Phantom Users & Registration Junkies

Codek · #1 08-03-2003, 09:06 PM

I have noticed more and more, that there are loads of users who have just signed up and never been seen again! Most haven't even posted ever posted in the Welcomes & Birthdays.

Eventually, if this continues, the forums will start to slowly become unresponsive and clogged. And I was just wondering what you forum owner dudes are planning to do about it!

As the Oddlympics Asst. Manager, I am genuinely concerned about the increasing number of people signing up...

I suggest that you set something so that the forums automatically delete a username after a month of inactivity if the username has never been used to post a message.

This would mean that duff or unused usernames don't become a problem...

If it is really a problem though, you guys might already have it covered.

Death...

Al the Vykker · #2 08-03-2003, 09:43 PM

Good to know someone else shares another common view. About a year and a half ago I was concerned about this too, and made a similar topic. Over 3/4 of the members here are people who registered, and never replied to a single topic here. Even if this is a small problem and doesnt seem like much it is kind of annoying.

The prime examples are people like the user who never replied with the name "Oddworldsuckscock".

I think that there should be something along the lines of what death speaks of. Maybe after three months of inactivity, one month could be troublesome for some people having problems with email etc. Plus this would only apply to newly registered members who are awaiting moderation.

No sense in deleting active members who may be away for a few months.

Plus the notice that non active accts would be deleted after the given time would be shown to a person who is filling out the member application.

Codek · #3 08-03-2003, 09:46 PM

Yes. My idea doesn't include active members who have posted before. It is for inactive members who have never ever posted...

Or users that have left...

Abe16 · #4 08-03-2003, 11:02 PM

I'm E-mailing $ell out And he is a Sell Out Anyone else want to E-mail them And Tell them?

Joshy · #5 08-03-2003, 11:18 PM

They don't clog anything up at all

Anyways this has been discussed before, what if those members came back afterwards to see their accounts deleted. It would prolly put them of the forum 4eva.

Codek · #6 08-04-2003, 12:15 AM

It may not be clogging the forums now, but it will do someday. Obviously the biggest clog is the avatars, uploaded pictures and files database. But it depends on the server capacity...

It is still annoying though. You can always tell the users when you see them, the ones that wont ever post. they are all the same...

Majic · #7 08-04-2003, 01:20 AM

Yes, it IS easy to tell. since the only way you can tell if someone has posted or not is on the members list, which also shows their date of registration, its easy to do some math

Anyways, though theres a mass of them, non-posting users take up such a petty amount of space its not really worth it. Anyways, its only a problem if you just stare at the users list, going through for some pointless reason...

Codek · #8 08-04-2003, 01:23 AM

Crap...

Damn your ownage wench.

paramiteabe · #9 08-04-2003, 01:38 PM

Yea I had a thread a year ago about this. How much room do we have on the server? Are we still on Pilot's Server or did it change over to Abe Babe or Alcar? It is a concern that shoud be address to Abe Babe. Someone needs to let her know or the forums will blow up ahhhhhhhhhh!

J/K But for real this needs to be addressed.

Paramiteabe...

Codek · #10 08-04-2003, 03:55 PM

I personally have a gaming server (its usage pays my rent). The one thing that I have a problem with, is the large amount of user files, character files, and savegame files. I am thinking of modifying the programs so that they save all or any files to a specific hard drive.

Pilots server appears to have no problem with these binary files, as Joshy said, but it is annoying...

***Alcar*** · #11 08-04-2003, 11:19 PM

The database currently holds a disk space of 171.4 MB. That is extremely small compared to many forums.

If I remember corrrectly, Pilot's server allows up to 8 Gigabytes to be used up. There is absolutely no need to remove anyone.

Alcar...

Codek · #12 08-04-2003, 11:44 PM

What's your average downtime Alcar? Just wondering how efficient this server is...

And 8 gigabytes is an increadibly small server! My games server has half a terrabite of disk space on it (500gb). Unless of course pilot has allocated you a certain section of disk space, or made you a partition.

Most websites are increadably small. Even forums. The largest websites are those with alot of "heavy media", such as full exe files, and movies. c|net's Download.com has well over a terrabyte of executables on its server!

Most the websites I have worked on, often had 10gb hosting plans, but usually only took up about 50mb!

Speaking servers, does anyone know a good place to buy overclockers, heatsinks, and cooling fans for server upgrades? My XP box keeps bluescreening due to overheating hard drives experiencing buffer underruns. Strangely, neither the Linux, nor Unix boxes have the same problem, but I still need more coolers in there.

Any help would be appreciated.

***Alcar*** · #13 08-05-2003, 01:53 AM

:

Originally posted by Death
What's your average downtime Alcar? Just wondering how efficient this server is...

And 8 gigabytes is an increadibly small server! My games server has half a terrabite of disk space on it (500gb). Unless of course pilot has allocated you a certain section of disk space, or made you a partition.

We don't have downtime here. The only 'downtime' we have is when the server is affected by the electricity supply at Pilot's workshop.

Yes, 8 GB is small, my own machine has 20 Gb. But, it's not like we need anymore.

Alcar...

