Building a Better Dam

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

So, long has it been and still is it now that the method of keeping spambots out was to enforce Administrator authorization for new users. Ever since this, though, virtually no new people have been joining.

There's several points I've been hazy/confused enough about to not take action since becoming a mod.

One is:

1. I do not know if Aaron(Gofflin?) gets these authorization requests

I assume that he does not or it goes to spam or somesuch, because we've tested, and I did it recently, and none of them become approved.

If this was just the problem, I think I have a solution. But:

2. I do not know if it is meant to be addressed now

Due to the delay of the upgrade, or even due to the clean-up.
I've felt in the past inquiring directly is being a unnecessary bother, or that it was my business, or if there was an answer already and I was too bubbly to notice or remember - which brings up:

3. I do not know what other people know

And if it's it something I don't.

I know that I've asked about it several times, to no answer until recently from Will.

One of you Mods may have asked and know what's up, and are just waiting for the appropriate time to bring it up or until it sorts itself out. Or if there was an answer already and I was too bubbly to notice or remember

For the rest of this, I'm going to assume 1. is true and 2. and 3. are not.
(Edit: I forgot - I especially think this since Aaron advertises the forums on the main page below the new comic)

I know that the first person in a long while, Isabel, "got through" because she e-mailed Aaron. I can only assume Candy and others did the same (I PMed Candy about it recently, though it hasn't been picked up yet)

I'd like to set something up that works the best and hassles Aaron the least. As Mods, we're able to make stickies and announcements and I'm sure the people who sign up peruse just a little, and if we set something up just for them I'm sure they'll see it.
Maybe to e-mail one of us, and we'll relay it?

Anyway, any thoughts or answers would be a-preciated (especially if there's anything to 2. or 3.)

[williamthebloody]

well, i have no idea how any of this stuff operates at all.

my personal assumption is that Gofflin and/or mr A. do get relayed new membership requests, but perhaps they are too busy to review them simply because the spam bots are relentless and there is an incredibly large number. i assume that these requests are all sitting inside an e-mail "in box" somewhere awaiting review for approval or denial. i assume this because as you said issabella e-mailed and was approved and you did not mention any need to reapply, which makes me think the application had not been deleted, just sitting there amid the spambots, but when the admins where told for specifics to look for, she was found and let in.
i mean, let's say every day they get 25 spambot applications and 1 genuine member request. some people who have a life and a comic to draw do not necessarily check their e-mail every day. that could make 50 or even 100 requests to join, the majority of which are evil spam nonentities, and by that time the pile is so big it would take time they don't have to go through all of these applications to let in maybe 3 people.
which is why i bet they want better security features, which make it difficult or impossible for spam applications to even make it to the "in box" to begin with.


.... but as i said, this is all ASSUMPTION on my part.

but yeah, why advertise the forum on the main heartshapedskull site if you're not letting in new people? i'd wager most people would be too intimidated by Mr A's celebrity to send him a personal e-mail "oh please approve my forum membership!" type thing, without realising how approachable and reasonable he is.

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

Well lets say your assumption is true, then I think what I'm getting at works.

Put an announcement in each sub-section aimed at lurking new users with one of our e-mails. Whoever receives these authentic pleas for activation could forward the list of name to Mr. A/Goff.
The announcement could have a short summary of the situation, and maybe some sort of humanity test to be included in the e-mail to us.

[essrose]

Oops! Sorry for the confusion. I actually go through the new user list every few days to clear out the spambots and look for real humans. Right now the human-to-spambot ratio is about 1 new human for every 6-700 spambots (that's about two weeks worth, I'd say).

Traffic to the site went way up with the new comic launch (yay!) but nobody seems to be going to the board (sadness!). I couldn't tell you why, exactly... maybe it's because the link isn't as obvious on the main site anymore. I've started putting a link to the forum in every new page post, but so far, nuffin.

Any ideas? I'll keep the board going as long as you guys keep using it, but it'd definitely be neat to get some new blood in here. And new members, too.

[Slinker]

Ummm, start with bubbelgum noir discount on the orginal pages again?

Otherwise I think it would be a good idea to show the forum more on the main site.




OOOOOH! Awesome thing happend while I wrote this post. A small bird flied into the window next to the computer. So I went out to check on him. He was obivously in pain and in a chock. First thought was "No way that guy is gonna survive." But to ease his pain I took a little towel and picked him up with it. Then I hold onto him to keep him warm. After a few minutes he calms down and seems to be quite alright. He sat in my hands about 15 minutes and then flied away.

That will make me feel good for the rest of the day!

[Rynan]

Any ideas? I'll keep the board going as long as you guys keep using it, but it'd definitely be neat to get some new blood in here. And new members, too.

