, ever, let an anonymous person hiding behind a computer screen get to me.

    As for talk of this 'other' website (I won't name it but you'll know what I mean)...well, I just decided to have a look at it. To be honest I laughed out loud. I felt like I'd regressed back to school - or student politics - it's actually hilarious. I wouldn't take any of it personally, or seriously, at all. I actually pity people that have to fill their time in such a way - don't they have a job to go to? Or hobbies to do? Or family and friends to socialise with?

    So yes, option 1 is the best option there. I don't want to see people on here getting upset with trolling etc, but focusing instead on making our emet better!

  27. #27

    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    The phone thing is a good idea but what if someone doesn't have a mobile phone? I'm with everyone else who feels the best thing to do online is the best thing to do in real life, ignore the bullies. Stop feeding the trolls and they'll go away.

  28. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    222

    Thumbs up Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    Quote Originally Posted by Kazzia View Post
    One of the first things I learnt when I was a child when I got bullied was to ignore them. It was difficult but they soon got bored and I soon got tougher. Ten, twenty years on and the school bullies don't have very fulfilling lives at all. I got bullied for being clever at primary school, believe it or not. Well, what a shame for them. I ended up getting top grades, a degree and a good career because of it, so I had the last laugh.

    But it's so, so easy to ignore bullies online! To be honest I'm not sure why everyone is letting this trolling business get to them so much. Obviously it's unpleasant and even more so when we get duped into supporting someone who is a troll and we don't realise it. I only dip in and out of the forum so I tend to miss a lot of the dramas and find out after the event. Mostly, it's a problem for the moderators as they give up their time do moderate. For the rest of us, we should just not discuss it and get on with things.

    I'm lucky in that I have a busy offline life, i.e work, friends, family etc and if I encounter troublemakers in real life, I ignore them and cut them out of my life. That can be difficult, but I will never, ever, let an anonymous person hiding behind a computer screen get to me.

    As for talk of this 'other' website (I won't name it but you'll know what I mean)...well, I just decided to have a look at it. To be honest I laughed out loud. I felt like I'd regressed back to school - or student politics - it's actually hilarious. I wouldn't take any of it personally, or seriously, at all. I actually pity people that have to fill their time in such a way - don't they have a job to go to? Or hobbies to do? Or family and friends to socialise with?

    So yes, option 1 is the best option there. I don't want to see people on here getting upset with trolling etc, but focusing instead on making our emet better!
    Well said and great perspective! I think that would solve a lot of problems on and offline. Without attention, there's no reason to "troll".

  29. #29
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    2,694

    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    The picture thing might work. If people don't want to show their face, it could just be something the mods approve?

    I also think we need more moderators, as others have suggested.

  30. #30
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Hartlepool, United Kingdom
    Posts
    402

    Default Re: About the Forum Upgrade, New Look, and Path Forward

    But if people don't show their face, could the same person still have numerous accounts and just be hiding?

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