why the cover up

[jaypp]

Regarding some recent banning of members, I don't understand why there seems to be a 'hush hush' rule for some things and not others. For example, just recently all members were warned about multiple accounts and consequences, yet not given info on content that has resulted in a ban for some members. Awaiting my first warning/ban!!!

 

[Marvo]

I have an issue with my business email which is at my ISP end - one of their other clients was unscrupulous and using their account to send spam so got kicked off and cancelled, but unfortunately it was on the same shared server as me and a few others so now the internet spam engines are having difficulty screening the legit domains sending from that IP address! So for the time being I'm having to use an Outlook account purely as my outbound portal.

Penalising IP addresses and ranges of IP addresses used to be fairly effective in combating spam and malicious activity but more recently with the shortage of IP addresses they have been shuffled and moved around from country to country so it's now a problem where ranges that were notorious for trouble now have a bad name even though they've now been reissued elsewhere.

AsRichard mentioned in his previous post I also suspect Eng's IP address has changed and isn't whitelisted on the security software. I've already requested for Dan to assist.

 

[shanky887614]

Penalising IP addresses and ranges of IP addresses used to be fairly effective in combating spam and malicious activity but more recently with the shortage of IP addresses they have been shuffled and moved around from country to country so it's now a problem where ranges that were notorious for trouble now have a bad name even though they've now been reissued elsewhere.

AsRichard mentioned in his previous post I also suspect Eng's IP address has changed and isn't whitelisted on the security software. I've already requested for Dan to assist.

the problem is also agrivated by a lot of people dont have a dynamic ip.

bassically they get assigned different one every time they connect

 

[jaypp]

the problem is also agrivated by a lot of people dont have a dynamic ip.

bassically they get assigned different one every time they connect

So would someone who tries to surf anonymously by (not sure of correct term) bouncing their IP address have problems with forums etc.?

 

[shanky887614]

So would someone who tries to surf anonymously by (not sure of correct term) bouncing their IP address have problems with forums etc.?

its not anoymous though, you can trace the ip quite easily.

if you log the time and ip you can find them through a court order by forcing the isp's to tell you who connected then follow the chain.

the better way is to use a vpn rather than a different ip.

for example to take the content protection of my phone would require me to go into the shop or use a credit card (i refuse to get one).

anyway i have a vpn and gets around the filters quite easily

 

[Marvo]

the problem is also agrivated by a lot of people dont have a dynamic ip.

bassically they get assigned different one every time they connect

Dynamic IP is where it's changed after a certain time by your ISP, basically you only lease it for a short term. Most ISP's use dynamic IP address systems. Static IP is where you retain the same IPaddress from you ISP indefinitely.


I also use VPN's sometimes but mainly as a way around geo restrictions. If you want to be anonymous rather use Tor Browser, it's as secure as you get and it's free.

 

[djw]

the problem is also agrivated by a lot of people dont have a dynamic ip.

bassically they get assigned different one every time they connect

I guess you mean they do have dynamic IP addresses, then yes you get a new IP address when you re-connect to your ISP, but within the block of addresses your ISP has been allocated.
I think....:dozey:

 

[shanky887614]

Dynamic IP is where it's changed after a certain time by your ISP, basically you only lease it for a short term. Most ISP's use dynamic IP address systems. Static IP is where you retain the same IPaddress from you ISP indefinitely.



also use VPN's sometimes but mainly as a way around geo restrictions. If you want to be anonymous rather use Tor Browser, it's as secure as you get and it's free.

my mistake marvo i gor them mixed up

tor isnt secure marvo, have a look at defcon, blackhat etc.

because the nodes are random there is no way to verify how secure they are

 

[Marvo]

my mistake marvo i gor them mixed up

tor isnt secure marvo, have a look at defcon, blackhat etc.

because the nodes are random there is no way to verify how secure they are

TOR is as secure as you get. Most of the weaknesses are avoidable by following their advice on how to use TOR securely. If you're going to attack TOR using the exit node which is the only feasible vulnerability, you can capture info from text based protocols such as HTTP but you've no idea where that data came from. So even then in a worst case scenario it might not be secret but it's still anonymous.

