Why require membership for forum registration?

Post by **Nil Einne** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:49 pm

Is it intentional that you have to be a MTBS3D.com member before you can register for the forums. If no, then this really should be fixed.

If it is intentional it's a mistake IMHO. I understand the advocacy component and why this matters but this site has a good chance to become a vital stereo 3D support site. Yes I know there are other sites out there but if this site develops well, then hopefully the forums will be the best place for beginners to go to get support.

But with the rise in identity theft etc, people are far more reluctant nowadays to give out their details willy nilly and if someone has a minor interest in stereo 3D, there's a good chance they wont want to hand out all the details required just so they can ask for help to try it. But if we help these people and show them the benefits then perhaps they will get interested and be willing to become members and join the cause so to speak. Becoming a fully fledge member has all the other benefits too so it's not as if forum membership has to be reserved for MTBS3D.com members.

And on the flip side, for the advocacy component to work, we need to ensure all members are genuine with proper details. Yet if you require people to become a member just to register for the forum and post for support, there's a good chance your going to get a lot of people who provided a bunch of bullshit. This is not going to help our advocacy at all!

It's probably not necessary to allow non MTBS3D.com forumers full benefits. You could always make them, limited forums members and only allow them to post in the support forums.

Post by **Neil** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:07 pm

Hello Nil,

Thank you for your input.

We are working on a way to combine the mtbs3D.com and the MTBS forum registration systems into one. That should help the convenience factor.

I think you are relatively new to the site, so I will fill you in on a problem we had awhile back. One of the problems with website forums is robotic spam. Web crawlers that go around looking for innocent forums like ours to post nasty, naked, and raunchy stuff. I can't convey the filth that was posted here without breaking laws in three states. Even with three moderators a forum, we couldn't stop it all.

Therefore, we had to take measures to cut this spam to nothing. We did it by requiring secured MTBS membership - something the robots haven't figured out how to contend with yet.

The accuracy of the information submitted has been pretty good so far, and when members choose to take advantage of discounts and incentives, they are able to correct their info if needed.

Regards,
Neil

Post by **trix** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:06 am

I would just like to add that when I first got here, I only decided to register to get to the certification page and maybe read some more info about 3D (which I have yet to try). Now most of the time when I randomly register at a site to see something only members can see, I DO provide bogus information (Name: Some One, Age: 420, etc). However, since I happened to really like the idea of 3D (even before I've tried it) and realized how new this place is and that you guys need my support (and the support of my friends once I set up 3D and start showing off =P) I decided to fill it out with correct and accurate information. This is probably the first time I have done this with my real info on a site I'm not buying stuff from, so I can completely see where the Original Poster is coming from.

Personally, I think that though bogus info seems to be the exception rather then the rule SO FAR, it could still become a much larger issue down the road. I think making the inclusion of name and other personal info optional but stressing it's importance in many different places (including registration page) would be a good compromise, as that information really *IS* optional. The option to lie is always present, especially over the internet.

However, this is all just my personal opinion.
- trix

Post by **Neil** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:29 am

Hi Trix,

I'm putting the site through a facelift in the coming weeks. What type of information do people fear sharing?

Neil

Post by **trix** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:10 pm

Well, I know there are alot of people on the internet who do everything straightforward, but in my personal experience, I've seen that sharing my name and address gets me alot of unwanted mail, even when the place says they will never share your info, and sharing my number gets lots of unwanted calls (which I *really* abhor, hate, despise), sharing E-Mail gets lots of spam, etc. Almost every site that asks for such information specifically states that they don't share personal information with anyone, yet at the same time, every time I have a new E-Mail address that doesn't get spam, then I register for a few forums and sites using that E-Mail, even if I *only* give my real email to the ones that "wont share it", suddenly spam central in my inbox.

But that's not the only reason. Alot of times I post things on forums or work on projects on the internet of questionable legality (not talking about pirating or anything, mostly helping projects like online game server emulators [eqemu.net etc] or packet sniffing utilities [ShowEQ] or basically anything that I wouldn't want my real name tied to my alias for fear of losing an online account or being sued by retarded game companies for offering an alternative to the official $15 per month servers). Also sometimes I find myself wishing to remain anonymous simply because I don't know and don't trust any old random website that wants my information, even if the website is about something I find interesting.

And those reasons are just my own personal ones, I'm sure other people have many other reasons for wanting to be private, and people generally consider the internet to be anonymous and usually want to keep themselves just as anonymous "just in case". Though in reality nobody is really as anonymous as they think they are.

