Enough is enough

[Bonzo]

It is about time that the Haynes admin got on top of these spam posts. :(

Now the site is being bombarded with porno spam.

Here was I thinking this was a family forum.

Here's a top tip, employ admin staff that are actually capable of doing the job they are being paid to do. ;)

It's a simple piece of forum software, how difficult can it be !!??

[Big Vern]

It is about time that the Haynes admin got on top of these spam posts. :(

Now the site is being bombarded with porno spam.

Here was I thinking this was a family forum.

Here's a top tip, employ admin staff that are actually capable of doing the job they are being paid to do. ;)

It's a simple piece of forum software, how difficult can it be !!??

I suspect if we moan too much they'll just close the site down siting an irrepairable problem.
The spammers have exploited a loophole in the sites basic design which is why its not proved an easy or quick fix.

:(

[Dualist]

It has been a couple of weeks now and no doubt that he's gonna be on holiday for the next 10 days before anything is bloody sorted.
Haynes should get an admin that can do the bloody job.
Worse case they can do a back up, install the new upgrade and get George (eva2000) who helped write the vb code to set it up for us, he's an Ozzy so would do it for a few tinnies.
All depends though if the mysql on the server is upto date.

[Bonzo]

The spammers have exploited a loophole in the sites basic design which is why its not proved an easy or quick fix.

:(

Said with the very greatest of respect BV

The sign up procedure of this forum is/was insanely amateur at best.

This was a problem waiting to happen.

Admin had the chance to close this forum to new members within 24 hrs of this all kicking off.
Instead, chose not to do so for several weeks, resulting in several thousand sleeping accounts that now need to be cleaned up. :rolleyes:

Sorry, in my book, that's just sheer incompetence.


Yes, I know, this forum is provided free by Haynes but at the end of the day it must be a valuable marketing tool for them, else they wouldn't waste resources on it.

Every member who has bought the Haynes title " Build your own sports car on a budget " has paid for this forum.

Said book being one of Haynes best selling titles. ;)

[twinturbo]

It has been a couple of weeks now and no doubt that he's gonna be on holiday for the next 10 days before anything is bloody sorted.
Haynes should get an admin that can do the bloody job.
Worse case they can do a back up, install the new upgrade and get George (eva2000) who helped write the vb code to set it up for us, he's an Ozzy so would do it for a few tinnies.
All depends though if the mysql on the server is upto date.

May wana tone that down a bit.


What's your day job? do you think Admin does not have one to get on with rather than supporting us lot for free? We have to remember we are free loading in a minuscule organisation.

Admin has stated that new software is coming (vbul is not free) and has closed new registration until new year when it is hoped the update can be applied.

Me and Ash will continue sweeping the floor, things are improving as less spam is appearing.


If us two can get by, then the rest of you should be able to avoid the chaff...

TT

[Bonzo]

Nice to know that us forum members are seen to be a bunch of free loaders. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

The latest version of Vbulliten hardly breaks the bank at $240 odd dollars.

Small beer in the context of the profits made from the sale of the book !?

[twinturbo]

I am a member of the forum. It's provided FOC so I am classed the same as every other person here, i am using haynes generosity and I have had more info, fun, conversation from the forum than the cost of the book many times over.

We can't knock the person who has a day job to look after what he is paid to do. ( i know I provide support for a large institution and some things have to give)

The forum was provided free, maintained free to all users, many have not purchased the book.

Support admin otherwise it's "thanks for all the fish" time as that's the easy option.


TT

[twinturbo]

$240 still has to go through process, finance teams can be slow.

the implementation. " do it once, do it right "


TT

[alga]

I have a few comments. Obviously, this forum is not the first priority for the Haynes admins. We have to live with that. The way they dealt with the spam problem indicates that they didn't have more than about 1 hour to spend on the forum during the two months we are having this problem (if we discout the possibility that they are grossly incompetent).

Personally, I find it strange that commercial forum software was chosen when the Open Source alternatives are way more flexible, easy to use and secure.

Lastly, running a forum site costs peanuts, contrary to what the locostbuilders owner would like everyone to think.

TT, if I gave you a list of suspicious accounts, would you be able to remove them? It's obvious which ones are spam when looking at them -- home page URLs in Ukraine or Poland, ICQ numbers set, registered this autumn, gibberish location and interests, last seen on the day they registered. (e.g., http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=3984, http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=6248 and http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=5078). I suppose I could spider the user list and put it into a spreadsheet. That would make filtering fake users not very hard.

[twinturbo]

Hi Albert,

I can give it a go, although it may lead to genuine readers being banned.

The backend ( as I see it ) does not allow sorting by registration date which is a pain.

There maiy have been a reason for having to use VB, many companies won't let OpenSource anywhere near production system.

TT

[AshG]

if you actually read many (not all) open source licence agreements hidden in the small print it says that it is free for personal use but organisations must pay.

[robo]

I dont want to start a blame fest but we are where we are and the forum is still suffering .Why cant the last 5000 members just be deleted? If the date order thing wont work what about all the stupid name combos, they stand out like a sore thumb.:mad:

Bob

[Bonzo]

This one is active most of the time on here & known to the anti spam community.

http://spam-ip.com/lookup-2975-113.19.16.14.html

Some useful information available on that web site. ;)

[Big Vern]

Said with the very greatest of respect BV

The sign up procedure of this forum is/was insanely amateur at best.

This was a problem waiting to happen.

Admin had the chance to close this forum to new members within 24 hrs of this all kicking off.
Instead, chose not to do so for several weeks, resulting in several thousand sleeping accounts that now need to be cleaned up. :rolleyes:

Sorry, in my book, that's just sheer incompetence.


Yes, I know, this forum is provided free by Haynes but at the end of the day it must be a valuable marketing tool for them, else they wouldn't waste resources on it.

Every member who has bought the Haynes title " Build your own sports car on a budget " has paid for this forum.

Said book being one of Haynes best selling titles. ;)

I don't disagree, the sign up procedure is too easy, and nothing was done as soon as it all kicked off. But thats where we are now. The forum has gone down hill fast since this started.
Whether Haynes still think this site is a valuable marketing tool hmm not so sure. High volume sales of the book early on but sales have leveled out and with other exciting kits moving in on the budget end of the kit car market this could be a convenient way for them to bail out:eek:
Hence why I've joined up on your site:)

The forum was provided free, the book price wouldn't have changed if there was no forum, nor will it if the forum closes.

At this point in time what has happened however badly its been handled is to some degree irrelevant, its in the past, whats more important is what, if anything, is going to be done to restore the forum.
Sad but I think this forum will close, even if they do fix it I suspect too many will have defected to 'ronnies' and the resultant low traffic will seal the forums fate!

[robo]

I see we are still in good company:eek: :eek: Bliliaerype, entecyRot, Frulmormbof, idexepear, napwebtenny, SeelvebeM, semaincursemn, tradaagrish, uIoGjKkUjG, xl5zse, yNiGtIkImQ, zJoTxTzAyH

Bob:mad:

[flyerncle]

They may not have sold as many books had it not been for the forum and its good name as a starting point prior to book purchase.

[alga]

if you actually read many (not all) open source licence agreements hidden in the small print it says that it is free for personal use but organisations must pay.

Ash, in fact licences that do that do not fall under the common definitions of open source licences.

http://opensource.org/osd -- note items 5 and 6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_Free_Software_Guidelines

Albertas