Spam is driving me away

[Jon Szanto]

Of course, this is all conjecture, LOL!

The biggest reason that I don't think this is likely (the Sales integration, not that he might have bought out the domain) is that it has always been about monetization. He wouldn't have any reason to have a "Free Sales Forum" under the FPN banner, because... why? So unless they want to run a parallel site on different server apps with sales and advert plugins that can bring in revenue... I dunno. That would be a hair-brained scheme, and a nightmare to administer, but humans never cease to amaze me.

[Farmboy]

I watch NASCAR for the wrecks.

Racing would be better if they left the junk on the track.

[Jon Szanto]

Racing would be better if they left the junk on the track.

Sounds like your repair bench.

[RobJohnson]

Of course, this is all conjecture, LOL!

The biggest reason that I don't think this is likely (the Sales integration, not that he might have bought out the domain) is that it has always been about monetization. He wouldn't have any reason to have a "Free Sales Forum" under the FPN banner, because... why? So unless they want to run a parallel site on different server apps with sales and advert plugins that can bring in revenue... I dunno. That would be a hair-brained scheme, and a nightmare to administer, but humans never cease to amaze me.

...and the monetisation might increase if there is integration of Fpg within Fpn, any links to manufacturers would be more valuable if there is only one seller.

eta

The fact that information on the Registration has been redacted to protect privacy is suspicious enough.

[Chrissy]

When I search for "Who is FPG.com" The Go Daddy database comes up with this link

The address is stated as:
Registrant Street: 2155 E Warner Rd
Registrant City: Tempe
Registrant State/Province: Arizona
Registrant Postal Code: 85284
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.4806242599
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax: +1.4806242598

I have no idea about what this type of stuff means or whose address that might be.

[Stands on Feet]

Google Earth shows that address as GoDaddy, itself. The phone number is probably theirs too.

[TSherbs]

When I search for "Who is FPG.com" The Go Daddy database comes up with this link

It's "fpgeeks.com", no?

[Chrissy]

When I search for "Who is FPG.com" The Go Daddy database comes up with this link

It's "fpgeeks.com", no?

Yes that's true. Doh

[JulieParadise]

Yes that's true. Doh

[Sailor Kenshin]

And I think that you would do a great job, if you had the time and desire.

Ha! I love you, man, but why you so mean?

In the last year, I have gone so far as to investigate some of the free / low-cost forum options available, because this entire situation has bothered me in a significant way. I do not rule it out at a future time, but I am both negotiating the transition to retirement, as well as looking at having to oversee a very large, multi-year project that is pretty important in another realm. Within the next 12 months I will know how those elements will play out, and I might just make a new sandbox for wonderful people to play in.

Your breath: don't hold it.

For two cents I'd sell it to you! 😜

We do have our own, crude, primitive forum. Just in case.

[Farmboy]

Farmboy is responsible for an unappreciated number of internet conspiracy theories. While there are real and imagined conspiracies FPGs management has undertaken, blind hosting likely is not one of them.

The newest trend is to hide your registration data.

Screenshot 2023-05-22 at 8.43.04 AM.jpg

[TSherbs]

that's pretty cheap too

[Jon Szanto]

Farmboy is responsible for an unappreciated number of internet conspiracy theories. While there are real and imagined conspiracies FPGs management has undertaken, blind hosting likely is not one of them.

My point in posting that was not to necessarily suggest a conspiratorial motive behind a privacy-enabled domain registration. Hell, I have all the domains I own covered that way. No, it was mostly just a factoid that turned up when I went to *check* something in the reg and saw that they domain had either been re-registered or sold, and by having it behind a privacy shield we don't know which of those it is. As per usual, the owner has been completely opaque about this. Really poor form, but not unexpected.

I make no predictions, I cast no conspiracies, but I do notice when things happen, and keep notes.

[TSherbs]

You're good with me. This stuff is just idle chat.

[Doctox]

Spam has been around since Gronk drew genitals on the cave painting by Ugh at Lascaux. Remember "Chain Letters" back when the Post Office still delivered regularly?
Just shrug it off and deny them their jollies.

