User Registration

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User Registration is closed for the time being.

I just came home to find close to fifty bogus user accounts registered for the sole purpose of spamming. None of them can actually post because I need to approve each account personally, and these are obvious spambots, but it is a hassle nonetheless to track them all down and delete, not to mention the clog it creates.

So, until this wave of idiocy on these people's parts lessens and passes us over, I have turned off user registration. I will turn it back on soon.

If you are a legitimate prospective user reading, I apologize for the inconvenience and you will be able to register an account shortly.
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Re: User Registration

3
Hmmm... shouldn't affect changing an existing user's information, but it is possible it is seeing that as a form of change to the original registration and thus blocking it. If you can wait, try again once I have reenabled the function, please.
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Re: User Registration

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10 spambots since I last posted here. Nearly all of them are using gmail accounts.

I'm seriously considering banning gmail altogether. All members here should be using an email account provided by their ISP to register anyway. Since this is showing no signs of stopping, I may have to ask any and all members to change their email accounts (yahoo, gmail, hotmail, etc) to ISP provided ones as those I just listed will be blocked soon. It is part of our forums rules anyway, it just has not been enforced until now.

I'm sorry, but I see no alternative to this.
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Re: User Registration

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Uhhh...as far as I'm aware, I don't have an email provided by my ISP. We've used the same email (aol) since we first got dial up internet and a computer in 2001, and that was back when you had to pay for AOL! I of course have other addresses by now of my own, but they're live and gmail. Not sure what to do about this one. :huh:
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: User Registration

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All ISPs provide their subscribers with email accounts. A lot of people just tend to ignore them or go don't even know they exist. Having one that is web-based like Gmail or Hotmail is more convenient, but you can usually check your ISP email account remotely also.

At any rate, AOL and Live should be fine, so if that is what you are using now, stick with it, unless we run into issues later. If you are using Gmail, however, I highly recommend you switch it out soon.
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Re: User Registration

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I changed to an AOL email account as my parents have the ISP email set up in their name and I dont want them to receive all the email notifications from the forum. Hopefully the AOL account should be fine.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: User Registration

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Arwyniel - I share the same privacy concerns that you do. Your email should not be visible to others. Go to User CP and down the left side, select Profile Privacy. From there, you can pick who is allowed to see your contact info.

EG - ISPs typically give out a minimum of three email accounts per subscriber. However, you should be fine using AOL.

Fingolfin - Yes, Live should be ok.

I apologize for the constant use of the word "should" as I've seen these spambots run the gamut of nearly every public domain out there. AOL is rare, and I don't think I've ever seen them use Live. I am cautiously optimistic, so let's hope that once things like Gmail are blocked, that these things don't figure out they can jump to other domains.
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Re: User Registration

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I see some folks have already managed to change their emails while registration remains closed. This tells me that it is not necessary for it to be open in order for the email update to go through, which makes things a lot easier for me.

Just a reminder, folks: all Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail email accounts will be banned by this coming Wednesday. The reasons are stated in this thread. Other public domains such as AOL, MSN, etc, will remain under review. Also, Yahoo accounts with country extensions such as .au should be fine for now.

If you have not logged on for some time and missed the deadline, you can contact me personally at rcanoa@gmail.com and we can update your email account so you can post again.
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Re: User Registration

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[quote=""Arwyniel""]Is our email address viewable to others in our usercp/profile? I'd prefer to keep that hidden, especially if it's going to have my paid for ISP account listed soon.[/quote]

Arwyniel, I've had email with the same [local] ISP for years, and it is the same email address I use here (hidden)

I do get email notification if someone PM's me but the sender can only see and use the PM function.

I like getting the email "heads-up" notice, though, because I do not check in on the forums every day, and the email notice prevents me from missing any PMs for too long.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: User Registration

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[quote=""Valkrist""]Arwyniel - I share the same privacy concerns that you do. Your email should not be visible to others. Go to User CP and down the left side, select Profile Privacy. From there, you can pick who is allowed to see your contact info.[/quote]

[quote=""Deimos""]Arwyniel, I've had email with the same [local] ISP for years, and it is the same email address I use here (hidden)

I do get email notification if someone PM's me but the sender can only see and use the PM function.

I like getting the email "heads-up" notice, though, because I do not check in on the forums every day, and the email notice prevents me from missing any PMs for too long.[/quote]

:thumbs_up Thanks, I've updated the email so I think I'm off the naughty list now. ;)

Re: User Registration

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Dang it, I forgot to change the email last time I got off the computer. This is the message I get when I try to change my email:

The administrator has banned your email address. You will need to change your email address in order to continue. If you think this is done in error, please click here to contact the administrator.

