Getting banned over ridiculous rules [rant]
 

I asked a simple question over on another forum that I'd just signed up to relating to some scripting, few hours later I was banned.

I couldn't fathom what I'd done as I wasn't rude or used any foul language, just normal civilised etiquette. I tried to read the rules (which to be fair, I'd not read) but I've IP banned so couldn't even access them.

I had to ask a friend to read them for me and it turns out that "attempting to pass silly or inaccurate information for your First and Last name. Those who do so will have their accounts terminated". Sure enough I'd used a so-called silly name that meant I'd broken the rules but to be IP banned is a bit far from my account being terminated.

I emailed the admin and he says I'd broken said rule that is needed as extra security to the existing members. He asks to give my real name which I did in the email, but I explained that I could have easily signed up with a fake but plausible name. How does giving a name add any security?

He emails back and now asks if I have a website. Now I don't know if he's checking up if I'm "real" but again, what extra security does providing a website address actually give?

Absolutely crazy, a name I can understand but any more information is just superfluous surely? I'm probably so irate because I've never been banned from a forum and under such ridiculous pretences makes it doubly worse.

Excuse the rant.

The 'silly name' thing is probably because it's a common spammer tactic. Most of the banning we do here is of attempted spammers.

Understanding the house rules is always a good idea when entering another's house, of course.

Yes I'm aware of that, which is why I can understand him asking for my real name which I gave. But to reply with another email asking if I have a website is just going too far in my honest opinion. He said that it was only an auto banning script that I tripped, so really if I'd use a regular fake name it would have been fine?

I mean, would I have to give my drivers license or bank details to prove that I'm real and not some generated spam bot? I posted in a nice and sincere manner asking for help which I got and even replied with a thank you. You could probably tell from those few posts I made I'm not a spam bot.

Ah well, I've joined so many forums over probably 10 years and I've not come across such "security".

We've been hit by an increasing number of spamming attempts recently. You folks just don't get to see (most of) them.

I also recently read a statistic that indicated that 94% of all Internet email traffic is now spam, up a bit from this time a year ago. We all have a lot to thank these people for. I'd like to do it in person. :D

holy moly, where did you read that statistic? I don't doubt it, but man that is just nuts!.

Yeah other forums that are not moderated as well as this one do get the spam messages. Mostly advertising trying to sell technology or something of the like.

Make me a mod and I'm sure I can help out with the cleaning ;):p

I suppose it's to be expected with more users/computers online, that this creates a greater amount of spam generated.

A colleague who is a security consultant brought that figure to my attention. I'll see if I can find the original source of it.

94% seems a little high. Porn alone should account for a healthy chuck of traffic.

True but Craig said "all Internet email traffic" which guess includes porn spam too.

Replica Rolex watches from Zimbabwe anyone?

d'oh, I didn't read that part. That actually sounds about right then.

I prefer forums that have heavy moderators. Noise filters are Good Things(tm) that keep a community from becoming overloaded with tripe.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/banlist.php

Is there any equivalent to this list for OS X Hints, Craig? I'd love to see it.

Edit: Also, Melon, you got banned from an Internet forum. There's really no need to burn the energy ranting about it. Take a walk outside and sit under a tree. They're totally awesome.

Well, yes, but it's not for public consumption. ;)

You're totally harshing my buzz here, Craig.

Edit: If you made me a mod, I could see it, and my curiosity would be satiated. Just sayin'.

94%???? So that means the vast majority of email is now spam?

If this stat is true, then it's official. Email has just been ruined as a medium of communication.

Maybe you just need better spam filtering. :P

God confounded trees, blocking my view of the concrete and glass, thinking they're so good with their "photosynthesis".

On a more serious note, I have a friend who is adamant over the whole Internet vs Real World thing, saying there's no difference as you're still technically speaking to people albeit indirectly.

But that's a whole can of philosophical worms right there that I don't think I'll bore anyone by divulging into.

Here is the source of the 94% figure; apparently this is for last December, and is based on a single filtering company's sample. So take with salt as desired...


http://www.informationweek.com/softw...leID=196802782

People who say this forget one important aspect of the Internet . . .

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2004/20040319h.jpg

Linked instead of in-lined, due to language.

Even if they're off by 20%, I'd still buy it. Most people probably get fewer than ten "real" e-mails per day, and far more than that gets blocked per person at the server level in far less than a day.

at least were not stuck in a 'your the man now dog' routine around here thank goodness

Right now, I get ~1200 messages in about 1 week, and about 2 of those messages aren't spam.

Haha so true, I don't play Unreal Tournament, but do dabble occasionally with Counter-Strike and by jove 90% of the players are exactly like x10.

You'd think the words "gay" and "noob" were going out of fashion by the amount it's used, which annoys me to no end. I play less and less due to the complete idiots around.

Maybe there's something about online gaming that arracts and gathers imbeciles.

