SPAMers Slam Forum Registration

[Richard Whipple]

Hello,

158 new members in the space of 5 days
is a very heart warming development but it also raises a flag when average daily registrations jump so dramatically. It is a shame that the first thing that comes to mind with so many new registrations is SPAM but such is the world in which we live.

Vivek, our dynamic webmaster, has immediately taken measures to increase security.  However, if the requirement to post were not in place, this forum would have been overrun and alot more time would have been devoted to clean it.  As it is now, it will be a little more difficult to register and new registrants will have to be thinking.

Yes, we have added a skill testing question at the point of registration.

The SPAM members never made a posting but they did set up profiles. Inside their profiles were websites.  They were not all obvious or honest ones like www.BuyViagraNow.  Some sounded plausible.  So I visited one by a member who registered a first name and a second name but had yet to make a post.

Immediately upon clicking on the website, I was assailed by warnings that my computer was infected by spyware and such stuff. I kept my head - a very valuable skill I learned - and read that I had an offer to download anti-spyware.  I used [Alt]+[Ctrl]+[Del] and shut down the browser.  This way my mouse would not accidently click "download."

That was yesterday and so far no ill effects have resulted. I kept my head and my computer clear.

I am sharing this behind-the-scenes story with you so that you can know why you were all required to jump through the hoops you did to register.  The result is better safety.  I reckon most of you never even knew this was happening, and that's the point.

This is a place for networking.  Everyone here is real, and everyone here has made the postings to show you a little about who they are: they are all Human.

In the future, I would like to see a project for us all to work on together (a global non-profit initiative for example) but this will take time and is down the road.  Consider that all eyes will be on us as we network on a "client-cause" in front of the curtain, and I believe this will increase the power of our networking.  This is my future vision I am sharing with you.

For right now, please feel comfortable in our neighbourhood here and get to know your neighbours.

- R. A.