Advertisement is key to a good forum. Actually, it's key to a good...anything. The more people see that there's a forum, the more people will become members of that forum.

Also, find a good spam bot destroyer. Probably something you have to pay money for. I can't help you much with this, seeing as my own forum after the Halloween incident became overrun with spam bots and Viagra advertisements. And I didn't have anything on that forum! Bastards.

[williamthebloody]

Any ideas? I'll keep the board going as long as you guys keep using it, but it'd definitely be neat to get some new blood in here. And new members, too.

Advertisement is key to a good forum. Actually, it's key to a good...anything. The more people see that there's a forum, the more people will become members of that forum.

Also, find a good spam bot destroyer. Probably something you have to pay money for. I can't help you much with this, seeing as my own forum after the Halloween incident became overrun with spam bots and Viagra advertisements. And I didn't have anything on that forum! Bastards.

you know, the thing which made ME come here in the first place was the web address IN an SR comic. so MAYBE it Mr A. were to WHORE HIMSELF like in the margin of the comic one week... like handwrite the forum's address in it or summat.... um. that might be bad for artistic integrity tho.

[subobeyliminal]

you know, the thing which made ME come here in the first place was the web address IN an SR comic. so MAYBE it Mr A. were to WHORE HIMSELF like in the margin of the comic one week... like handwrite the forum's address in it or summat.... um. that might be bad for artistic integrity tho.

Haha, oh Will, that was why I came here in the first place too!

Although, to handwrite an address into how many books? Poor Mr. A's hand would fall off!

Maybe just a more prevalent add for the website and the forum.
And a more obvious link to the forum on the front page of the website, perhaps.

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

Oops! Sorry for the confusion. I actually go through the new user list every few days to clear out the spambots and look for real humans. Right now the human-to-spambot ratio is about 1 new human for every 6-700 spambots (that's about two weeks worth, I'd say).

Traffic to the site went way up with the new comic launch (yay!) but nobody seems to be going to the board (sadness!). I couldn't tell you why, exactly... maybe it's because the link isn't as obvious on the main site anymore. I've started putting a link to the forum in every new page post, but so far, nuffin.

Any ideas? I'll keep the board going as long as you guys keep using it, but it'd definitely be neat to get some new blood in here. And new members, too.

Ah! Thanks for clearing up the confusion.

As for forum joining, I joined because I saw a forum/button link on the first page with all the other prominent buttons.

I think it's got great placement right now, at the bottom of the comic there. I think something like a stylized font would help.

[williamthebloody]

Oops! Sorry for the confusion. I actually go through the new user list every few days to clear out the spambots and look for real humans. Right now the human-to-spambot ratio is about 1 new human for every 6-700 spambots (that's about two weeks worth, I'd say).

Traffic to the site went way up with the new comic launch (yay!) but nobody seems to be going to the board (sadness!). I couldn't tell you why, exactly... maybe it's because the link isn't as obvious on the main site anymore. I've started putting a link to the forum in every new page post, but so far, nuffin.

Any ideas? I'll keep the board going as long as you guys keep using it, but it'd definitely be neat to get some new blood in here. And new members, too.

Ah! Thanks for clearing up the confusion.

As for forum joining, I joined because I saw a forum/button link on the first page with all the other prominent buttons.

I think it's got great placement right now, at the bottom of the comic there. I think something like a stylized font would help.

or maybe a different, more obvious colour? like red or gold or summat?

[williamthebloody]

Well lets say your assumption is true, then I think what I'm getting at works.

Put an announcement in each sub-section aimed at lurking new users with one of our e-mails. Whoever receives these authentic pleas for activation could forward the list of name to Mr. A/Goff.
The announcement could have a short summary of the situation, and maybe some sort of humanity test to be included in the e-mail to us.

i think this is a good idea to help get new members sorted from the 'bots, but dont think it needs to be "all over" the forum (re: every section). i think maybe a sticky post in "rumblings from beyond the grave" (re: official type announcements from the admins section) would probably do the trick.
i say, if an actual human applies to the forum and after a REASONABLE amount of time has passed and that human has not been approved by the admins, that human should be able to feel free to contact one of us member mods and we inturn contact mr. A and inform him of the situation. i believe aaron has gotten to know and/or recognize our e-mail information and would know we are not robots and therefore know it was not a waste of time to read (i know i've e-mailed him a few times to buy his drawings and to do that interview thing he did a while back and that rynan has contacted him several times as well at the very least) and also that we represent his forum. mr a being the swell fellow that he is, reads his appointed mod's e-mail, discovers the situation ("gasp a new, actual human member request!!"), and goes about rectifying it.
i think this makes sense. but perhaps i went and over explained myself. again.

what do ya'll think (especially you all powerful, disembodied admins)?

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

Sounds good to me!