Guardian of the site where "there is NO threat to its demise or the serious discussions take place in a hostile atmosphere"?

Just like Chez Beo, where "Member Privacy and Security is Our Top Priority"

quote=roshea Got two PMs in my inbox, thought you should have a look at. Is this right?, Is this forum compromised????"

Been out all day and got back to reading dozens of questions about this.

Looks like more shenanigans from nbrado or his cronies. I fail to see what is compromised. You don't exactly need to sign the official secrets act to join up and as we debate things in public I'm still bemused what all the fuss is about.

Ok, some people maybe share their granny's secret recipe for puddings with each other! So what?

I'd love to know what is or can be compromised...

Stevo

Respected Members, technically; Respectable members, not so much. If you're normal.

(to and from redacted because it's the thought that counts)

really there's nothing there I could get offended at, you come across fine. I've 'put my foot in it' a lot, even though I think I'm sensitive I have come out with dreadful things that have reduced friends to tears...

My previous marriage failed, with my ex-husband saying he couldn't stand my not having friends; it wasn't 'normal'. I did have some - well, a few - friends when we met but he made it clear he didn't like them. One of the things that caused us to split up was his refusal to have children... he said I couldn't even look after myself properly. I was literally desparate to have children; scared I might take someone's baby at my worst times. Luckily I met another man who, like me, finds making and keeping friends difficult so that in itself is a kind of kinship plus we're similar on other levels, both artistic, not too confident. His mother gave him up for adoption when he was a baby. I find I usually bond more with people who've had difficulties in life. He is a fantastic Dad, particularly given his hard start in life and he is tireless doing stuff with our kids and definitely still a child at heart. I will try and get my hubby to read your post (he dislikes reading) as I can never explain things clearly to him in a way he responds to as far as AS is concerned. He says everyone has something 'wrong with' them and to just get on with it. I will have to keep introducing little relevant snippets I find out in the hope I can chip away at him. I will order the book you recommend about bullying. (Redacted. After the previous, you don't want to know.) Sorry to ramble on so. I had loads of spam pms today so was really pleased to get yours with all the sound advice.

(People like this are among those presuming to judge others as part of the 3Arguidos pursuit of "justice". Based on what? Their own personal superiority and the frenzied, disproven, discredited ramblings on a hate site?)

No Dumbledore, Scylla coaches Bren in the dark arts of managing respected members

bjr, I hadn't seen your post when you made it, about having second thoughts about your work here on 3A, but I'm glad that you've come through your 'dark night of the soul'.

If that comment that I sent you a day or so ago is correct and that 3A is in someone's target scope, perhaps you might consider tightening things up.

I know that you want this to be a place of legitimate discussion that welcomes antis, pros and undecideds alike, but I think that things are going to heat up quite a bit more now that there are fewer anti communities to be found, and now that the McTeam is under increasing pressure. Some of their frustration will be (has already been?) directed at us, and we know how ugly people can get when they're backed into a corner.

Some forum software gives the admins/mods the option of moderating posts by new members before they actually get posted to the board. I don't know whether our software permits this, but it's an option you might like to consider. I think it was meant mostly as a protection against spammers, but it's also very useful against trolls and other troublemakers.

My home forum started as a 'democratic community' and everything we did that affected the community was put to discussion and a vote. It was a good idea but it didn't work, and eventually there was an acrimonious split. Most of the original core group of the community got together later to revive the forum with the help of the original domain name holder and server provider. I wasn't an original member, but I was involved in the revival, and during our preparatory discussions, we agreed that since the attempt at democracy didn't work and only resulted in protracted, circular discussions that got us nowhere and left everyone distressed and exhausted, we would use a more Draconian approach with the revived forum. Trolls and other abusive people were summarily banned after a behind-the-scenes discussion/vote among the admins/mods. No announcements were made publicly about bannings, and if anyone questioned the fate of the obvious trolls (which really was only done by other trolls), they were directed to reread our Terms and Conditions and told that if they didn't like them, they were free to leave. People like xela, who only wind people up and insult them, would quickly have been given the boot.