- trix

Post by **trix** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:13 pm

Also, keep in mind that alot of people simply don't trust ANYTHING on the internet, simply because alot of those people don't know much about computers or the internet in general, so they don't know what is dangerous and what isn't. It seems like at least once a week people are talking about some new internet related threat ruining somebody's life (identity theft, credit card fraud, stalkers, rapists, pedophiles, children with webcams, kids in chatrooms and forums meeting pornbots, name and address collection bots, etc etc etc)

Post by **Znith** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:49 pm

Trix I had the same reservations as you when I signed up for this board and website. I also posted a thread expressing my feelings. I did end up giving in but I gave a voicemail only phone number from privatephone.com. I don't like any annoying calls either. It is a working number so it's legit and I use it for other purposes too

What really bothered me is that I have no clue who Neil really is or anyone else that helps run this site. Identity theft popped into my mind along with safety issues. The I figured if my phone number was in the phone book, people could find me anyways. If someone really wants to hunt ya down they will

So far Neil seems to have a lil sanity left

I don't see him as a mass murder... yet

As for the spam issues, it got pretty bad sometimes. Just take a look at the 3Dvisor.com forums. Even though all but two are closed down, those last two remaining sections get spammed all to heck and back.

Post by **Neil** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:01 pm

Hi Guys,

You have legitimate concerns, and I can appreciate that you don't know me from Adam. However, I think anyone who has been on this site or gone on Ventrilo will tell you that I am very accessible, and I take our practice here very seriously.

Which types of information concern you the most?

Neil

Post by **trix** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:11 pm

Well to be honest, the entire deal was what initially worried me, especially the fact that it wasn't optional but required. Though I could have lied, it just struck me as unusual and even a bit suspect that just to see certain parts of a website that says it WANTS to reach the general public I have to give out my name address and phone number. I do understand the reasons, I'm just not used to websites requiring that level of information about me unless I'm trying to buy something from them or sell something to them.

So really it's probably more the fact that an information website wants my personal details then anything specific. It just caught me by surprise.

- trix

Post by **Freke1** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:38 am

I always encrypt personal data I have on my computer. You never know if You're gonna get hacked.

Post by **Aeroflux** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:42 pm

I have my entire computer backed up on DVD. I know a friend who simply quit taking precautions on his kid's computer. He just wipes everthing once a month and restores from backup.

On topic, requiring the address and last name made me a bit wary, and I noticed your site doesn't even use encryption for the form. That should be goal numero uno.

Post by **Neil** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:47 pm

Encryption...I'll add it to the list.

The information that is most important to MTBS are:

Real name
Alias
Country of origin
Proper email address

The rest is important for contests and incentives. Maybe there is a way to enter that info when required. I have to think about how to do that.

Neil

Post by **trix** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:42 am

Aeroflux, I understand your friends thinking, personally I haven't run any antivirus software for years, only firewall. Yet, I have never contracted a virus. When I had AV software I caught virus' all the time, nothing the AV couldn't handle, but because it was there I was simply alot less careful. Since I've stopped using Antivirus software I am always quite a bit more careful what I run and where I get it, and anything somewhat questionable I simply open in Win32dasm (an executable disassembler) and glance through it to make sure there's no malicious code I can see. Other then that though, I don't even run anti-spyware at all on my PC, I have tools that allow me to view ALL processes running (not just the ones in Task Manager) and have complete control over everything (like Hijack This and others) and just keep my eyes open and have no problems.

On the rare occasion I decide to reformat, all my important stuff, and movies and games and almost everything except for my Operating Systems (WinXP and Gentoo) are always kept on my networked file server in the living room, which is basically a barebones PC with lots of big hard drives and pretty much nothing else, no monitor or keyboard or mouse or anything just networked for storage. Everyone in my house uses that to store things. Make everything alot simpler.

Edit: Oh yeah and to stay on topic for this forum (though not really this thread) I have a simple website idea, how about another forum for screenshots and video taken in 3D? Obviously most of them will require a 3D setup but also for people like that awesome guy Freke that posted all those cool crosseye view pics. That would also give new people like me that have interest but temporarily lack the funds a chance to see how cool it could be! Anything that helps generate interest is a plus, and those screenshots I can say for sure DO help interest, I've shown a few friends those shots already and the ones that can actually do the crosseyed thing think it's the coolest thing in the world!

Hell I'm even going to start making money soon, a friend of mine has seen my plans for my 3D projection setup, and he said once I get it he might want me to set up the same thing for him in his spare room and give me 15% of the cost for profit! Hell I might have a new market niche for money making, a low cost HTPC+Projection+Surroundsound+3Dgaming custom built setup. So people get the best theatre and all around entertainment room for a low budget!

This movement is so exciting, I have off later tonight so I'll drop into some gaming places I hang out and spread the word to my online buddies!

- trix

Post by **Neil** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:08 am

Hi Trix!

Good luck with your new 3D business!

I'm way ahead of you with your other ideas...I'll keep you posted.

Neil

Post by **sharky** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:59 am

trix wrote:
Edit: Oh yeah and to stay on topic for this forum (though not really this thread) I have a simple website idea, how about another forum for screenshots and video taken in 3D? Obviously most of them will require a 3D setup but also for people like that awesome guy Freke that posted all those cool crosseye view pics. That would also give new people like me that have interest but temporarily lack the funds a chance to see how cool it could be! Anything that helps generate interest is a plus, and those screenshots I can say for sure DO help interest, I've shown a few friends those shots already and the ones that can actually do the crosseyed thing think it's the coolest thing in the world!

there already is that forum here.. its in the cinema 3d section. we currently have only less files, but if oyu wnat you can add some. the posted clips are alsoin the download section.