UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums UBB.threads 7 Version 7 Support Require Forum Registration Approval

I've been getting a bunch of "undesireable" people registering on my forum. Is there a way to require approval of registrations by the Forum Administrator or individual forum moderators? If so, how?

If you're running the latest version, then all you need to do is go into the Control Panel -> Membership -> Registration Settings. On the Basic Options tab, put a checkmark on the "Enable Registration Queue" This will require all new registrations to be approved.

I'm running version 6.7.2. It looks like I have the option "Enable Moderation Queue?" in the registration tab. Is this the same as "Enable Registration Queue?"

Thanks so much!!

No I don't think it is. Moderation Queue (at least to me) would mean that all posts would require Moderator approval before the post would become public.

I think we renamed it from 6.7, so as long as you're on the registration tab, then that's the right setting, yes.

I'm from UBB.C, and I believe that is the proper setting in this case and was renamed to thwart confusion

I'm going to jump onto her topic w/a question regarding the registration queue.

I've selected an option that "verifies e-mail."

Most of the time, the verification comes back with a green "yes."

Sometimes, however, it comes back a red "no."

Does this mean the e-mail addy doesn't exist, or does it mean that there are some domains out there that won't allow e-mail verfication?

If it's the former, I won't approve the registration (why bother?); it it's the latter, I will!

~Sue
adwoff.com

It just means that the user hasn't verified the given email by clicking the verification link in the email your board sent out. It could also mean the email doesn't exist or your confirmation email got caught in a spam filter, though. It could really be any combination of these factors.

Ah, okay!

Thanks, Harold, for the info.

~Sue
adwoff.com

Just an FYI, there is currently no way that the forum detects if an email exists or no, seeing as it doesn't have a way to recieve bounced emails (though that would be kinda cool)

Thanks everyone. That seemed to do the trick. While I'm on this subject, it seems there's a robot sending registrations to my forum. These are very undesireable registrations, likely trying to get porn, drug, etc. web sites posted. That's why I'm now using the registration feature--so these people cannot register without my approval.

I'm getting at least 10-15 of these a day. This started about a week ago.

However, I'm wondering if this is happening to anyone else, and if there are other measures I can take to prevent this -- without, of course, keeping out the people I DO want registering (people interested in getting organized.)

I hear you. My email ban list now includes more bot addresses than actual people!

It's an epidemic happening on many forums (not just UBB).

Some past discussions here:

https://www.ubbcentral.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/169938/page/1#Post169938

https://www.ubbcentral.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/168332/page/1#Post168332

https://www.ubbcentral.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/165236/page/1#Post165236

https://www.ubbcentral.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2204/page/6#Post2204

I'm running Classic still. For a while, I'd go through banning the email and IP from these bot registrations. I got sick of going through all of that. The IPs and email domains are just about endless.

I've taken to now manually approving every registration. It's a pain, but you can spot the bots right away with their funky email address. If you're not sure by looking at the email, search the IP and 99% of the time it will be from out of the country.

Hopefully this trend will die down eventually. I've got dozens of member numbers being retired due to all of these bogus registrations that I'm having to delete.

After 7.1 comes out to the public, you'll also have CAPTCHA in addition to email confirmation and a registration queue. That should make a big difference.

I had this issue in UBB.C, the upgrade to UBB.T solved it for me for the most part; some more get through every once and again, but UBB.T7.1 should fix this with the CAPTCHA system.

I really don't get it. GangsterBB has been around for over 5.5 years (with UBB), and even longer including another service. ONCE in all that time have I ever gotten anything even vaguely resembling a spambot posting. And my main sites pointing to my forum are quite popular, around since 1995 and top-ranked*. At the same time, just a couple years ago, I set up a tiny little forum for a friend, with just a handful of activity (29 users), and THEY (using phpBB) get SWAMPED with that crap!! I don't get it, cuz they have CAPTCHA and email verification -- I just have the latter, with 4500+ users -- but don't have any troubles {knock on wood} with UBB...

...or maybe spammers are just afraid of the Mafia.


*I was battling #1/#2 for many years with IMDb for "godfather" and "scarface", until I screwed everything up somehow. :/

haha, i should spam on your site, but I don't really jive with that kinda community

come and spam mine LOL

What is yours anyway?

Thanks a bunch for your help! I'll keep manually approving, and hope for the best with the new version of UBB. Happy New Year everyone!