2 tiny forum fixes...

[aahhaaa]

I'm on dial-up and frequently lose my connection. The forum software seems to consider this a new visit, and then I can't access the 'posts since last visit' search.
Could we be given the option of 'posts in the last 24 hours' as well?

(not a biggie)


Also, just a thought, but the Gimp users group forum
http://gug.sunsite.dk/forum/
has an apparently simple spam-blocking mechanism- you enter 4 machine-unreadable numbers when posting. No email involved; guests are allowed.

If spam becomes a more serious prob here, this would allow the sign-in guest question to be bypassed, at least as it relates to spam....

[Pizzasgood]

I've been thinking something similar. When I get here, I open every post I'm going to read in a tab, then work my way through them. That takes quite a while, and when I get done there have been more posts. However, if I've posted anything or gone to another page of a thread, I can't use the little orange "new post" icon, as I would miss stuff. So I thought maybe have another option under search: Search by time posted. You could look up anything within the last hour, half hour, or since Tuesday. Otherwise I have to scan the times by hand.

As for entering the numbers/code, I was thinking the same thing before I saw this post

[Flash]

I'm not sure that requiring posters to fill in numbers would deter whoever is posting spam to our forum because it could be a person rather than a computer program. The Moderator(s) of each forum can edit the subject line of spam, to reflect its true nature, and then move it to the Misc forum where JohnMurga or I can dispose of it. That seems to be the least difficult way to deal with it for now.

As for Pizza's complaint, it's my complaint too. If I log into the forum then I'm stuck with having to go through all the new posts since I last logged in because logging out resets the 'New Posts'. I haven't found a solution, except to check the forum periodically as a guest until I have to log in to do something administrative.

Eternal vigilance is the price of an open forum.

[puppian]

I think requiring posters to fill in numbers is a good idea as some of the spam maybe from computer program

The Moderator(s) of each forum can edit the subject line of spam, to reflect its true nature

This is a good idea too. Maybe when editing the post the poster's ip address, together with a line of warning, can be added too? This will help if the spam is from a person

[aahhaaa]

at the moment, 11 of the first 20 posts in Misc are spam.

I think of Misc as a place to get to know each other better; it won't work that way if its used as a spam bucket.