Chess & tea anyone?

How very zen of you. Step away from our own creations and take a look at what is natural for once...

Reminds me of philosphy from arm chair sifus over at the kung fu magazine forum, and how my lineage is the only lineage that matters.

Seriously the internet is for 2 purposes:

1)Information
2) Entertainment

The latter of the two seems to be what it is mostly for.

Open the can! Yes, yes!!
 

No, cricket and tea! ;)

Melon, you’re more than welcome to open that philosophical can-of-worms as a dedicated thread in the Coat Room.

It was more of a comment on not taking anything on the Internet very seriously.

The thing is, even with spam filtering, you've still got to take some time out of your day to deal with spam, especially if your filtering puts spam in a Quarantine mailbox which you've got to double check regularly to make sure it's actually filtering spam and not legit messages.

Even if you don't have a Quarantine system (or have turned it off), some spam usually still gets past it, and you've got to take steps to make sure it's tagged properly.

I like to play something which I think I'd have a chance of at least winning or drawing even. The English seems to have it ingrained in their DNA to suck at cricket.

I'll have to get my thinking cap for that one which I think I lost a fair few years ago.

I know, I know. It's just that racist and homophobic remarks don't stand well with me and it's used in abundance in online games, at least in my experience.

Goddamn kids <agist>

Your sarcasm detector needs batteries.

Does anyone have a problem with Chess and Tea? I'm not a huge internet user apart from email, macosxhints forums, other appley sites and a deep admiration for wikipedia. And I quite regularly play chess, and drink tea... I'm not weird...right?

Your not Australian are you?

I'm Australian, and although I don't want to enflare a Cricket argument on a Mac forum, but c'mon! The Aussie's kick England's arse so hard in cricket that our win ratio is embarrassingly good.

But then again, I don't care much for Cricket so whatever...

No, I'm British hence mentioning that I suck at cricket.

If so, you’ve got company. I am often distracted to check out the latest exploits and games of Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, while research Wikipedia for an article and drinking my tea (or ale depending on the time o’ day).

Oh by the way, here is that sweet game from Reykjavik where Magnus drew against the legendary Garry Kasparov. Should you check out the youngster’s bio on Wikipedia, you fill find an analysis of a beautiful knight sacrifice against Sipke Ernst.

I am eagerly the first of his Candidates’ Matches, against Levon Aronian. (The 16-year-old is one of a field of 16 players vying for the World Championship!)

Where was I? ...ah, back to my ale!

I just watched that game and it's pretty tight. I didn't even know that websites like that even existed so that you could view games like that! It shows how 'behind' the times I am, but I don't consider myself behind so much as a realist for some activities - like chess.
When I think of Chess, i like the whole act of sitting opposite my opponent and using poker-faces like never before. I don't think or even like the idea of online or email chess, it takes half the fun out for me.

M

I would assume that snail mail is something like that too... well maybe not... i dunno. probably like 75% junk mail 5% magazines 5%Stupid hallmark cards and 10%bills.... i completely made those up.... but yea....

I know that here you can reserve yourself against unaddressed junk mail. All it takes is a standard sticker on my mail box.

Instead I have thought of doing the opposite just to give the mail man (is "postage delivery personnel" the latest, neutered politically correct?) cause for pause. A note along these lines:

"Please leave a double set of junk mail. We need extra kindling this winter."

A sticker is all that does it here as well (a rule that applies to all except the dimwits at Reader's Digest it seems).

I think i'll stick with 'Mailman' - people seem to forget that the word 'man' doesn't refer directly to men or even male. It comes from the origins of 'manus' or translated - Person of human race - basically.

Personperson
 

I once heard a comedian use personperson as a euphemism for mailman. :rolleyes:

Back to the OP's rant, if I may. On another site that I moderate, we usually post this back to "banees" (I've removed specifics of the site which deals with AppleScripts and shell scripts):

i just dont get it.
has anyone ever clicked on a link from a spam message??!!

What don't you get? Why spamming is a viable business? P.T. Barnum said it: "There's one born every minute". The cost of sending spam is so low that the hit rate can be vanishingly small and they still make a profit. How many folks have to repond to a PayPal phony do you suppose for a profit to the spammer?

I guess there are tons of stupid computer users,
I mean i would notice in a second if I got a fraudulent paypal email.

somehow I think no matter how powerful his sarcasm detector is it'll still be flawed...sarcasm doesn't seem to transport too well in text much less over the internet :p

Which makes it tough for we Brits, as our entire humour is based on/around sarcasm. Particularly when in a pub....
:-)
GB

if only there was a sarcasm emoticon... :p :D

You gotta hunt both high and low on the emoticon menu. :rolleyes:

Some forums I've been to use blue text as sarcasm, though if you can't detect that something is written sarcastically in the first place, then maybe you need something more than just blue text.