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Post Info TOPIC: Caution of forum abuse


All-time great

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Caution of forum abuse
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I managed to get in touch with blob yesterday. They had previously contacted me years back to ask about a program I had used, and we continued to correspond outside of the forum infrequently ever since my initial offering of some guidance on that subject.

The following is disclosed with their consent & agreement:

The reason they quit was because they were getting abuse in private chat messages from names they did not recognise - newly created, or generally long dormant accounts.
Someone had also somehow identified them on other media, and had been continuing the attacks there.

Reporting each incident, having mods police such events after-the-fact and generally become fraught enforcers did not seem worthy of the battle when a new account can be created in 5 minutes to renew the process - as we witnessed for many years, for example with the kitchen spammers.

So, that was that. The easiest way to draw a line under it was to stop altogether.
They didn't really want to go into anything more, and I did not seek to press the issue.

Be careful forum friends.

If I could lock this thread from further replies then I would, but that does not seem to be an option.
I'm just passing on the reminder about online safety, not looking for a book of condolence.

Very sorry blob.


On a happier note, they sent me some of their files, in case anyone wanted to continue them. How they ever managed to keep up all of their charts is mind-boggling. The amount of work is far too much for me to be able to carry it on - even when I understand exactly how the thing is done, which is not very often.

If I can select one thing to perhaps update occasionally I will, but I doubt it, as it all draws from one central repository that needs constant maintenance. Impressive; borderline mad genius, but impressive



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Tennis legend

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I or another mod can certainly lock the thread.

In the meantime though just to say I am very sorry to hear such news, having personally never heard of such a thing being an issue on this forum.

Hope you well, AliBB, seems a very long time since I saw you around.



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All-time great

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Shocking news. If Blob is able to read this or is under another user name now, then all I can say is rise above those people, who would try and create such abuse? It is sad and shocking - lets not let the haters win?

 

Also, to blob, at least you are healthy and well, we all hope and that is good to hear - that is the most important thing! 

And agree Indy, welcome back ABB, you are also missed around here.



-- Edited by JonH on Thursday 14th of June 2018 10:39:18 PM

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JonH


Tennis legend

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I'm really sorry to hear this, and shocked if I've understood correctly that blob was specifically targeted by someone unknown (?)

Rather than leave the forum, where many of us valued blob a lot, I would suggest just ignoring pms from unknown posters but I realise that's not always as easy as it sounds, especially if it has escalated to other social media.

I've been checking the calendar every few days and noticed that about half the new sign-ups are clearly spammers (their profiles have links to sites for viagra and similar drugs - yawn!), so I've been banning them before they even get the chance to post, but presumably those signing up just to write to blob manage to at least make themselves look legitimate from their profiles.

What I don't understand is why some of the abusive pms have been coming from long-dormant accounts, unless they had very easy to guess passwords.

The only way to drastically improve forum security would be to move away from Activeboard and set up a forum on our own webspace, using something like phpBB (still keeping this one as an archive, obviously), that would give us the option of requiring new members to be approved by a mod before they can post or send pms. Something like that may offer other types of improved functionality as well, but I've noticed some forums die after making drastic changes like that because part of what some long-term posters appreciate is familiarity with the way it is structured and the way it operates.




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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!

GB top 25s (ranks, whereabouts) & stats - http://www.britishtennis.net/stats.html



All-time great

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Shocking behaviour, really quite depressing. I presume Blob was targeted because of the quality of information being posted? I have no problem with any change that would make such behaviour more difficult. He/she is a big miss.

I don't think my posts are particularly important to the functionality of the site ie if I stopped the impact would be minimal but obviously there are one or two posters (e.g. S.C ) who initiate most and maintain most of the threads that give the forum its breadth that probably need surveying, their absence would impact the functionality and vitality of the forum.

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Jan


Hall of fame

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How sad.



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Club Coach

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Yes, saddening is the word that came to me too, as well as inexplicable.

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All-time great

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Etienne wrote:

Yes, saddening is the word that came to me too, as well as inexplicable.


 Ditto - we should keep this on the first page - shocking crycrycry



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administrator

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If anyone experiences this in future, please do contact me via PM. I can ban IPs, which may make it more difficult for the perpetrators to create new accounts.

Please come back, blob, you're very much missed!

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All-time great

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Disgusting behaviour.

Be well, blob.

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All-time great

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Can confirm blob is well.

indiana wrote:

I or another mod can certainly lock the thread.
Hope you well, AliBB, seems a very long time since I saw you around.


Got given some health lemons (eyes/vision/perception); currently learning how to turn them into lemonade. Reading/writing is currently... problematic, and I limit it - hence late reply. Grateful to live in the age of Audible & podcasts!

Yes; please close thread.



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