[Jon Szanto]

Just shrug it off and deny them their jollies.

Proposed and answered earlier in the thread. YMMV, but for me that is not going to happen.

[kazoolaw]

This is SO fucking annoying.

(Please understand: I don't mean that towards kazoolaw personally, because this line of advice has been offered up repeatedly. It is the strategy, not the person, that I address.)

No offense taken Jon. Your frustration is evident, and justified. You have made frequent efforts to contribute content and encourage participation on FPG. Clearly to you, FPG isn't just a "tiny website" not worth defending.

I must have missed era of the "starvation diet." Spam in general, and one spammer in particular, has been a constant subject of posts, complaints, reports, whining, defense of the spammer, ever since the spam began to increase and as it continues to grow.

A true starvation diet requires FPG members to freeze out spammers. This is not ignoring spam. It's intentional, active, and sustained isolation of the spammers. I understand that this will have no effect on bot spammers. It would require a concerted effort to deprive spammers of the recognition and attention that motivates them. It would mean not acknowledging the spam and the spammers: put a wall around them and deprive them of the satisfaction of provoking a response. Instead of trying to squelch spam, there's speculation in this thread that one of the spammers has the intelligence and the wherewithal to take over/purchase FPG, or become the moderator. Off hand, I can't think of a better way to stoke the ego of the spammers and encourage more spam content.

To recap, I've not suggested that we all just throw up our hands and concede FPG to the spammers. My suggestion is a unified consistent response of freezing out the human spammers. It would require long term commitments by members to the plan, not responding on the Board and not encouraging the behavior back channel. Unless a White Knight arrives to do battle directly this is something we can actively do.

Regarding your comments about the current owner, and lack of a moderator: you suggested that the current owner be confronted. https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...l=1#post391032
"Confront" is a perfectly good word: "to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person" https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic...glish/confront
A question following up on that suggest hasn't been responded to. If not the Chicago Pen Show he must appear at other shows. He hasn't responded to reports, or emails. A direct approach, and a direct question, could bring resolution the the issue. A failure or refusal to answer is a response: he won't take action. At that point members can make a decision to stay under the current conditions, change the degree of participation, or move on. The Web has a history of sites which came and went.

It would be ironic that a website founded on, and proud of, its lack of moderation folded due to the lack of moderation.

[FredRydr]

Don't complain. In FPN, you might face swift injustice and maybe a ban. But in the newly acquired FPGeeks, you'll end up at the bottom of the Fairvale swamp, behind Norman's place.

2aba4cd656cc13f759524d47bc75706d.jpg

[Jon Szanto]

Big shout-out to Kazoolaw!

Thanks so much for a remarkably positive and affirming response. I am so glad that you read my intentions and not just the 'heat' of my response, this was everything a person could ask for in a discussion like this. You have many good thoughts and stratagems; I confess that I have no idea how it would work out, and/or how best such a disparate and leaderless group could respond. Still, your thoughts on the matter are much better than me simply whining!

It would be ironic that a website founded on, and proud of, its lack of moderation folded due to the lack of moderation.

Isn't that true? My one caveat is that (I think I might have mentioned this in a comment) I believe there is a subtle but important difference between moderation and administration. I'm happy to continue on a board that doesn't have active moderation over the content that members post, but even on a forum with that kind of content freedom there still are matters behind the scenes, primarily for the smooth and effective running of the board, that can only be done by an active administrative presence. I think that spambots fall into that, and I also believe that repeated, human-generated malicious content needs to be dealt with in the same way. I see it as a separate issue.

But, yes, the irony is not lost on me, and in fact drives me to attempt to focus my thinking on the matter. Again, many thanks for a positive, civil response!

[Marsilius]

DIY SPAM?: "In considering the number of dissonances found in m. 17, the composer might consider employing an extremely rigid extra-fine nib to cut through the hard sonorities created by the contrapuntal procedure. When faced to too much insipid consonance, consider discussing BSB on the forum. If the music is tasteful, then by all means enjoy serving it it with a forked fingering."

Not very good, but I keep thinking one day someone will set AI BOT spam to music . . . if they haven't already