Here's a weird one

Rk2910 · March 29, 2015, 07:33:40 AM

I manually approve each new member. I send them a query email after they apply and if all seems real I approve them and send a welcome email.
I sent the query email today to member 73v but never approved him/her. Look at the attachments.
I looked at who's online and there he was. Is this a glitch or is he really able to log in somehow? The user stats show he is not active.

Steve · March 29, 2015, 09:16:38 AM

I'm pretty sure it just means they're trying to look at the board while waiting approval. Doesn't mean they can actually do anything unless you've allowed unapproved members to. Someone will confirm or correct me if that's not the case.

And you know by now to make your topic titles a little more descriptive.

And 'Awaiting Approval (60)'?

Deaks · March 29, 2015, 09:54:45 AM

he will be able to login but will be greeted with big message saying the account has not yet been approved, its nothing massive, if he starts browsing board and posting their is a bigger issue,

Rk2910 · March 29, 2015, 02:01:29 PM

Quote from: Ρουνικ on March 29, 2015, 09:54:45 AM
he will be able to login but will be greeted with big message saying the account has not yet been approved, its nothing massive, if he starts browsing board and posting their is a bigger issue,

ok, that makes sense. Hadn't thought of them actually trying to log in before I approve them.

Thanks

Rk2910 · March 29, 2015, 02:05:24 PM

Quote from: Steve on March 29, 2015, 09:16:38 AM
I'm pretty sure it just means they're trying to look at the board while waiting approval. Doesn't mean they can actually do anything unless you've allowed unapproved members to. Someone will confirm or correct me if that's not the case.

And you know by now to make your topic titles a little more descriptive.

And 'Awaiting Approval (60)'?

I couldn't think how to describe it until after I posted. Now I can't change it.

"60 awaiting approval" are people that have registered, I sent them the query email and they never replied. And that is since we went live on Jan2.

Steve · March 29, 2015, 02:52:33 PM

I only wait 3 or 4 days then zzztt ...... zap 'em. If they really want to come back they can register again.

Kindred · March 29, 2015, 07:03:49 PM

That seems very labor intensive... Why do you send them a query email and require manual activation?

Rk2910 · March 31, 2015, 05:53:55 AM

Quote from: Kindred on March 29, 2015, 07:03:49 PM
That seems very labor intensive... Why do you send them a query email and require manual activation?

I guess it goes back to the last 9 years on phpbb. I wanted a way to make sure we were not letting in spammers and even after I switched to smf I was getting approx 200 apps a day of which maybe 1 was legit. I'd scan the email addresses which weeded out most of the applicants, delete them and send the query email to ones that passed the IP scan and country check. It was very labor intensive. Only had one spammer sneak past in those years. Now that I use the hard questions learned here, I have not had one spammer in months. So I still send the query email and when they reply I activate them - a last check I suppose. Some never reply though - we did have a problem with our email server being blocked when my host had a problem with some wordpress thing or something. We still have some ISP blocking us even though they swear they aren't. So I have a disposable email acct that I send the query emails to members of those ISP.
All in the day and life of an admin I guess.

Deaks · March 31, 2015, 06:17:13 AM

You should look at improving your security, captcha is pointless these days use a pool of questions on the niche of your forum, say a pool of 10 - 15 and select 3 questions so that means 3 random questions out of that pool will be asked, less work for you and will stop most spammers.

Kindred · March 31, 2015, 06:41:22 AM

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Spam_-_my_forum_is_flooded_with_spam,_what_can_I_do

I have not had a single spam-bot successfully register in 2 years...
Questions
stop spammer
bad behavior+httpbl

Rk2910 · March 31, 2015, 07:23:25 PM

Quote from: Ρουνικ on March 31, 2015, 06:17:13 AM
You should look at improving your security, captcha is pointless these days use a pool of questions on the niche of your forum, say a pool of 10 - 15 and select 3 questions so that means 3 random questions out of that pool will be asked, less work for you and will stop most spammers.

That's what I did.

Rk2910 · March 31, 2015, 07:25:26 PM

Quote from: Kindred on March 31, 2015, 06:41:22 AM
http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Spam_-_my_forum_is_flooded_with_spam,_what_can_I_do

I have not had a single spam-bot successfully register in 2 years...
Questions
stop spammer
bad behavior+httpbl

No bots have been around since I went the question route. I don't mind the manual approval as a last step - better safe than sorry.

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Here's a weird one