Are new Downers getting blocked?
 

I've been wondering this for a while now, and I think it's worth asking: are all the new people regularly appearing on the 'newest member' ticker at the bottom of the front page being blocked?

When I signed up to the Downs almost two years ago, I had quite a tricky time doing so. My initial signup told me it needed moderator approval, but after a couple of weeks the pending userpage (which looks like this when logged out) had transformed into an Invalid User page (like this). I had to hunt around for an email address for the Barrow-Wight, since non-members or pending members can't send private messages. I think I found one on the non-forum part of the Downs - remember that?

The reason I'm wondering whether this was more than a one-off is that it's very rare to see a new user posting, but the current Newest Member, 'CowboyDumpsters', is #18723. I'm #18210, and while I'm not positive that number goes up by 1 for every registration, I think it comes pretty close. I'm not going to look through every userpage between those numbers, but a cursory check shows that the last few are pending, and most before that seem to be invalid.

It could well be that the 'new users' are actually all bots or spammers; 'CowboyDumpsters' doesn't exactly have a Tolkien connection, and could be a company name or two random words shoved together. If so, I salute the Barrow-Wight and any other moderators for their service. But if there's just an error in the sign-up function, I figured it was best to say something (after all, with the Amazon series coming up, the Downs may well experience a revival next year!).

hS

I knew the signup process requires some vetting. That was instituted, if I recall rightly, about 4-5 years ago due to a massive number of spambots.
Some of them used to post, in the effort to show of their sketchy links. Some of those were actually pretty amusing. :D

I'm no admin, and never have been, but I'm always suspicious of User Names that do seem randomly selected, and have nothing to do with Tolkien. It's those that I never seem to see again after the "welcome" mention at the bottom, while others (like you) do go on to active participation.

Since you mentioned the coming Amazon series, I do wonder also if we'll see a glut of new members on its release. If it stimulates interest in the books, it'll at least (like the PJ movies) have one positive asset. ;)

I'm not honestly sure there's been anyone new start posting since me. No, I take it back: we had merrymatt post 13 times, mostly on the RP subforum. Given how often the ticker ticks over to a new name, that was the cause of my concern.

However, doing a slightly more in-depth check of the last 30-odd user numbers, it seems a fair number of them have been approved, so everything is functioning as it should be and I should have checked before posting. :) Once again, I salute whatever the current moderation team looks like; they're doing a spectacular job.

hS

I noticed that the visit stats in the What's Going On section now say:

Really? That seems highly odd, considering the relative dearth of posts.

Would it be overly ominous to suspect a bot attack? Given the... interesting post out of Ivriniel, it seems at least somewhat plausible.

Though any bot which gets its claws into the Downs is going to be completely wasting its energy. :D

hS

I recall from years back some spammers cut/pasting from various threads in an attempt to seem legitimate. They usually betrayed themselves by obviously sketchy links in the body of the post, though.
Since that was from an established member, I would think nothing of the sort is likely.

It's gotten pretty rare here, likely because of the previously discussed safeguards.

On an oddly coincidental note, yesterday I received around two dozen calls with Caller ID spoofing my own number. That's happened once before, but I only got a couple then. :rolleyes:

And also by copying people's signatures into the body of their posts by accident. :D And one time Rikae's account went haywire and she had an unintelligible postscriptum added to all her posts. But you're right - I haven't seen anything like that for a looong time now.

Ah but there were highlights.. tombot...

Oh yes, TomBot and his friend LucyBot... I don't even remember what they posted about but they were a star-crossed couple...

The good old days when spam was a matter of norm. :D

My friend Gando never did get past the 'purgatory' stage here. He could log in, but couldn't post, and never got an activation email. I tried to intervene and find out why but even after I was told it should all be good, he still couldn't post. He didn't bother coming back. I see him on The Tolkien Forums now.

Several of the 'Downers who hadn't logged in for years and then came back experienced similar problems with the verification e-mail, that they would not have solved had they not contacted some of the staff in person.

Which makes me wonder whether we haven't become "too well fortified" for new members to join. Which would be sad. Any evidence to the contrary?

No Admittance Except on Party Business
 

"Too Well Fortified" would be a generous way of describing the actual state of affairs in our admissions office, which would be better characterized as "Absentee Landlord".

I scanned the new applications for years but became weary of approving bots with cleaver names and ignoring well-intentioned recruits with suspicious email addresses. Instead, for the past few years I have often just let things linger in limbo until someone made a special plea. This is obviously not optimal.

There are two possible solutions, as I see it.
(1) Drop the moderation and tolerate the spammers, which are likely to be more active than our membership.
(2) Create a better process for new members to validate their humanity (Elfenticity? Dwarvishness?) [The current question and answer is easily circumvented by clever Goblins.]

Any thoughts on how we can be more welcoming to new wights but less vulernable to pesky marauders?

Thanks!
BW

I remember well the constant war with the spammers, some of whom would merely copy/paste from other posts to "prove" their legitimacy, while peppering useless or dangerous hyperlinks everywhere. I certainly wouldn't want that again.

Maybe some sort of probationary period, where new members could comment on existing threads and posts, but couldn't immediately start their own? That would still leave it somewhat open to the bots, but maybe also asking a "deeper" Tolkien question on registration would help.

I assume that promoting new admins wouldn't help with this specific issue? Not that a site this sleepy *needs* more admins, but if it's a manpower issue, perhaps it's time for the first new "Steward of Cardolan" in a generation?

I agree. I would volunteer; unfortunately, that would truly be the case of the cure being worse than the disease. :D

Moderation removed
 

I have removed new user moderation but strengthened the application process to weed out the bots and spammers. It seems to be working for the moment. Let's see how long it takes for a determined maggot to wriggle its way into the barrow.

Good deal. To the Fire with them!

Sting is glowing!
 

You may have noticed a couple of dirty orclings that slipped through because of a hole I left in the hedge, but I've patched it. Let's see if it holds.

Even the blasting fire of Orthanc is of no use with watchful men to defend the keep. ;) But let's hope there won't be much need of defending.

Based upon the screennames of some of our new "members," this may be a bit of a challenge...