![]() |
![]() |
Visit The *EVEN NEWER* Barrow-Downs Photo Page |
|
![]() |
#1 |
Overshadowed Eagle
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
Posts: 3,857
![]() ![]() |
![]()
I've been wondering this for a while now, and I think it's worth asking: are all the new people regularly appearing on the 'newest member' ticker at the bottom of the front page being blocked?
When I signed up to the Downs almost two years ago, I had quite a tricky time doing so. My initial signup told me it needed moderator approval, but after a couple of weeks the pending userpage (which looks like this when logged out) had transformed into an Invalid User page (like this). I had to hunt around for an email address for the Barrow-Wight, since non-members or pending members can't send private messages. I think I found one on the non-forum part of the Downs - remember that? The reason I'm wondering whether this was more than a one-off is that it's very rare to see a new user posting, but the current Newest Member, 'CowboyDumpsters', is #18723. I'm #18210, and while I'm not positive that number goes up by 1 for every registration, I think it comes pretty close. I'm not going to look through every userpage between those numbers, but a cursory check shows that the last few are pending, and most before that seem to be invalid. It could well be that the 'new users' are actually all bots or spammers; 'CowboyDumpsters' doesn't exactly have a Tolkien connection, and could be a company name or two random words shoved together. If so, I salute the Barrow-Wight and any other moderators for their service. But if there's just an error in the sign-up function, I figured it was best to say something (after all, with the Amazon series coming up, the Downs may well experience a revival next year!). hS |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 | ||
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,035
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
Some of them used to post, in the effort to show of their sketchy links. Some of those were actually pretty amusing. ![]() Quote:
Since you mentioned the coming Amazon series, I do wonder also if we'll see a glut of new members on its release. If it stimulates interest in the books, it'll at least (like the PJ movies) have one positive asset. ![]()
__________________
Music alone proves the existence of God. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 | |
Overshadowed Eagle
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
Posts: 3,857
![]() ![]() |
Quote:
However, doing a slightly more in-depth check of the last 30-odd user numbers, it seems a fair number of them have been approved, so everything is functioning as it should be and I should have checked before posting. ![]() hS |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 | |
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,035
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
I noticed that the visit stats in the What's Going On section now say:
Quote:
__________________
Music alone proves the existence of God. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 | |
Overshadowed Eagle
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
Posts: 3,857
![]() ![]() |
Quote:
Though any bot which gets its claws into the Downs is going to be completely wasting its energy. ![]() hS |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 | ||
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,035
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
Since that was from an established member, I would think nothing of the sort is likely. Quote:
On an oddly coincidental note, yesterday I received around two dozen calls with Caller ID spoofing my own number. That's happened once before, but I only got a couple then. ![]()
__________________
Music alone proves the existence of God. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|
![]() |