Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras  

Go Back   Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras > Off Topic Forums > Website News & Issues

Website News & Issues Read about site updates. Put your bugs, issues, and suggestions for seccs.org here!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 2008-10-02, 10:30 PM   #1
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default Attn: Would-be new members, registration rules and info!

2013-11-22 UPDATE 2:
Registration is back open. I installed some new anti-spammer software that will hopefully prevent the influx of spammers. If it doesn't work, I will be turning registration back off. As always, a "real name" will be required during registration because spammers like to use "123456", and we are still limiting certain email addresses (mostly stuff from Russia, but gmail is allowed now).

Click here to register!

2013-11-22 UPDATE:
Registration is temporarily closed. Somehow we ended up on some spammer bot list and are getting hammered... more than 100 spam accounts have been created since yesterday. If you are a real person and would like to register, please contact administrator@seccs.org and we will create you an account. Sorry for the inconvenience. We'll probably have to leave registrations closed for a while because neither reCAPTCHA nor our home-grown registration questions are preventing the spammers.



2009-02-24 UPDATE: We've upgraded to the most recent vBulletin release, and are now able to re-open normal registrations! If the spammers crack the reCaptcha protection, we'll have to revert to registration by email, but for now, we're back to allowing automatic registrations:

Click here to register!



Update:
The below rules will still be in effect when registration is enabled, but we've since completely disabled registrations. Please email us at administrator@seccs.org and we'll manually create you an account. Please include the username you would like in the email and we'll set it up for you using the email address you contacted us from as your contact email address for the forums.



Original Post:

Due to recent heavy spammer attacks, we've had to tighten our registration process.

First, we will no longer accept new members that use GMail or Russian email accounts. Virtually all of the spammers have been using gmail or mail.ru for their registration emails. However, if you are currently registered under one of these accounts, you will be allowed to keep using it.

Second, all new registrants will have to be authorized by a moderator. If you register and don't get activated right away, please send an email to administrator@seccs.org and let us know your new username and an administrator will activate your account ASAP.

We're sorry we have to enact these sorts of measures, but apparently some people out there think they have a right to waste our time and bandwidth on the off chance that there are still some people out there that don't know how to find out about porn, weight loss, cell phones, and Viagra on the internet without it being forced down their throats.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?

Last edited by sperry; 2013-11-22 at 01:26 PM.
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 09:20 AM   #2
knucklesplitter
EJ205
 
Real Name: Matt Taylor
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Cousin-F*ck, Carolina
Posts: 1,474
 
Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other...
Default

I dunno about the gmail restriction. Almost everybody I know uses gmail.
knucklesplitter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 10:05 AM   #3
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by knucklesplitter View Post
I dunno about the gmail restriction. Almost everybody I know uses gmail.
I'm not happy about it, but the 10 spammers per hour w/ gmail accounts is forcing my hand.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 02:08 PM   #4
cody
Candy Mountain
 
cody's Avatar
 
Real Name: Cody
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Californication
Posts: 7,751
 
Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink!
Class: TESP
 
OMG Internet!
Default

Captcha isn't an easy option I take it?
__________________
Slow and low, that is the tempo.
cody is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 02:22 PM   #5
Nick Koan
JDM Cowboy
 
Nick Koan's Avatar
 
Real Name: Nick
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 8,642
 
Car: 2015 Mazda 3
Default

i think vbullitens capcha is broken
__________________
While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN
Nick Koan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 03:25 PM   #6
cody
Candy Mountain
 
cody's Avatar
 
Real Name: Cody
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Californication
Posts: 7,751
 
Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink!
Class: TESP
 
OMG Internet!
Default

Who's mywww.seccs.org?
__________________
Slow and low, that is the tempo.
cody is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-03, 04:08 PM   #7
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

The capcha for our 3.6.x version of vB has apparently been cracked. There's a better one with the 3.7.x branch, but the upgrade is a bit of work and I haven't done it yet.

