Author Topic: please make forum policies visible to new users  (Read 8897 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Massive Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 2604
  • I can resist anything except temptation.
    • tex62
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2011, 05:46:18 PM »
do we really need a new Westerwelle  ??? ;D

Ah... touché.
That hurt.
7 x64 SP1, FF 8a Aurora, TB6, 6.0.1203 Free
Free MBAM Clear

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88895
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2011, 06:11:37 PM »
Please send a welcome email, add a sticky, or add something on the profile page about the forum polices including the fact that users can't change their timezone until after 20 posts. Also inform the user what the forum's actual timezone is. Times can be important when troubleshooting an issue (like the recent false positive for unidrv.dll).

Thanks,
dave

Personally I would try creating a new member account, you will have to use a different email address and user name, etc. When setting it up pay attention, select your country (Forum Profile Information), that will show you flag also and you may well be able to correct the time zone (Look and Layout Preferences, Time Offset:) if needs be after selecting the country .

Don't close out the Profile section until you are done or you won't be able to get back in to modify anything.

If that works abandon this forum member account.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48523
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2011, 06:15:17 PM »
do we really need a new Westerwelle  ??? ;D

Ah... touché.
That hurt.
Not any old ones either.  :)
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

reesd

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2011, 09:32:52 PM »
So, what we really learned is: Let's talk about it. (Spammers won't do that..!)

I could have posted about it first also, but it sounded like something that  wasn't going to change. And I didn't want to create a bunch of empty comments to get there, had thought if I kept to its own thread, did it quickly, and then deleted it after it would be less obtrusive. Bad assumption on my part. Especially since there seems to have been a spammer issue in the past.

d

PS, An email saying I was banned would be nice. I just suddenly was asked for username/password that had worked 5 minutes earlier.

Offline Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Massive Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 2604
  • I can resist anything except temptation.
    • tex62
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #19 on: April 14, 2011, 10:27:40 PM »

PS, An email saying I was banned would be nice. I just suddenly was asked for username/password that had worked 5 minutes earlier.


Let the dead rest in peace.  ::)
We were all victims of circumstance. All's well now.  ;D
7 x64 SP1, FF 8a Aurora, TB6, 6.0.1203 Free
Free MBAM Clear

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #20 on: April 15, 2011, 03:13:28 AM »
In any case, I think my point is still valid. The idea of locking down a users own profile until after a # posts is pretty unusual. Since its unusual I think it makes sense to let new users know about it rather than having them burn time trying it and then digging through help that doesn't mention its locked down. As I said above, something in the welcome email,  a sticky, or a comment on the profile would all fit the bill.
Indeed, share information does not hurt. It could be somewhere... But there are tons of informations that are only in forum. It won't be practical if any of them is published. People are lazy and will ask here anyway ;D
The best things in life are free.

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2011, 03:16:08 AM »
And editing their profiles to be full of links...
Right now it does not help... The spammers use the post to their links... ::)

For me though the main reason is the blocking of Personal Messages. Since someone needs 20 posts before they can send a PM, spammers cannot register, and start spamming everyone through PM's...
Indeed.
The best things in life are free.

reesd

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2011, 02:01:12 PM »
Bwah, ha, ha, ha. I'm at 20 posts, now my evil PM scheme can begin!

d

PS, It really is a shame there isn't some way to lock out PM for new users and but still let them adjust their profile stuff. There is a lot they might want to tweak.

YoKenny

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2011, 02:13:53 PM »
Bwah, ha, ha, ha. I'm at 20 posts, now my evil PM scheme can begin!

PS, It really is a shame there isn't some way to lock out PM for new users and but still let them adjust their profile stuff. There is a lot they might want to tweak.
Looks like you are just the person we like protection from! ;)

First thing you should do is to go to PROFILE then Modify Profile then Forum Profile Information then select your country in Please select your country: then update your Signature: with information like my signature as this helps the helpers offer pertinent advice.

ManyQs

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #24 on: April 27, 2011, 04:36:28 AM »
There is something very, very wrong with the idea that it is acceptable to place such restrictions on a User Account, as outlined in this thread, yet not inform the User during the registration process that the restrictions will be in place. That it's happening on this site is amazing, if not ironic.

There is also something quite wrong with such restrictions as not allowing a User to set a preferred time zone from the first day the Account is activated. That would be a software issue, yes? I cannot think of how restricting time zone settings can prevent spammers form sending PMs, or posting spam.

Obviously, I, even as a member in good standing, have little voice in the way the forum is run, but I believe I am entitled to my opinion here without receiving derision in response to this post from the staff here, no?

Thank you.

spg SCOTT

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #25 on: April 27, 2011, 11:57:41 AM »
ManyQs,

It may be that SMF doesn't allow for you to selectively block some things for users, it may be all or nothing.
So in blocking certain profile features, you may have to block say the time zone feature as a result.


ManyQs

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #26 on: April 27, 2011, 02:04:43 PM »
ManyQs,

It may be that SMF doesn't allow for you to selectively block some things for users, it may be all or nothing.
So in blocking certain profile features, you may have to block say the time zone feature as a result.

Yep, very likely. By now, though, you'd figure the coders at SMF would have come up with a MOD. I mean, SMF wasn't born yesterday.


reesd

  • Guest
Re: please make forum policies visible to new users
« Reply #27 on: April 27, 2011, 02:46:07 PM »
Obviously, I, even as a member in good standing, have little voice in the way the forum is run, but I believe I am entitled to my opinion here without receiving derision in response to this post from the staff here, no?

I don't think there has been a lot of derision about the idea, that tone comes more from how I introduced myself to the forum - by immediately trying to create 20 posts so I could change my time zone. I did it all in one thread to not bug others, but it still looked bad and got me (silently) banned.

d