Is OWC killing this forum?

[pipiens]

I encouraged a friend of mine to join you wonderful people here at the forum but she has not been able to. Does any one know what is happening here?

She applied and got the following a few days later:

"On Sep 14, 2015, at 4:48 PM, MRF Admin 1 wrote:

Hi-

Thank you for your interest in joining the MacResource community.

Due to an increase in spam and duplicate accounts, If you would like to be a member of our forum, please explain why. This is to verify that you are in fact human, and will bring value to our community.

If you do not reply within 24 hours, your application request will be deleted.

Please note; any commercial use of our forum is prohibited.

Thank you
MRF-Administrator"

On the day she got it she replied with the following:

"Hello,

A friend of mine is a member of your group and he shared with me some of your forums.

I am a female Chemical Engineer, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry and Rubber Chemicals. I thought college level physics and chemical engineering. I love teaching, enjoy modern physics and its puzzles. I believe in multidimensional universe. And also I am originally from Istanbul Turkey.

I wanted to join an intellectual community.."


I also sent in a note on the same day Sept 14.

"Hi Admin

My friend XXXXX is trying to sign up to our group. She would make a great addition to our collective mind-in my opinion.

Please expedite her admission

Thanks
pipiens"

There has been no response so she followed up with:

"Hello,

I sent my profile last week. I have not heard from you.

I do not know why it takes this long. Did you send it to FBI

for a background check!!!!!!!!!!!!!? I am not a ROBOT,this is not a SCAM.

A yes or no answer will be sufficient.

Thank you.

XXXXX

Sent from my iPad"


It has been about two weeks since her first inquiry with no response except for the form letter.

Any ideas?

[cbelt3]

Odds are they are getting spammed to death. Keep in mind that this little community does some support for OWC's customers, and does drive some sales to OWC. But there's a good chance we cost more in simple terms than the benefit we provide.

Caution is advised... Like my Dad always told me... "If the beer is free, don't complain about the lack of quality. "

[NewtonMP2100]

......perhaps....softly.....???

....with his song.....???

[sekker]

Maybe if we have someone here as a sponsor, could we help?

[GuyGene]

"This is to verify that you are in fact human, and will bring value to our community."

Back in the day, this one right here would've killed it for my membership. On both points. :cartman:

[M A V I C]

This perhaps? https://github.com/Phorum/Module-stopforumspam

[mrp-admin]

Pipiens,

Your friend applied to be a member twice - and evidently the address used that was activated is going to spam? Her initial request was activated, in fact now both are since she is having problems getting in on the first one.

No conspiracy, but it is rather a big red flag when two nearly identical emails are used and attempted to create an account with one after another.

Thank you
MRF-Administrator

[ka jowct]

The Spam thing is a pain in the butt. Somehow my IP address is on a couple of spammer lists and is blocked by the forum. My access to posting is limited to one iPad that uses a Google proxy in Chrome (the other iPad using Chrome does not use a proxy; why?) and to my iPhone when I am away from home and not connecting via my home wifi.

[pipiens]

Thanks

mrp-admin wrote:
Pipiens,

Your friend applied to be a member twice - and evidently the address used that was activated is going to spam? Her initial request was activated, in fact now both are since she is having problems getting in on the first one.

No conspiracy, but it is rather a big red flag when two nearly identical emails are used and attempted to create an account with one after another.

Thank you
MRF-Administrator

[testcase]

GuyGene wrote:
"This is to verify that you are in fact human, and will bring value to our community."

Back in the day, this one right here would've killed it for my membership. On both points. :cartman:

miley-laughing001: