Bot alert! -> New registration feature to avoid spam!

[Jani Soderhall]

The image recognition feature exists as a separate MOD (ie fix or add in) to the forum software. I've used it at www.WfsaFreestyle.org when I helped the freestylers get their forum sorted. I intend to install it over here too, but I've been to busy working with my usual work.

New registration feature installed. New members are now required to read letters from a series of images with characters shown in different fonts. This should prevent robots from registering, but it won't prevent humans from registering.

I hope that will save Glenn and myself some daily admin work. We've wasted enough time deleting fake users.

/Jani

[Jani Soderhall]

Has anyone noticed some rather strange and distant "users" registering with our little piece of the Internet?
They sign on with fake user names and bring along some nonsense website. As usual the gig is some sort of cash bonus for hits to the website or its accompanying advertisers.

For more than a year these fake users have signed up causing no harm, but adding to the site admin work. At one time Glenn and I were deleting several fake users every day. Nowadays I delete about one every time I sign in.

Around the time when the site ownership from Jack was about to take place Vlad found a Russian hacking site that uses OUR site as an example of how to hack a phpBB forum of version 2.0.6. The examples on that site even made it possible to post using somebody elses name (Jadrankos name and login was used as an example). Very unpleasant. Within 24 hours I agreed with Jack to upgrade to version 2.0.11.

I guess the next thing to fear is if there is some sort of infection geared directly to phpBB software. It would be a real shame if the database built up here over the past 29 months was lost in some way. I do hope Jani or whoever is able takes the time to back up the data on a regular basis.

The reason I quickly updated to ver 2.0.11 was information on the phpBB site about a recent vulnerability fix. I was also hoping the new version would include the image recognition feature Glenn mentions. It didn't.

The image recognition feature exists as a separate MOD (ie fix or add in) to the forum software. I've used it at www.WfsaFreestyle.org when I helped the freestylers get their forum sorted. I intend to install it over here too, but I've been to busy working with my usual work. To easy my work I recently hired a php programmer. He'll assist me for future feature additions to the site.

As for backups: I've been doing them almost since day one, also through the times of alternating ownerships of the site. Just like you Wesley I'd hate to see information at this site disappear because of a hacking attempt, hardware failure or simply a mistake in handling (could happen to anyone).

/Jani

[Glenn S]

Also I think there is a feature that could be activated in the sites software where the person registering would need to input a randomly generated set of letters and number or a skateboard specific name or word.

[Glenn S]

Wesley,
Yes, seems to be quite a few. Many use a Russian email.

They are adversiting with posting a website in their profile. But I think they are also hoping that we do group emails, so as to obtain everyones personal email address. Which I've not know slalomskateboarder.com to do.

[Wesley Tucker]

Has anyone noticed some rather strange and distant "users" registering with our little piece of the Internet? After hovering around 500 users for several months, all of a sudden several have jumped on board in just the past two days.

It looks as though the spammers have found a new way to irritate us and tie up bandwidth. They sign on with fake user names and bring along some nonsense website. As usual the gig is some sort of cash bonus for hits to the website or its accompanying advertisers.

I guess the next thing to fear is if there is some sort of infection geared directly to phpBB software. It would be a real shame if the database built up here over the past 29 months was lost in some way. I do hope Jani or whoever is able takes the time to back up the data on a regular basis.