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Re: [GSAS-Member] A forum

To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat <gsas-member@thekrib.com>
Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] A forum
From: Paul Wallace <pwallace@u.washington.edu>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 08:40:42 -0800 (PST)
Laurel:

The board is considering options for updating the mailing list for images and 
searching and a forum.  There are enough cautionary tales of failed forums, MIA 
moderators, lawsuits, etc to warrant some caution on the part of the club.  I 
will know more shortly.  :)

-Paul

On Fri, 7 Mar 2008, Laurel Larsen wrote:

> I'm sorry I'm not up on website security stuff, but your rookie
> comment came off a little condescending.  There seems to be a forum
> for everything out there, including almost every other local aquarium
> club.  I can't imagine that people who maintain sites with such little
> traffic are daily updating with the latest patches, and they don't
> seem to have problems with spamming, of course I'm also not a member
> of any of those boards, but I did have a friend who ran a few boards
> for years and never had problems like what you're describing.   It
> seems like there's interest in a board, and if you don't want anything
> to do with it, then you don't have to.  Bryan suggested a third party
> site that hosts boards and his wife has experience with them and said
> that she's happy with them.  Perhaps we can give this a try and if it
> doesn't work out, we can drop it.
>
> On Mar 6, 2008, at 8:11 PM, macker wrote:
>
>> Oh boy, spoken like rookie. PHP is easy to exploit. NO one cares
>> what the
>> site does.... an exploit is used to gain backend access, which then
>> comes an
>> IRC server used to command botnets. Or a simple mail server set up
>> to send
>> out spam and spoff the mailing list name, so everyone complains to
>> the list.
>>
>> I can think of over 50 ideas which I see everyday with my clients
>> across the
>> west coast. I won't even go into details, but any IT person knows the
>> importance of 'patching'.....
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 8:05 PM, Laurel Larsen <laurelthequeen@gmail.com
>>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> What abuse to computing resources would we be looking at?  There are
>>> many forums that require an admin "okay" to let people register.
>>> It's
>>> not as though this would be a popular enough board for it to be a
>>> burden for someone to "okay" membership.  I don't know if it's even
>>> possible, but if it were, we could have one's member number as an
>>> activation code or something to keep people from registering and
>>> spamming.  I can't imagine what else would be a problem, the GSAS
>>> isn't exactly 4chan or another big board/group that would be "at
>>> risk"
>>> for a hack.
>>>
>>> Laurel
>>> On Mar 6, 2008, at 7:58 PM, macker wrote:
>>>
>>>> As a security professional and Vice President of the Puget Sound
>>>> ISSA,  are
>>>> you also going to install the almost daily patches for all these PHP
>>>> bulletin boards to help prevent abuse of the computing resources?
>>>>
>>>> I say screw it, its too much trouble. I don't mind email, and gmail
>>>> threads
>>>> them anyways.
>>>>
>>>> - macker
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 3:33 PM, Laurel Larsen <laurelthequeen@gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'd be willing to help out moderating if it's needed.  I work as a
>>>>> receptionist in the afternoons and most of my time is spent writing
>>>>> papers for school and surfing the internet waiting for calls.
>>>>>
>>>>> -Laurel
>>>>> On Mar 6, 2008, at 3:29 PM, Berg wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Well if we decide to go down the road of setting up a forum I
>>>>>> have a
>>>>>> lot of
>>>>>> experience setting up phpbb and Gallery so I can help out if
>>>>>> needed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Later,
>>>>>> Berg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 3:05 PM, Bryan Nichols
>>>>>> <b_monius_funk@yahoo.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I agree about the "feeling like I'm spamming" argument. A forum
>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>> eliminate that for me.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I really don't think that moderating a forum would be
>>>>>>> difficult. It
>>>>>>> only
>>>>>>> takes a few individuals to make sure everything stays family
>>>>>>> friendly. With
>>>>>>> a group like this, I don't think we'll get into flame wars
>>>>>>> anyway.
>>>>>>> My wife
>>>>>>> moderates a forum and I'd be willing to moderate a GSAS forum
>>>>>>> along
>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>> some help if one ever materialized.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Clifford Miller <clifford@clevergeek.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> When I first joined up it seemed like it would be fun to have an
>>>>>>> easy
>>>>>>> place to permantently share photos.  Two things I like about a
>>>>>>> forum
>>>>>>> (and/or gallery setup) are that:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1) Some members might post more often to a forum than a list so
>>>>>>> they don't
>>>>>>> feel like they're spamming everyone.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 2) mailing lists (that lack attachment abilities) encourage text
>>>>>>> linking
>>>>>>> from free photo-sharing sites for sharing pictures or files.
>>>>>>> In my
>>>>>>> experience, most of the things linked in list archives have long
>>>>>>> since
>>>>>>> gone missing as accounts expire or things get deleted or moved.
>>>>>>> Even if
>>>>>>> you find what you're looking for in the archives, if it's not a
>>>>>>> part of
