My BBS has only been accepting callers for a week or two, but I've noticed between a third or half of users seem to get to the part where they have to write me an email, then disconnect.
Is the verification email too big a hurdle in this hectic world? Or is it possible people can't figure out how to actually save/send the message and just hang up out of frustration?
My BBS has only been accepting callers for a week or two, but I've noticed between a third or half of users seem to get to the part where they have to write me an email, then disconnect.
Is the verification email too big a hurdle in this hectic world? Or is it possible people can't figure out how to actually save/send the message and just hang up out of frustration?
I may change my new user email to be a *lot* shorter and really just say "Hey, tell me how you found this place. Ctrl-Z to finish."
---
... Synchronet ... Deep Space '94 - deepspace94.com - The Best 1994 Had to Offer
Re: Validation emails - worth it?
By: Deepthaw to All on Mon Jul 03 2017 19:43:56
Yeah, I notice a lot of people simply do not want to write an email, thats why I put in my opening to just write what you like or whatever.. just write something. if you want to so I can get to know your wants and needs better, or just write some jibberish..
I have however viewed a few episodes where people don't know how to operate the editor. I think, well if they cannot operate it. really how will they do on the BBS. I try to make it as user friendly as possible, but where is the point to draw the line.
--
Tim Smith (KK4QBN)
KK4QBN BBS
Deavmi wrote to KK4QBN <=-
I didn't know how to use any editors on Synchronet but then I figured
out how to. The current one on KK4QBN's BBS gave me a learning curve
but I later figured it out by reading the help screen.
Yeah, I notice a lot of people simply do not want to write an email, thats why
I put in my opening to just write what you like or whatever.. just write something. if you want to so I can get to know your wants and needs better,or
just write some jibberish..
I have however viewed a few episodes where people don't know how to operatethe
editor. I think, well if they cannot operate it. really how will they do onthe
BBS. I try to make it as user friendly as possible, but where is the point to
draw the line.
I was thinking about this the other day: how in the world did I make it past validation. If I can recall correctly, I signed up onto your BBS late at night, fell asleep in the middle of the sign up process, and might have left some jibberish; or was it that I disconnected too quickly at some point... I don't remember.
Is the verification email too big a hurdle in this hectic world? Or is it D>possible people can't figure out how to actually save/send the message and ju D>hang up out of frustration?
I may change my new user email to be a *lot* shorter and really just say "Hey D>tell me how you found this place. Ctrl-Z to finish."
actually, at the beginning, my sign up was very quick.. name, password, location. that was all. but I changed it a bit over time.
You know, I have found my self passed out at the keyboard many more times than
I would like to admit :)
I knew that I got back into BBSes for close to over a year now, I assumed yours was around much longer than that. I do distinctly remember that I saw jibberish in a message editor and then I was disconnected. Oh well, memories of me passing out do tend to get a bit cloudy.
You know, I have found my self passed out at the keyboard many morean
times th
I would like to admit :)
I just watch YouTube videos late at night now-a-days. The vidoes I watch are educational and interesting to watch during my waking hours; however, I typically only get time late at night after I get off of work and the kids go to bed. So, that's usually around 9:30PM to 11PM at nights; very easy to pass out then.
I have however viewed a few episodes where people don't know how to operate t K>editor. I think, well if they cannot operate it. really how will they do on t K>BBS. I try to make it as user friendly as possible, but where is the point to K>draw the line.
Validation is important. Make them do it.
Hey there, I'm Tristan B. Kildaire
Help is usually easy to find. I've used at least 2 editors on Synchronet and V>on Mystic, and in all cases, finding enough help to drive them was V>straightforward.
I agree. As a user (not a SysOp anywhere), I didn't mind the E-Mail validatio J>It did catch me by surprise at first, and I didn't know how to use the editor J>but help was available, and I gotten it figured out on my own.
I think that having E-Mail validation will help filter out people who cannot J>figure out how to use a BBS (or learn to get help via documentation or other J>users), and gives the SysOp an opportunity to filter out any potientially J>problemactic users. It might even give the SysOps an opportunity to find out, J>in more detail, where the user came from and why they are signing up for that J>BBS.
actually, at the beginning, my sign up was very quick.. name, password, K>location. that was all. but I changed it a bit over time.
You know, I have found my self passed out at the keyboard many more times tha K>I would like to admit :)
Daryl Stout wrote to VK3JED <=-
I've had users ask how to do something, yet that information is
ALREADY ONLINE in various bulletins, or in various files. Now, if after reading those, they are still confused, I'll help them.
In short, these users are just LAZY. Besides, real Sysops read the docs...or at least skim them. <G>
jagossel wrote to KK4QBN <=-
I was thinking about this the other day: how in the world did I make it past validation. If I can recall correctly, I signed up onto your BBS
late at night, fell asleep in the middle of the sign up process, and
might have left some jibberish; or was it that I disconnected too
quickly at some point... I don't remember.
jagossel wrote to KK4QBN <=-
I agree. As a user (not a SysOp anywhere), I didn't mind the E-Mail validation. It did catch me by surprise at first, and I didn't know how
to use the editors, but help was available, and I gotten it figured out
on my own.
