BBs/Forums: registration or not?

[Paul Wilders]

From start, this BBs has been open to post for both registered and non registered users. Although this in essence a nice feature, name spoofing is a serious risk.

Thus: what is your opinion on this subject? If necessary, please post a comment after voting.

[puff-m-d]

I also believe name spoofing can be a serious risk (as evidenced in the ANTS thread by the ANTS author here on wilders forum). *Although making it a requirement to register might not take away all risk, I believe if you want to post you should have no reservations about registering first. *If you do, then maybe your intentions are not all that good anyway. *I enjoy this forum and had no problems with registering even tho I did not have too.

Kent

[wizard]

I see name spoofing as a serious risk. And there is also a possible problem with trolls and spammers.

Registration is free and takes only a few minutes. :)

wizard

[Tiger_Barb]

Hello to everyone,

In the time it takes to type and post a message, you could do your registration ........ I see name spoofing as a serious risk (well maybe if someone took over my name, they might make me look a little smarter).

T Barb

[zappa]

I don't see any risk at all with unregistered users. *I started out as an unregistered user and couldn't edit my posts when I hit the ole post button, that is one reason why I registered. *Clearly, *I won't be giving anybody advice as I am here to learn. *I see no benefit as a registered user so I could go either way as unregistered or registered.


There are plenty of admin people around to edit a bonehead posting garbage. *The admin access to the edit button in their respective forums is the all you need. * *Someone can register and still post dither. *Take me for example...

*

[Checkout]

I see no risk either - supposing spoofing happens: *so what? *If it's going to be worthwhile spoofing, then lots of effort must be expended. *Again, so what? *Polls here are hardly a major influence on anyone's purchasing habits!

[Detox]

bah just register it isn't that tough, so i vote post for registered only. *:-*

[javacool]

I agree also - registering takes very little time, and is quite painless.

[Blacksheep]

If posting is for registered only, I think some valuable input from visitors reluctant to register for various reasons will be lost. I had a recent struggle over this issue at another place. Spoofing seems to me a small risk.

[Zhen-Xjell]

"other opinion"

I feel it depends on the type of community. *For instance, is the community free and open like this one? *Or is it closed and available to registered owners of a software?

[FarCry]

I suppose the question is; has name spoofing happened?
I would hate to have some clown use my name and post insulting comments.
There is no problem registering as far as I’m concerned but I intended to stay around.
If someone is going to post a lot he/she should register.

[Checkout]

{QUOTE-> If someone is going to post a lot he/she should register. <-QUOTE}
Disagree. *Strongly. *The very nature of this forum and all it stands for mandates the facility for anonymous comment.

[Blacksheep]

Hmmm... Seems the vote is in favor of join the club, i.e. register. It's the us and them thing.

I proffer this observation: The manager of an organization is under no obligation to operate the place in a democratic fashion, e.g. Boss to employees "Hey people, I'm thinking about giving everyone a raise. Let's take a vote." or Boss to employees "Hey people, I'm thinking about changing the work week to 80 hours. Who's in favor?"

For myself I prefer a free and open society, provided of course the murderers and other scum can be kept under control.

:)

[javacool]

{QUOTE->
Disagree. *Strongly. *The very nature of this forum and all it stands for mandates the facility for anonymous comment. <-QUOTE}

A very valid point...is there any way for one to revoke his/her vote and choose another selection? *:)

[Paul Wilders]

{QUOTE-> ..is there any way for one to revoke his/her vote and choose another selection? <-QUOTE}

Nope *;)

regards.

paul *

[Mike_Healan]

I couldn't vote for some reason. Kept getting a very apologetic error message. *shrug*
Anyhow, I vote yes. *
I take it there was some problem here recently.
{QUOTE-> I also believe name spoofing can be a serious risk (as evidenced in the ANTS thread by the ANTS author here on wilders forum). <-QUOTE}
There was some sort of problem at Becky's recently (I don't know what it was, as I've been out of the message board/newsgroup loop the last couple months).
I just installed a message board myself, and I can tell you that all you give up when registering is an email address and an IP, both of which can be changed. *The email address can be hidden from all but administrators. You are as anonymous as you choose to be and personally I wouldn't want somone spoofing my name.

[Blacksheep]

I would be interested in any problem at Becky's if you can provide info. ;D

[UNICRON]

{QUOTE-> I can tell you that all you give up when registering is an email address and an IP <-QUOTE}

you already gave up your ip.

[Checkout]

{QUOTE->

you already gave up your ip. <-QUOTE}
After installing Proxomitron, I had to set my browser (IE 6) to bypass the proxy for this site, otherwise I couldn't stay logged on. *Hmm...must dig deeper into that problem...

[UNICRON]

I don't have to bypass the proxie to stay logged in. Even so, my IP is available or I wouldn't be able to establish a session with the webserver. My ISP verifies the source IP of every packet as it passes through their routers so spoofing is impossible. My only option is to use a remote proxy. So far I haven't looked into that too much. So many of the free proxie servers are provided by information gathering orgs. I dunno how to ensure a proxy is trustable, so I'll just give out my IP instead. That is all the info they get.

[Checkout]

Curious - the only things between me and here are Proxomitron and ZAP 3, which disguises the last octet of my IP address. *Could that be the problem? *I thought it was more likely a cookie problem.

[UNICRON]

without giving the webserver an IP, the server would have no idea who to send the packets to. How would you browse these pages?

The IP doesn't have to be your IP, it could be a proxy IP, who could request the pages and route them to you, therefor the only thing to know you is the proxy sever. Proximotron acts as a proxy server but with your IP. It has the ability to use a remote proxy too but I don't trust most proxy servers. Not after SafeWeb.

If I told you to call me on the "tele" (snicker) but didn't give you my phone number or any info, how could you call? You could not.

[Checkout]

Good question. *There's obviously something here I haven't quite got my brain wrapped around (yet).

And I wouldn't trust you to give your your true phone number anyway. *You'd most likely give me my own number, and I'd sit here all day wondering why it's permanently engaged. *Duh!

[snapdragin]

i am all for registering a membership if the person finds themselves coming back more than a few times and wanting to continue to take part in questions/answers, etc., but i voted "no" to BB's beinging Registered Members Only posts since i feel most members now registered probably posted the first few times as a non-members, feeling out how their questions or comments would be received, and once they feel confortable they usually end up registering (of course i am not sure, i am just guessing since i too did post the first few times as a non-registered member.)

i know when i was surfing and looking for security/tech information i did come across a few boards that were "Only Members" allowed to post.........i didn't go back to those boards. *And one of the things i found so impressive with Wilder's was the high level of intelligent advise yet still being very considerate towards newbies
who may not always grasp the advise first time 'round *::)

The feeling of welcome, relax, read, learn, share, and join in with no pressures makes this an incredible community......and one that most would be honoured to say they are a Registered Member with. :)

Just a question, but i do know of a chat site that the Registered Member's there were also having their "handles" spoofed....so the owners of the site made it so no one but the Registered Member could use their handle. *i have no idea what type of programming they used but now no one can use a Registered Member's handle without "logging in", which is only possible for the Registered Member to do. :)

[kyte]

spoofing isnt my concern with unregistered users...

once the spammers get wind of not having to register you get a lot of hit and run advertising and that *really* ticks me off.