A reply to The Mares Nest

[Minty]

Do I hear my name getting mentioned?

As everyone can now see, the war against the spammers has been won. They are still attempting to come back, but they will not succeed.

One action I have taken is removed the registration questions that were in place, as they were too easy for an autobot to register with (one was a 50/50, requiring only "Yes" or "No" to get through). I have replaced the existing questions with quotes from a certain book series dear to the hearts of so many on here that anyone attempting to register must complete before they can join. This system appears to work well on other websites in thwarting auto-registration, and anyone with a quarter of a brain ought to know how to Google to find out the answer if they don't know it.

All the crap in the database is getting pruned as and when I have the time (with there being 32000 users to check, it could take some time!). Going into the members lists and seeing loads of banned or registered-but-never-posted users is offputting to newcomers looking to see if their friends have joined. Starting from most recent registrations and working back, I am clearing out the deadwood.

Already, all the accounts with “Viagra” in their name are deleted, along with the accounts with post counts in the minus (ie. spambots that posted and had their spamposts erased). I have tried IP and e-mail banning various banned accounts before deleting them, but this was taking too much time up for very little return; besides which, the new registration questions should prevent them coming back.

In the future, all banned accounts (bar two, for our readers' amusement) will be deleted, and all current banned accounts will be pruned in due course.

Any accounts where users have not activated will be deleted after being given a reasonable length of time to do so. This will allow people to reregister that found themselves unable to complete their registration for legitimate reasons. I know from past experience how tempremental this site's login can be on occasions!

Any accounts where users have activated, failed to post, and not logged in since the day they joined will be deleted. Again, these users will be free to rejoin at a later date (and be able to use that name again!). I'm well aware some will have joined when this place remained a pig's breakfast and saw no good reason to join in. This allows them a second chance.

Any lapsed accounts (ie. users that have not posted for some considerable time) will NOT be deleted. They are always welcome to return.

Any accounts where users have activated, failed to post, but whose accounts show they have been logging in after the day they joined will NOT be deleted. I'm well aware people like Omri123 and others from the official forum and elsewhere use Sims Forums as a way of messaging their friends in the Sims community, same as some joined Missing Studios only for the same (or for one of their famous signatures).



As they're keeping our forum activity levels in Google Analytics up in a positive way, they are welcome to stay, and any others wishing to join Sims Forums to do the same are free to do so. But it would be lovely if you guys posted sometime!



Finally, a big thank you for the last few months especially to Cororon, breebree711, Ollie/simman23, for sticking it out for so long instead of giving up, to Rachy/Purple_Penguin00, LRM09 and Crazycatdly for giving the place a much needed boost, to [removed]/gothikaand EarthGirl/EarthMama for giving the place another shot after so many past disappointments, and to everyone else that's kept the place alive over the last year. The good times are coming back.
Oh, and I'll give you Mares buggers "WaffenThinMince " - hit you with my manbag, so I will!