Not sure why.
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: User Registration

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Found the problem: turns out I had banned @live.com some time ago for the very same reason gmail and the others are getting banned. I've removed live from the list so go ahead and change it now. I certainly hope that domain doesn't start getting abuse again. If it does, we'll have to find an alternate solution for you. :|
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Re: User Registration

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I have changed mine. What I previously had on file was our old "@ucforums.com" email address, which I guess has been defunct for some time. In any event, I now have my official ISP Crapcast address on file, and set the privacy setting to "friends." There was no option to restrict it altogether. But since I have no friends, setting it to "friends" accomplishes the same purpose. ;)
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: User Registration

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Reminder to all: any member registered here under a Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account will be banned from posting by midnight, Wednesday 28th. Please take the time to change your email before that time. I strongly suggest using the one provided by your ISP.
This Space for Rent

Re: User Registration

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Time's up.

As of today, Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo email accounts will not longer be permitted for user registration due to abuse by spambot software. If you are using one of these three email domains on your current account and have not changed it by now, you will no longer be able to access the site. Please contact me directly at rcanoa@gmail.com if you wish to change your email.
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Re: User Registration

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After eliminating a few more random email providers, including yahoo.uk and hotmail.uk, AOL seems to be the main culprit now being used by the spambot software. Looks like I might have to get rid of that one also. However, there may be a way to have that domain banned yet still have a current user maintain access.

EG, I might have to use you as a guinea pig for this since you use AOL. Let me know if you are up for it.
This Space for Rent

Re: User Registration

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[quote=""Valkrist""]After eliminating a few more random email providers, including yahoo.uk and hotmail.uk, AOL seems to be the main culprit now being used by the spambot software. Looks like I might have to get rid of that one also. However, there may be a way to have that domain banned yet still have a current user maintain access.

EG, I might have to use you as a guinea pig for this since you use AOL. Let me know if you are up for it.[/quote]

Yeh sure Val, just let me know what you want me to do :thumbs_up
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: User Registration

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[quote=""Elvenguard13""]Yeh sure Val, just let me know what you want me to do :thumbs_up [/quote]

Well, there's not much to it, really: I'm going to ban any further registrations using aol.com for an email. There is a setting I found, which if I am reading it correctly, should allow existing members using that newly banned domain to continue posting. So, I just need to test whether it works and if you can post after the ban, which I will enact in a few moments.

If you can post then reply here and let me know all is well. If you find yourself locked out of the forums, shoot me an email at the address I posted a couple of posts above and let me know.

Thanks for your help. :)
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Re: User Registration

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Well, after a few short years of being blissfully ignored by the spambot plague, it seems they are back with a vengeance. For the past two weeks, every time I come onto the forum, I have 2-3 bogus accounts in the queue to be approved, and this adds up to about 10 a day. I tried turning off registration for a couple of days to see if that would make the spambot software move on, but it hasn't.

So, until further notice, and because we get so few new legitimate new accounts anyway, I'm suspending user registration for a few more weeks until this nonsense stops.

If you are reading this, and you are a real human being genuinely wanting to join this forum, email your prospective username and information to ucf.staff.email@gmail.com, and I will personally turn registration back on and activate your account.

Thanks for your patience.
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Re: User Registration

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BladeCollector wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2023 4:13 am I noticed that when I logged in today... 5 users requiring activation, usernames seem kinda spammy.
Oh, they definitely are spambots. Just a quick glance at their email addresses says everything. I turned it on because two people contacted me asking to register so I opened it up. In 24 hours, they still haven't registered, but the bogus accounts are already lining up down the road. If this continues for another day or two, I'll be forced to close it. I don't think the forums' live user registration checks is doing much, and also spam software has grown increasingly sophisticated over the years. xP

All sent to the trash can, where they belong. :club:
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Re: User Registration

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I get so much spam mail, from legitimate sources no less, on my personal email that I've taken to blocking sender every time I get one. But it doesn't seem to do much good. I haven't really checked yet, but I suspect they have some sort of thing that generates a new sending email address each time, so blocks don't work.

Oh, what a world, what a world, what a world, bemoaned the witch as she melted into a puddle on the floor. xP
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: User Registration

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Yes, spam has become a serious problem these days.

Every day I receive quite a few fraudulent messages directly to the spam folder of my email, and some escape and reaches the inbox, you have to be careful. And I also had to remove the comments part of my website (When it worked, now my website is broken due to a WordPress update), because the comments section was a constant entry of spam and the anti-spam plugins I tried were almost useless.

Re: User Registration

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Still deleting 4-5 spambot accounts per day so I'm closing registration again. If you're reading this and want to register on the forum as a legitimate poster, please contact me through the admin email. Remember to let me know what your planned username is so i can approve the account when I see it.

Thanks for your patience.
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