Suggestion Regarding Junior Members and vB Code

[MSB]

Hello everybody,
I was just thinking about our dear newbies - the Junior Members, who currently have no vB code due to the all new iframe code which could be dangerous in the hands of a Junior Bot.

A solution to this could be to open up a new forum and call it "The Introduction Forum" or something similar. Also a new member group could be set up to. It could be called "New Members" or something similar. What happens is that New Members automatically start as a "New Member". They can only post a new thread in the new forum and can do nothing else but that. Other user groups can post there, but cannot start new threads. They will, at this stage, have vB code turned off for them to prevent them from taking advantage of the iframe feature. They will also not have the edit button available either. After they have posted their new thread in this forum introducing themselves their account is automatically disabled and a PM is sent to all moderators asking them to read this member's post. The mods read it and then decide whether the individual is a bot or is a real member. If they decide on the former then the bot is instagibbed. If they decide on the latter then the human gets promoted to Junior Member. They then have access to vB code and all the forums that Junior Members currently have access to.

This is complex, but it could solve the problem with the vB code for Junior Members.

Hope this could work,
Avlvs

[The Stranger]

hmmm... i guess that kinda sux when you really are a person... and you get disabled...

can bots answer questions?... if not its easier to PM them and ask them a question... when they answer it correctly theyre real...

[MSB]

Perhaps a special promotion mod team could be set up to stop them from being disabled for too long.

[sapi]

I think the best way around the issue is the one we have (that is, promoting JMs on a regular basis) and anything else might get a bit complicated...

[MSB]

Sadly the promotions really are not regular enough to stop Junior Members from actually having these problems.

[sapi]

vbcode isn't a necessity, and it's better that they have to live with the restriction than getting spam of dangerous off site images

[MSB]

It is needed to prevent mistakes. This does not effect Juniors only, it is us Members too. The quote feature is vB code. That is needed to stop Junior's from looking like they posted the quote themselves. This means we cannot distinguish when a member is replying to another members post and when he is not. For proof please see this confusing post.

As you said my original idea was too complex I have designed a revised version that looks less complex:

• Members sign up and joint the group and rank of New Member.
• They must post one post in a new introduction forum where they introduce themselves.
• Then they automatically get automatic promotion to Junior Member and have vB code (spam bots usually only post once).

Is that any better or convenient?

[caravel]

Hello everybody,
I was just thinking about our dear newbies - the Junior Members, who currently have no vB code due to the all new iframe code which could be dangerous in the hands of a Junior Bot.

A solution to this could be to open up a new forum and call it "The Introduction Forum" or something similar. Also a new member group could be set up to. It could be called "New Members" or something similar. What happens is that New Members automatically start as a "New Member". They can only post a new thread in the new forum and can do nothing else but that. Other user groups can post there, but cannot start new threads. They will, at this stage, have vB code turned off for them to prevent them from taking advantage of the iframe feature. They will also not have the edit button available either. After they have posted their new thread in this forum introducing themselves their account is automatically disabled and a PM is sent to all moderators asking them to read this member's post. The mods read it and then decide whether the individual is a bot or is a real member. If they decide on the former then the bot is instagibbed. If they decide on the latter then the human gets promoted to Junior Member. They then have access to vB code and all the forums that Junior Members currently have access to.

This is complex, but it could solve the problem with the vB code for Junior Members.

Hope this could work,
Avlvs

That's kind of like the entrance hall system that was in effect in the past, though much more restrictive. In the past junior members could only post in the entrance hall and nowhere else until they'de been promoted to members IIRC. The problem with your idea is that creating yet another forum will only clutter and complicate matters. Also your proposed system seems overly paranoid and will deter people from actually registering at all. Then there's all of the groups and approval of members. Those new members after making their first post and finding that their account is disabled, may not bother coming back, in fact I'm sure that most of them won't. Combine all this with the extra work that the mods/admins will have approving and promoting members and it's unworkable. After that they've still got to get promoted on from junior member to member. It seems like a long and painful process, just to join a Total War messageboard. It also appears rank oriented and elitist to many outsiders who won't understand that the system is for controlling spambots. "Spammer/Bot until proven innocent" is not the way to go.

[MSB]

I have done a simplified system in one of the above posts which does not include having disabled accounts.

[caravel]

It is needed to prevent mistakes. This does not effect Juniors only, it is us Members too. The quote feature is vB code. That is needed to stop Junior's from looking like they posted the quote themselves. This means we cannot distinguish when a member is replying to another members post and when he is not. For proof please see this confusing post.

I often wonder how we coped at that other place...

As you said my original idea was too complex I have designed a revised version that looks less complex:

• Members sign up and joint the group and rank of New Member.
• They must post one post in a new introduction forum where they introduce themselves.
• Then they automatically get automatic promotion to Junior Member and have vB code (spam bots usually only post once).

Is that any better or convenient?

It has lost some of it's complexity but without the moderator approval it now seems pointless. Spambots do usually post once, fair enough. And your idea of producing a "clean room" on the way to the entrance hall is well thought out. The problem is that new members may still be deterred by this seemingly paranoid and overzealous security. I'm thinking more in the line of a bot resistant registration process. Also I'm wondering about the usefulness of the iframes? Is the posting of HTML content in a frame that vital to the .org? I know alot of sites that wouldn't even consider this due to the security risks involved.

[MSB]

Well in my opinion the best option would be to kill iframe like you said, but if TosaInu installed it then he must think it is somewhat useful. Perhaps iframe should be removed till he gets the selective code hack activated. In that case Junior members would be able to use all codes but iframe.

[TosaInu]

iframe has its uses, right now. It's not required for that use to make it open like it was, but that seemed like a nice toy.

The host will install some PHP functionality soon, so we can use the selective bbcode permissions.

Until then, the open iframe tag is rewritten to a harmless piece and BBcode is enabled for Junior Members again.

Sorry for the inconvenience.