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View Full Version : Loads of strange names o0n the board



lakeslady
12-08-2013, 10:39 AM
Loads of people we don't know on the boards, looks like we have intruders again.
Oh dear the SS is not like it used to be!!:confused:

HeatherJ
12-08-2013, 11:49 AM
The pesky web bots are out in full force today.

Nancy
12-08-2013, 04:47 PM
I wrote a letter to the whoever he is and asked about it but got no answer. Since so many people are on Facebook, Can't someone run the club from there and just give this up, I hate to say that but we are losing people and the overseers don't seem to be interested in even answering us. For the Flood I would be more than willing to just have names sent to us e mail as before with the addresses. People don't want to fill Card swaps and mostly ATC's are filled and many people don't care for them. Just voicing out loud. But I think shove has come to push and we need to do something. - Nancy

Paula Carden
12-08-2013, 06:34 PM
I agree, it just isn't what it use to be. I miss all of our Shackies, discussions and so many swaps you could not join all of them. Use to be the swaps filled so quickly you missed out if you were not online.

I haven't seen the person who owned us last here in a long time...guess we are very important to anyone except each other!

cindi
12-08-2013, 09:51 PM
thank God we still have sarah and Christie!!!
:)

Christie
12-09-2013, 07:19 AM
There are filters in place that should keep these bots from posting. On occasion one will get through and then we just go delete it. We don't have control over that but we can delete and ban the username. Unfortunatly, the owners aren't around and, as far as I know, don't have contact with either of us. Its been months since I have seen anything from the new guy.

maxiesmom
12-09-2013, 07:32 AM
I guess I just don't get owning a website that you care nothing about, why bother? If I won the lottery, I'd buy it and make it awesome again.

cindi
12-09-2013, 10:14 AM
aww, Kathy, I bet you would be great at it too
:)

loobylou
12-09-2013, 04:59 PM
For all the odd names that are in the sign in page, none of them seem interested in posting. So glad they are not messing our board up. I agree it's not what it used to be. I have had no contact from Guy/shackhost since MAY, he has not logged in here since AUGUST. We are all just doing our own thing here!

HeatherJ
12-09-2013, 05:11 PM
I checked Guy's login status recently, too. :) I don't know what web server costs are these days, and although we certainly don't use a lot of storage space with gallery postings and template downloads, I am curious how we are still staying afloat with just the few of us paying the $12.

maxiesmom
12-09-2013, 06:28 PM
I checked Guy's login status recently, too. :) I don't know what web server costs are these days, and although we certainly don't use a lot of storage space with gallery postings and template downloads, I am curious how we are still staying afloat with just the few of us paying the $12.

I've wondered that myself, Heather.

pesc
12-09-2013, 06:47 PM
I've missed you all also!

midnitecreations
12-09-2013, 07:48 PM
I'm not much on here anymore, but I automatically pay the membership. Wonder how many else automatically pay the membership. Though I am on FB and would be very happy to keep going that route

HeatherJ
12-09-2013, 08:57 PM
Mine has been automatic since the start of the fee but I recently took the renewal auto feature off. I am not saying I won't re-sign but I wanted to wait til see what April brings.

Far North
12-10-2013, 02:26 AM
Hello Pascale so happy to see you stopping in...and it would be great to have you even longer. How are you and the family?
_____________

I have voiced my concern about all the unknown names since I returned here. Last year I did a poll about what others wanted for this site. The online name list was one of the hot issues. I wrote Guy and ask if the issues could be addressed at least the names hidden so we didn't have to look at the list. He indicated it would be considered after the recruitment/marketing effort to bring new members...so it looks like nothing will happen on that front.

Lots of marketing people gather information from various websites...I truly wonder if the owner is being paid by all of the bots on the website. The uncertainty of it all truly has me apprehensive about posting more work in the gallery. I have heard too many stories of handmade crafts/art being stolen on the web....and later look alikes sold at WM.

It looks like we may have a blue Christmas here without decorations. All of it is terribly sad.

loobylou
12-10-2013, 04:42 PM
my Theory on the strange names on the home page:(and I am making this up as I go along!) I believe they are search bots designed to hone in on certain search words. For example, a computer that is designed to visit every page on the internet that uses the word "discount". I also think that the hosts of this site may be being paid per "click" or visitor, so maybe web traffic is being directed here to increase that. I don't know how or why, and I don't really see it as sinister,just someone's way of making money. It used to be that many of the strange names where names of medicines/drugs- then if you googled them you somehow gave a "hit" back to them thus increasing their earnings. Neither Christie nor I have any access to the profiles of these strange names. If we click on them we get a "you do not have permission to access this page" message. This does not happen when we click on "real" member's names- With new "real" members we can access them, find their email, send a welcome message, post on their page etc. With the strange names we can do nothing.

HeatherJ
12-10-2013, 05:26 PM
I have to admit, I was never bothered by the names - just like "cookies" on our browser that remembers what we search in Google or what websites we frequent. Point / reward cards at stores do the same thing - taking note of demographics and buying habits. Just the new way to "better help" the customer they say.

But I know we will not survive much longer at this rate. Sad, but this is not the first time. Many of us regulars on Sherry's first site tried to keep it alive on our own, by moving to a free site, once she left to open "the Shack". We managed to do so for a few years but no longer have that site. We do have a private FB page to keep in touch but as we all know, that is not the same.

maxiesmom
12-10-2013, 10:33 PM
All those names were a bother when I was sending out the Flood pm this weekend. I still feel that not everyone receives emails as they should when sent through the swap board and wanted to make sure everyone got the message. Back in the old days you only had to type a letter or two before the names popped up to click on, now doing that most times you still get TONS of names pop up until you see the one you want. It was a pain.

Far North
12-11-2013, 12:22 AM
Kathy...Thank you for sending your messages via the PM's instead of using the swap board messaging for the host. Do know at the top of the PM message it says the list of who it was sent to. That list can be copy and pasted into another message. After you paste it hold the arrow key down to forward to the beginning and then insert the comma or what it says is the required punctuation between names. This is faster than retyping the list!

Kathy are so right I am not getting e-mails from the swap board. I thought we agreed that was not a working tool at the beginning of this year. So I couldn't figure out how I got your recent PM but not Mary Jane's and Christie's their's went to my junk mail. I think I have inserted that address into my trusted sites and then something goes to my junk mail. Hosts need to at least post a message on the forum to their swappers that they sent a message. I do not get my junk mail on my home e-mail site....it stays with my provider's server which I use when I travel but otherwise I would never see it if someone doesn't give me a heads up to go look. I have tried to get this fixed many times but nothing seems to work. If anyone has suggestions I would be happy to hear how to change things on my side.

maxiesmom
12-11-2013, 06:18 PM
Jan, I'm so sorry. I thought we'd resolved your swap board issues. I had no idea you were still having problems. The whole swap board email situation just gets me really upset, why can't they get it fixed for everyone?? This was the only message I had sent through a PM.