Return to the old look....News from the server room

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Dubmatix
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Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by Dubmatix » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:12 pm

No, i'm not being swept along by yet another wave of nostalgia....which is unusual! No, the forum for those who may have noticed, has changed in appearance slightly. The reason for this is not aesthetic, but purely practical and for those that may wonder, here is the reason....

The forum software (PHPBB) has just been updated and the latest version seems to be universally poorer at deflecting spambots. These use software "bots" that automatically try and register and then post spam. They are quite complex and can even get round simple questions during registration by Googling the answer!

Anyway, why has this changed the look of the forum? Well we had a skin or theme on the forum software which is not fully compatible with the new version of PHPBB and one of the problems it made was not allowing the new features that deter spambot registration to work properly.
So to get around this (until i can get the newest version of that skin working properly!) i have switched back to the original style or skin. This has allowed me to finally switch on the improved anti spambot deterrents adding a question that is specific to the forum to the registration process.

It's worked so far, yesterday we had 6 semi registrations (ones that the bot was good enough to complete) and 4 complete registrations and a posting of spam on the forum. Today we have had none....

A big thank you to the moderators who put up with the spambot registration emails whilst i was trying different things! :) Cheers guys! /\:)

Anyway that's what's happening in the back room...now i need to crack on with that engine! :)

Those bloomin' spambots!!!!!
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rolandrat
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by rolandrat » Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:13 am

I'm old-fashioned, I know, but I prefer the old look! :) ()

Back to the roots!

lmpd
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by lmpd » Sun Mar 06, 2011 4:07 pm

Old school roolz 8-) ....new school uncool :geek:

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rolandrat
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by rolandrat » Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:27 pm

Cool saying! /\:)

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Dubmatix
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by Dubmatix » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:47 pm

Ok...saves a bit of work! :D We could go even more old skool and replace it with a cork board...where's those drawing pins? /\:)

lmpd
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by lmpd » Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:48 pm

Tablets of stone surely, if we're goin' proper old school!!! []<O

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rolandrat
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Re: Return to the old look....News from the server room

Post by rolandrat » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:15 pm

Damn right, Moses!

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