It wasn't ideal, but it was much less frustrating for those working behind the scenes, especially since most of us had less time to commit to being online for mod duties.

Another option is to use the registration queue, doing Google and other checks on IP addresses, email addresses and usernames of new members. (You may already be using this method.)

One forum I know of periodically suspends all new registrations when their dedicated trolls make a new foray on them.

If 3A were to consider tightening things up this way, an announcement could be stickied that due to the more concentrated effort by certain factions to disrupt this community, and which seems to be tied to an attempt to stifle any 'anti-McCann' discussions on the internet, this forum is forced to protect itself by using a stricter protocol (whatever might be decided on), and explaining that this was not the way you wanted to administer the forum but the continued undisturbed existence of 3A makes it preferable at this time; that this would not be an attempt on the part of 3A to end any 'pro-McCann' input and their views are already well represented on various threads which are available to all to read; that it is unfortunate that the devious and insistent methods being used against us make this necessary, but to ensure our members' peace of mind and the sanity of the admins/mods, this new protocol status will prevail for the foreseeable future; that 3A will take steps to protect itself and its members from both blatant and subtle attacks, and disruptive and abusive members will be excised like abscesses. Finally, a recognition that some, perhaps even many, members will protest these changes. So be it. If they don't like the way the board is run, they are free to leave.

I doubt any will leave forever, though they may stop posting for a while. But we're really the only game left in town when it comes to real discussion about the case. Most other places have already been overrun by the pro faction.

There's always a trade-off. Right now our trade-off is having to deal with troll attacks and disruptive posts by near-trolls, and too much of that can really get you down, as you know all too well.

The benefit of having this as a (locked) sticky is that 3A's position can be clearly stated, with the blame being clearly laid at the feet of disruptive factions, without it being lost in a discussion thread.

Please don't feel obliged to respond to this PM. It's not my intention to drag you into a discussion about how the forum is run. I have no complaints on that score. But I know how difficult it can be, and I just figured I'd share some thoughts on how to make it a bit easier for the next while {perhaps until after the McCanns are arrested - 'cause I think that's exactly what will happen in the next couple of months}.

Cheers,

scylla

Si, si, Senora, but does the quick pulse of love beat when you see my shiny blue roller disco jacket?

Justamumof3 writes, Chiquitita apparently ignores

Hi Beowolf,

You don't know me, so let me introduce myself. G******** ****, age 45, computer programmer by profession since the days of punched cards, now retired on ill health, too much time on my hands!

(redacted walk through the resume) ....and I am concerned about the backup information that has been stolen. There are only a limited number of ways that a password can be encrypted (there are a few industry standard ways of doing i!), and it is possible to unencrypt it. (redacted ancient history regarding computers in the olden days, opposable thumbs, Gutenberg, writing with feathers, hoopskirts... this one's the Beachy of technology) ...but I could write a program to do it in a couple of days, and that program may then need to run for a week, or three weeks, to try every encryption key possible, but it would get there. (In my day it would have needed a Kray supercomputer, now a pc will do it). I don't know how the password was compromised, and I don't know how good a programmer nbrado is, how much of the history of IT he knows, and whether he would know encryption techniques and realise he could easily unencrypt - I know, because I am old, and started in the days when we still encrypted our own passwords on the systems we wrote!

I therefore don't know whether it is worth telling everyone to change their password, or could you force it with some setting on the forum? Is there a "change password every week" setting you could invoke as a temporary measure? (Even by accident, when trying to improve security, no need to panic obviously, not done deliberately?)
I am afraid that a few more "impersonations" could ruin a forum I enjoy posting in, but I am also aware that telling people that their security has been compromised is also not good for the forum.

Anyway, over to you, I would not post this in the forum as I don't feel spreading panic is the way to go, your life is hard enough as it is - and you know nbrado and know whether he has the ability to unencrypt.