Codek · #14 08-05-2003, 02:03 AM

:

Originally posted by Alcar
We don't have downtime here. The only 'downtime' we have is when the server is affected by the electricity supply at Pilot's workshop.

Yes, 8 GB is small, my own machine has 20 Gb. But, it's not like we need anymore.

Alcar...

Why not just use a commercial server? Like verio...

Facsimile · #15 08-05-2003, 02:39 AM

Because Pilot special. He used to pay attention to stuff here.

Codek · #16 08-05-2003, 02:42 AM

still makes no sense

***Alcar*** · #17 08-05-2003, 04:28 AM

Because he was kind enough to lend the space. The server is extremely fast as well, because there are only a few websites hosted on the server.

I doubt we could afford dedicated hosting. And Pilot's server is better than a shared host.

This topic of dicussion has come up many, many times before. The result is always the same. The users will remain.

Alcar...

Adder · #18 08-07-2003, 09:14 AM

Personaly, I'm fine with this forum.
I got a proper nick, without any addons that are so nessesary in the likes of Yahoo and Hotrmail.

I can understand where Death gets the idea of removing ancient/unused users, but the space is pertty big. (8 gigs for a website!)

The problem with slow loading ... haven't seen any, unless you display all threds posted from the past few months!

It's not size I worry about, or speed. It's the use of "proper" nicks, like names and aliasis. I understand that most people use numbers anyway, but I hate having to add to Adder.

Joshy · #19 08-07-2003, 10:03 AM

:

Originally posted by Death
still makes no sense

What makes no sense?

We got free server space, so why not use it? why change anyways? whats the difference? so not much point in changing.

T-nex · #20 08-07-2003, 12:22 PM

The first 3 times tried to register, i never got a reply(Ya know... the one you should get when you just registered). So is there anyone who could delete the Name Bacon ?? I don't remember the other two

Actually i don't remember anything

If you don't belive me, Then try to look after tha name Bacon and sengd me an e-mail

Codek · #21 08-07-2003, 04:53 PM

I have a cable connection, and I still don't find these forums fast.

I have free access to 4 servers, all of them are really large, and really fast.

Minx. 250 gb. Downtime: 2%
Rainbox. 49.7 gb. Downtime: 0%
CollectiveStature. 95 gb. Downtime: 11%
Mr.Ping. 500 gb. Downtime: 0%

They were constructed earlier this year for use with the new AOL Broadband service for AOL 8.0, but were never sent off because AOL never replied to any letters, and never paid for them.

They now belong to a small firm that specialise in redundant servers, and uberfast packet switching.

I won't name them, they work faster without loads of people on them. But still it just shows that if you shop around you can always come up with a better deal. (And their servers mostly all have cool names too)

MojoMan220 · #22 08-08-2003, 12:26 AM

I don't think it would be a good decision for the mods and admins to delete inactive members. I'm sure a lot of people are waiting for Oddworld 4 news to become more mainstream until they begin posting again. What if a veteran leaves on a four month trip to Japan without a computer? This type of action would cause a number of problems with the mods and admins. NAY!!

Codek · #23 08-08-2003, 12:36 AM

OK, the discussion in this thread has now ended. Please do not post here if you are wanting to tell me that I am wrong, and that inactive usernames shouldn't be deleted.

I know now that they are not going to be deleted, and frankly don't really think anyone cares if you, the reader, have something to say about it.

Nobody cares.

T-nex · #24 08-08-2003, 05:32 AM

But... But... What if you have 2 other Usernames, and you can't use them cuz you didn't get the e.mail??????
Please Anyone who can DELETE BACON AND HOOKIE(I just remmebered the other one), And please believe me... I'm not someone who tries to ruin someone else

Codek · #25 08-08-2003, 06:44 AM

:

Originally posted by T-nex
But... But... What if you have 2 other Usernames, and you can't use them cuz you didn't get the e.mail??????
Please Anyone who can DELETE BACON AND HOOKIE(I just remmebered the other one), And please believe me... I'm not someone who tries to ruin someone else

This is something you need to take up with Abe Babe or Alcar, and probably by PM, as the rest of the world doesn't need to know about it. Mainly because the rest of the world can't help you.

Facsimile · #26 08-08-2003, 08:01 AM

:

Originally posted by T-nex
The first 3 times tried to register, i never got a reply(Ya know... the one you should get when you just registered).

It doesn't come when you first register. Patience is a virtue.

***Alcar*** · #27 08-08-2003, 10:19 AM

:

Originally posted by T-nex
But... But... What if you have 2 other Usernames, and you can't use them cuz you didn't get the e.mail??????
Please Anyone who can DELETE BACON AND HOOKIE(I just remmebered the other one), And please believe me... I'm not someone who tries to ruin someone else

I've banned the users Bacon and Hookie. Only use your T-new account. Patience is a virtue, as you only had to respond to a confirmation email.

That is why we ask for a valid email address.

Alcar...

oddguy · #28 09-06-2003, 11:35 PM

I think an e-mail notification asking permission to delete an unactive member would be a good idea. If they didn't care about OWF, they would give permission for deltetion. If they didn't want their account deleted, it would probably bring them back to the forums.

-oddguy

Facsimile · #29 09-07-2003, 07:14 AM

I like that idea. Please select a soft toy from the top shelf.