If like I said you follow their advice on secure browsing you won't be using a text based protocol like HTTP, you'll be using an encrypted protocol such as HTTPS which is end to end encrypted. TOR combined with end to end encryption is solid for anonymity and secrecy of data.

 

[davesparks]

Whether an email is received or not is down to the members settings which they control with their individual options in their control panel. If their email notifications aren't enabled then one won't be sent because that was their choice.
.

Is that the option to not receive email notification of PMs?
Because that's seems to be very unfair if it is, choosing not to have my inbox filled with emails every-time I receive a PM doesn't seem like a good reason not to let me know if I have been banned or why!

 

[Marvo]

Is that the option to not receive email notification of PMs?
Because that's seems to be very unfair if it is, choosing not to have my inbox filled with emails every-time I receive a PM doesn't seem like a good reason not to let me know if I have been banned or why!

If you choose not to receive emails notifications then the forum won't send them. I'm really not sure what else to say, it's your choice and the forum abides by it. I'm not sure how that's unfair, it's just is what it is. I can imagine the hoo-har that would happen if emails were sent to members who'd specifically set their options not to have them, we really can't win. Anyway it's outside of the staff's control, the only thing we could do is go into the control panel and manually find the members email address and send them an email from our own email client which would still be classed as unsolicited mail and isn't going to happen I'm afraid.

 

[jaypp]

If you choose not to receive emails notifications then the forum won't send them. I'm really not sure what else to say, it's your choice and the forum abides by it. I'm not sure how that's unfair, it's just is what it is. I can imagine the hoo-har that would happen if emails were sent to members who'd specifically set their options not to have them, we really can't win. Anyway it's outside of the staff's control, the only thing we could do is go into the control panel and manually find the members email address and send them an email from our own email client which would still be classed as unsolicited mail and isn't going to happen I'm afraid.

Fair point that

 

[Paul.M]

Any member that receives a ban and is unable to read their own PM's can go to the front forum screen, at the bottom click "contact us" and an e-mailed reply will be sent.

 

[davesparks]

If you choose not to receive emails notifications then the forum won't send them. I'm really not sure what else to say, it's your choice and the forum abides by it. I'm not sure how that's unfair, it's just is what it is. I can imagine the hoo-har that would happen if emails were sent to members who'd specifically set their options not to have them, we really can't win. Anyway it's outside of the staff's control, the only thing we could do is go into the control panel and manually find the members email address and send them an email from our own email client which would still be classed as unsolicited mail and isn't going to happen I'm afraid.

But if I choose not to receive notification by email of PMs specifically I wouldn't expect that to prevent me receiving emails about my account. And I have left the option to receive emails from administrators ticked so I would fully expect to receive an email about a ban.
Notifying someone about a ban by a messaging system primarily designed to be accessed once signed in to the forum from which the person is banned is crazy!

 

[Paul.M]

But if I choose not to receive notification by email of PMs specifically I wouldn't expect that to prevent me receiving emails about my account. And I have left the option to receive emails from administrators ticked so I would fully expect to receive an email about a ban.
Notifying someone about a ban by a messaging system primarily designed to be accessed once signed in to the forum from which the person is banned is crazy!

Point taken Dave, I've checked into this and if a banned member tries to log in a message is displayed as below:-

"You have been banned for the following reason:Swearing on the open forum.
Date the ban will be lifted: 16-09-2014, 11:00 PM"


It gives the reason for the ban and the date+time when it is lifted. Hope that explains.

 

[Marvo]

Okay, after some investigation here's how it works.

When an infraction is given the staff member fills out two specific sets of details. Firstly there's an explanation that gets posted in the staffroom and secondly there's a message to the member stating why he received the infraction.

That message is sent as a PM. Normally an email notification would also be sent to tell the member he's received a PM, in that email is a link you can click to take you straight to the PM. When you click the link you're asked to log in then if you've been banned you'll only see a screen that tells you so and gives you the reason you're banned along with the date it expires.

If you don't receive the email notification it doesn't really matter because next time you log in you'll see the same screen with the same info about your ban anyway.