The Framers Forum

Quick message for all Forum Members:

We do, from time to time, get bots and others registering and then posting nonsense on the Forum. Once we've spotted them, the person is permanently banned and the topic deleted. But, it would be really helpful if you see a post like that, to report it. You can do that by clicking on the report button on their post (the exclamation mark ! icon). That way, the posts are flagged up to the Moderators much more quickly, rather than waiting for us to log in as normal and happen to see it as a new or active topic.

There have been two recent posts - one on plumbing and one on construction, but two different newly registered accounts - each time, once they were spotted, the member was banned and the topic deleted. The first one had been reported (thank you Justin) and was dealt with as soon as the report came in, but the second one I came across by chance.

Help from members on keeping the Forum clear of these kinds of posts is much appreciated.

Thanks

Jo

I think I reported the first one too, (but nobody thanked me ) I also made a comment.

This time I just made a comment and that was because it was the same member, he wasn't removed and still has not been.


https://www.theframersforum.com/memberl ... ile&u=9160


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Does anyone know why they bother?
It's obvious that the posts mentioned were AI generated, but why go to the trouble?
Is there some grand plan or just bored mischief?

@vintageframes World Domination obviously! Sleeper cells, once a member the AI program has access to the entire database and can improve it's understanding on the subject etc. It seems that this bot mistook picture framing for building framing?? As someone in the ether pointed out, we thought AI was going to help us, so how come AI is doing the writing and artwork and we're still doing the washing up?

@tudorrose maybe the site needs one of those annoying "not a robot/I am human" verification thingamajigs?

Justintime wrote: ↑Wed 03 Apr, 2024 3:30 pm @tudorrose maybe the site needs one of those annoying "not a robot/I am human" verification thingamajigs?

Not my call Justin, that would be for John to decide. Even with that sort of safeguard AI is becoming capable of getting round safeguards. We do see every report and we do ban obvious Bots etc.

I have checked the banned list and can confirm that member login is on there as permanently banned - so there shouldn't be anymore from that one at least. I don't have the authority to remove them completely from the database - that is likely something that John as Admin would be able to do if he wanted to take it further.

JKX wrote: ↑Wed 03 Apr, 2024 1:44 pm I think I reported the first one too, (but nobody thanked me ) I also made a comment.

This time I just made a comment and that was because it was the same member, he wasn't removed and still has not been.


https://www.theframersforum.com/memberl ... ile&u=9160


..

I only received one report John, which is when the topic was deleted, which is why only one person was name checked in my initial post. I sorted it on my phone while in the middle of an evening out with bad signal, so the banning action may not have gone through as I had assumed - my apologies for not checking that later when I was back in front of a PC. Lesson learnt.

As of today, the member login is now banned, and I've double checked that. As I mentioned in my previous post, the member login will still show as I don't have Admin level access to remove it from the database completely. That's because a ban can theoretically be reversed if a Moderator or Admin chooses to do so - removing them from the database would make that impossible. For Mods/Admins who have access to the banned list, we can see who has been included and how long the ban is for.

OK - I see the member cannot be PM'd, so it must have worked this time.

I've never been a moderator here but have been on another forum (admin even) using the same platform, but I don't remember a whole lot about that and had assumed banned means "gone"!

I have been banned here before though, but unable to see members list, wouldn't know I would be still in it