I think that having E-Mail validation will help filter out people who cannot figure out how to use a BBS (or learn to get help via
documentation or other users), and gives the SysOp an opportunity to filter out any potientially problemactic users. It might even give the SysOps an opportunity to find out, in more detail, where the user came from and why they are signing up for that BBS.
I knew that I got back into BBSes for close to over a year now, I assumed you J>was around much longer than that. I do distinctly remember that I saw jibberi J>in a message editor and then I was disconnected. Oh well, memories of me J>passing out do tend to get a bit cloudy.
I just watch YouTube videos late at night now-a-days. The vidoes I watch are J>educational and interesting to watch during my waking hours; however, I J>typically only get time late at night after I get off of work and the kids go J>to bed. So, that's usually around 9:30PM to 11PM at nights; very easy to pass J>out then.
I was thinking about this the other day: how in the world did I make it past validation. If I can recall correctly, I signed up onto your BBS late at night, fell asleep in the middle of the sign up process, and might have left some jibberish; or was it that I disconnected too quickly at some point... I don't remember.
Sure you didn't get dumped for inactivity, or do you sleep type? :D
jagossel wrote to Vk3jed <=-
Sure you didn't get dumped for inactivity, or do you sleep type? :D
It could be the case that I got booted off, I don't remember. :)
I think that having E-Mail validation will help filter out people who cannot figure out how to use a BBS (or learn to get help via documentation or other users), and gives the SysOp an opportunity to filter out any potientially problemactic users. It might even give the SysOps an opportunity to find out, in more detail, where the user came from and why they are signing up for that BBS.
Years ago, on dial-up, there was a callback verifier. At one time, Al Lawrence of Sunrise Doors Software, had a door called "Caller ID Check" (obviously only works with dial-up connects). If the Caller ID data matched the data they entered in the door, they were validated and upgraded.
There are email verification scripts you can use these days. When a new user N>signs up, the email validator will send them a code via email that the user N>must enter to be upgraded to a regular user account. I used to use one of N>those on my BBS, but I have removed it for now.. I noticed some users would N>get to that point and hang up, and perhaps some users didn't want to provide N>their real email address.
to keeping user data STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL...releasing it ONLY for a Law Enforcement Subpeona (which the BBS has never had...in fact, at one
time, one of the judges in Pulaski County was a user on the BBS)...or in case of BBS rules violations, notifying Confirmed Visiting Sysops, so
that they may protect their systems.
Even when my late wife and Co-Sysop was alive, even she did NOT have access to the data...that's how SERIOUSLY I took that commitment.
Nightfox wrote to Daryl Stout <=-
Back in the 90s, when I ran my first BBS, I got a few users who emailed
me saying they heard mine was a warez BBS and asking how to get access.
I never ran a warez BBS, so I always told them it wasn't. I always wondered where they heard I ran a warez BBS, but years later I realized they could have been from law enforcement trying to see if they could
find and catch sysops running warez BBSes.
Even when my late wife and Co-Sysop was alive, even she did NOT have access to the data...that's how SERIOUSLY I took that commitment.
Do you mean your wife was the co-sysop? That's pretty cool if so. I
know a lot of wives aren't really into computer hobbies.
Back in the 90s, when I ran my first BBS, I got a few users who emailed me N>saying they heard mine was a warez BBS and asking how to get access. I never N>ran a warez BBS, so I always told them it wasn't. I always wondered where th N>heard I ran a warez BBS, but years later I realized they could have been from N>law enforcement trying to see if they could find and catch sysops running war N>BBSes.
Do you mean your wife was the co-sysop? That's pretty cool if so. I know a N>lot of wives aren't really into computer hobbies.
Back in the 90s, when I ran my first BBS, I got a few users who emailed me N>saying they heard mine was a warez BBS and asking how to get access. I never N>ran a warez BBS, so I always told them it wasn't. I always wondered where th N>heard I ran a warez BBS, but years later I realized they could have been from N>law enforcement trying to see if they could find and catch sysops running war N>BBSes.
Do you mean your wife was the co-sysop? That's pretty cool if so. I know a N>lot of wives aren't really into computer hobbies.
Do you mean your wife was the co-sysop? That's pretty cool if so. I
know a lot of wives aren't really into computer hobbies.
Yes, she was. Ironically, we met on a BBS that was run by the local college, the University Of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Computer
Science Department. While the college and the Computer Science
Department are still around, the BBS is long gone.
We were friends for 17 1/2 years, and never thought about marriage,
let alone to each other. We hit it off on 2002, and got married in
2003. Tragically, she died of a massive heart attack 3 weeks shy of our 4th anniversary. I didn't get married until I was 43, but never dreamed I'd be a widower at 47.