As far as the new users, they show up on our users list, but they're all pending authorization. Once I go and delete them, they should be off the list. Looks like mywww.seccs.org is just some username generated by a bot.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2008-10-24, 02:48 PM   #8
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Ugh. I'm tired of cleaning up and banning the perpetual influx of spammer accounts, not to mention the overhead of our server having to process so many bogus registrations.

Registrations are once again closed. If anyone wishes to join, please feel free to email us at administrator@seccs.org and we'll create you an account.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009-02-24, 12:56 AM   #9
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Bump.

Registration is now open since we've upgraded to vB 3.8.x.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009-09-06, 09:13 PM   #10
Nick Koan
JDM Cowboy
 
Nick Koan's Avatar
 
Real Name: Nick
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 8,642
 
Car: 2015 Mazda 3
Default

I've temporarily closed registration again. If you absolutely need an account this weekend, e-mail administrator@seccs.org for an account.
__________________
While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN
Nick Koan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009-09-09, 10:51 AM   #11
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Registration is re-opened.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-06, 10:33 PM   #12
Nick Koan
JDM Cowboy
 
Nick Koan's Avatar
 
Real Name: Nick
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 8,642
 
Car: 2015 Mazda 3
Default

Registration closed again.
__________________
While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN
Nick Koan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-10, 04:03 PM   #13
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Registration re-opened. Let's see how well some changes to the registration process work... adding new registration questions and enabling Akismet.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-11, 09:05 AM   #14
sybir
The Don
 
sybir's Avatar
 
Real Name: Aaron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 3,097
 
Car: '97 Legacy / '05 FXT
Class: low
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sperry View Post
enabling Akismet.
Gesundheit.
__________________
Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic.
sybir is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-11, 10:24 AM   #15
rory_a
EJ251
 
rory_a's Avatar
 
Real Name: Rory
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 607
 
Car: Miata, shit.
Class: Out Classed
 
NOW WITH 100% LESS STI!
Default

Sperry - just wanted to let you know seccs is not alone - i-shred got hit hard in the last couple of weeks - nearly 400 new threads, over 1000 new posts, over 1000 new members, all spam. I started reCaptcha on it, using vBulletin 4.0.7. Don't see an email registration confirmation option on mine, but I'm trying to track it down. Frickin ridiculous.
rory_a is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-11, 11:13 AM   #16
sperry
The Doink
 
sperry's Avatar
 
Real Name: Scott
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 20,335
 
Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata
Class: PDX/TT-6
 
The way out is through
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rory_a View Post
Sperry - just wanted to let you know seccs is not alone - i-shred got hit hard in the last couple of weeks - nearly 400 new threads, over 1000 new posts, over 1000 new members, all spam. I started reCaptcha on it, using vBulletin 4.0.7. Don't see an email registration confirmation option on mine, but I'm trying to track it down. Frickin ridiculous.
Ouch.

Definitely get your email confirms running. For a while that was what we were using as our best defense... 'cause I went and disallowed gmail, yahoo, and other popular and/or russian email domains. It sucks for people if they can't use gmail to register, but like 80% of the spammers were using gmail accounts.

Right now, on both SECCS and RenoSCCA, I've ditched reCAPTCHA until they improve their algorithm for picking the text. By switching to the challenge questions, we should have decent luck because even the human spammers won't know "any three letter model name for a subaru" or "any SCCA solo class acronym" without looking it up.
__________________
Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?
sperry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2011-01-11, 12:44 PM   #17
rory_a
EJ251
 
rory_a's Avatar
 
Real Name: Rory
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 607
 
Car: Miata, shit.
Class: Out Classed
 
NOW WITH 100% LESS STI!
Default

lol - guess I could use the challenge question "what brand is also called the "big b"".
rory_a is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2017-07-20, 03:31 AM   #18
Lena01
n00b
 
Real Name: Caroline
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 3
Default

hi everybody .. i am a new member here ..
__________________
Lena01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:30 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
All Content Copyright Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras unless otherwise noted.