Community Opinions

[_Ky_]

As I stated in my announcement post, I would like to know the feelings of the Cipher authors and readers on any suggestions that they have for the community. Feel free to register and state your opinion here.

(Politely, please, as Cipher is our home and none of us like to fight in our home.)

Open discussion always always has the possibility of creating tension, but we really want our readers and authors to know that we are listening, and we want to know what your opinion is regarding the fiction side of the board (as well as the forum side, if your opinion extends as far.) So, please, feel free to discuss the matter here and know that we are listening and are open to hearing what you have to say.

Thank you,
~Ky~

[_Ky_]

Some of you might know, but some of you might not, but the fiction side of Cipher is undersiege by spam bots again.

I do believe that Morr was able to shut them up once before, but I don't know how.

Here's what I know. The spam bots seem to love eachother; the attack the same story over and over. Poor Alisanne is being targetted horribly, as she has he most stories on the board.

Though we have some false accounts on the fiction side, they aren't using them as a means to get in; all the reviews are anonymous.

Since this has been a problem before, should we consider turning off anonymous reviews?

Now... argue.

[Morrighan]

I didn't actually stop it, Ky. Unfortunately. I deleted a slew of spam in the series area and in reviews, and it stopped on its own. I guess it's our time to get hit again.

And that's why I was never in favor of anonymous reviews. Yes, it means your story will get less reviews if we turn them off. It's a lose-lose proposition. But speaking as one of the people that gets to go through and delete all the spam in the reviews--and the spambots that register as members and then spam in their profile; I've been deleting those too, every day, sometimes as many as thirty or forty of them--I'm in favor of turning off anonymous reviews. We've already got enough spam we have to delete.

The only permanent solution I know would be to upgrade to the new version of efiction. It's addressed some of those issues. It's also a nightmare of a process and we'll have some issues with our skinning, but that would stop the spammers.

[_Ky_]

I've been deleting the spambots that register as members as well, and crossing my fingers sometimes that it is actually a bot. I'm terrified of fucking up and actually deleting a member that made an account that just looked like a bot account. *snicker*

If you'd like to get together and chat to go over some of the options, just shoot me a PM. I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on turning of anon.

[Morrighan]

Bumping this for Ky. We would really like to know what you think.

[snapesgirl]

I tend to reply anonamoosely because I'm a lazy wench. Shut it off, make me sign on instead of lurking about.

[romaine]

I second the vote for shutting it off.

[WeasleyWench]

Might as well get rid of it if it's causing so much trouble.

[Anaquana]

I have to agree with everyone else. Get rid of it.

[Scully]

sounds like the spam is getting out of control. so i say turn off the anon reviews! ofc, make a nice little polite pop up box or something that explains that spambots are the reason why anon reviews can't be left any more and ask them nicely sign-in/join!

[raintiger]

I agree with turning off anonycomments. It might encourage lurkers to delurk-- like SG. You naughty girl.

[_Ky_]

Sounds like so far we are agreed on this. *grin*

Of course, I haven't heard lately if the spambots are still at it, but since it is a reoccuring problem, I think nipping it in the butt now would be a good idea. Plus, getting people *cough*Sg*cough* to log in would be good. It might drop our review count at first, but I think in the long run it will raise our member count.

[snapesgirl]

Originally Posted by raintiger

It might encourage lurkers to delurk-- like SG. You naughty girl.

You love me