A small tip to reduce spam

[maxemerg]

This is something I probably should (have) include(d) in the rules (though most people don't read the rules until after they've registered), but I'm just going to make it a quick announcement for now...

When choosing a name to use on any public site, it's best not to use the same name as your e-mail user name if you use one of the more common e-mail web sites (aol, gmail, hotmail, live, yahoo, etc.) because spammers will actually go around to public sites creating new accounts just to get a list of user names and plug those into each of the common e-mail provider domains.

I see new accounts created almost regularly that seem to be doing this. Unfortunately, I usually can't find any evidence against them to justify deleting and have to wait until they pass the threshold of inactivity set in the rules.

So, just be aware of this method spammers use, and avoid using names that match your e-mail ID on public sites. I'm actually guilty of using "maxemerg" just about everywhere and have since learned my lesson... the hard way.

[mannie511]

great tip!
I never thought of that! lucky for me my email and user names are always different. now i'll keep that in mind for the future.

[maxemerg]

I forgot to mention that this is the reason why I don't allow anyone below group level "IKK Member" view the member list or look at member profiles. But keep in mind that, because the board is mostly public, any time someone posts, their user name can be seen by anyone. But, hey, none of us are on the internet just to visit this board and it's gonna happen somewhere. Spammers can still use their dirty tricks, but I try to make it much harder for them to easily obtain a list of everyone's names.