>>>>>>> the message text, it's probably gone.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If anyone would be interested, it would be pretty trival (a
>>>>>>> couple of
>>>>>>> clicks) to add a forum or gallery setup to my existing web host,
>>>>>>> and since
>>>>>>> the account already has more storage and transfer than I'll ever
>>>>>>> use, it
>>>>>>> wouldn't cost the group anything.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I couldn't volunteer myself to police a forum or gallery full-
>>>>>>> time or
>>>>>>> anything, but as has been said, there isn't really any existing
>>>>>>> moderation
>>>>>>> going on now, so there probably wouldn't be all that much needed?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Just offering options...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cliff
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Wed, 5 Mar 2008, Laurel Larsen wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> but I find forums to be a little more cohesive not only than
>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>> mailing list, but also the archive, it's easier to share photos
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> That is true about the photos.  The same scheme that keeps this
>>>>>>>> list
>>>>>>>> spam-free also is (for better or worse) what keeps us photo-
>>>>>>>> free.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> However, it does make me think... we could open it up to allow
>>>>>>>> small
>>>>>>> photo
>>>>>>>> attachments (jpeg only, say 200k total per e-mail?).  It means
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> those
>>>>>>>> e-mails would be larger when photos are attached.  Those
>>>>>>>> subscribed to
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> digest would not get the photos, but they would be available in
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> archive.  If anyone has an opinion one way or another, e-mail me
>>>>>>>> privately... it would be easy to do this on a trial basis and
>>>>>>>> turn
>>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>> back
>>>>>>>> off if it got out of hand.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> registration could be filtered allowing only members to
>>>>>>>>> register(with
>>>>>>>>> their member number).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> This is a bit more tricky, because it requires synchronizing of
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> database with the forum, or someone to moderate subscribe
>>>>>>>> requests, etc.
>>>>>>>> Much like public radio, we don't actually keep non-members off
>>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>> list,
>>>>>>>> theory being that it may encourage them to come to a meeting
>>>>>>>> or an
>>>>>>>> auction, or even (gasp) join!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I understand that most forums require moderation, but there is
>>>>>>>>> none on
>>>>>>>>> the mailing list and I have yet to see crazy arguments, rants
>>>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>>>> death
>>>>>>>>> threats.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It's not so much the discussions getting out of hand as the
>>>>>>> opportunistic
>>>>>>>> spam bots and other completely unrelated junk that shows up.
>>>>>>>> It's
>>>>>>> really
>>>>>>>> nice that this list has essentially had no spam on it for
>>>>>>>> going on
>>>>>>>> nine
>>>>>>>> years now.  Over on the AGA forum, until we added a customized
>>>>>>>> 'plant
>>>>>>>> quiz' to the registration (something I had to custom-code), we
>>>>>>>> were
>>>>>>>> getting 2-5 messages a day posted for Cell phone accessories,
>>>>>>> prescription
>>>>>>>> drugs, and other inappropriate topics.  And they're all posted
>>>>>>>> by
>>>>>>> robots,
>>>>>>>> so they never stop.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It's merely an idea that
>>>>>>>>> I thought I'd throw out there since many other regional clubs
>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>> forums.  :)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Definitely -- don't stop with the ideas!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> - Erik
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Erik Olson
>>>>>>>> erik at thekrib dot com
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
>>>>>>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
>>>>>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
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>>>>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ---------------------------------
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>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
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>>>>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
>>>>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
>>>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
>>>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
>>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
>>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
>>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GSAS-Member mailing list
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>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>
> _______________________________________________
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> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com
> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
>


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Follow-Ups:
- [GSAS-Member] Search and Images
  - From: Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>
- Re: [GSAS-Member] A forum
  - From: Scott Frayo <ronscottf@hotmail.com>
References:
- Re: [GSAS-Member] A forum
  - From: Laurel Larsen <laurelthequeen@gmail.com>
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