As for Co-Sysop, she also took an active part in the doorgames, and we competed fiercely in them. She was a great winner, but she sure was a
sore loser!! <G>
My BBS has only been accepting callers for a week or two, but I've noticed between a third or half of users seem to get to the part where they have to write me an email, then disconnect.
Is the verification email too big a hurdle in this hectic world? Or is it possible people can't figure out how to actually save/send the message and just hang up out of frustration?
I may change my new user email to be a *lot* shorter and really just say "Hey, tell me how you found this place. Ctrl-Z to finish."
As for Co-Sysop, she also took an active part in the doorgames, and we competed fiercely in them. She was a great winner, but she sure was a sore loser!! <G>
That's certainly an unusual story. :)
In short, these users are just LAZY. Besides, real Sysops read the docs...or at least skim them. <G>
I think validation emails had their place back in the day, but I don't really see the need now.
Daryl Stout wrote to NIGHTFOX <=-
Then, I realized the following:
1) You're not at the host console.
2) You don't know your password.
3) You can't logon to your own BBS.
Can you say "humble pie and salted crow"??!! :P
I used to have a questionnaire that would run on new user signup that would ask things like where they found the BBS, etc.. I had set up that questionnaire for my Synchronet BBS, but I don't think Synchronet has been running that questionnaire for quite a while (or perhaps I deleted the questionnaire and forgot).
There are email verification scripts you can use these days. When a new user signs up, the email validator will send them a code via email that the user must enter to be upgraded to a regular user account. I used to use one of those on my BBS, but I have removed it for now.. I noticed some users would get to that point and hang up, and perhaps some users didn't want to provide their real email address.
Back in the 90s, when I ran my first BBS, I got a few users who emailed me saying they heard mine was a warez BBS and asking how to get access. I never ran a warez BBS, so I always told them it wasn't.
I used to have a questionnaire that would run on new user signup
that would ask things like where they found the BBS, etc.. I had set
That probably dates back to the "You're calling on my phone line into my house" mindset of the dial-up era. Didn't make sense then, surely doesn't make sense now.
An email verifier makes sense if you're providing email services so people don't auto-sign up, but my gut feeling is that a new user validation with limited access before validation probably worked best in my setup.
In short, these users are just LAZY. Besides, real Sysops read the docs...or at least skim them. <G>
times are different. people dont need to read the docs when trying to use M>facebook or any popular website and service.
it's important that we change to meet the times if we intend on having users M>again.
Then, I realized the following:
1) You're not at the host console.
2) You don't know your password.
3) You can't logon to your own BBS.
Can you say "humble pie and salted crow"??!! :P
Oh dear, you'd feel like the biggest goose out! :D
email validation just works well to keep out
a lot of bad people.
I'm not sure why a new-user questionnaire wouldn't make sense..? It
Daryl Stout wrote to VK3JED <=-
1) One night I was being a smart aleck, and I said "My head is so far
up my butt, that I can see my throat". Without missing a beat, she
looked at me, grinned wryly, and said "No wonder your eyes are
brown!!".
Daryl Stout wrote to VK3JED <=-
The groom to be replied "Well, I can't say that I blame you. The
folks at Home Depot weren't happy about it, either"!! <BG>
I'm not sure why a new-user questionnaire wouldn't make sense..? It
Not many people would fill out a questioair these day's
If BBS'ing became popular again like in it's hey day maybe.
+ makes sure the user isnt a bot
+ extra 'wall' that wannabe hackers usually dont want to go through
+ makes it easier for the user to remember their password
email validation just works well to keep out a lot of bad people.
i have been doing it for 17 years and i dont regret it. it works.
not sure it would do any harm to have a few additional questions in the form of a questionnaire.
I like BBS'ing better than Facbook, I deleted my facebook several years ago. I had all but forgotten about BBS's till I googled BBS a few years back, I then loged onto a few and decided to throw one up on my VPS, then
+ extra 'wall' that wannabe hackers usually dont want to go through
+ makes it easier for the user to remember their password
I don't see how a validation email helps a user remember their password.
As for the hackers and bots, I think the nature of BBSes is enough to keep those out. Before a new user even gets to the validation email, they will have had to select "Apply for new account" on the main menu, filled out a handle, filled out a password, and supplied any other info the BBS demands.
email validation just works well to keep out a lot of bad people.
i have been doing it for 17 years and i dont regret it. it works.
I think it works well to keep out people, period. Not just bad people.
It had its place years ago, but, again, I don't see a compelling case for it today. Just another roadblock in a hobby that needs more people.
He had been annoying online for some time with false adoration, and then made V>the mistake of trying it on in person at a bonfire, so I simply played along V>with his gag.... to the extreme! I said "Well, if you love me that much..." V>and gave him a big tongue kiss. Well, everyone burst out laughing, but he V>never tried that on me again. ;)
it has an even bigger place in today's age. bbsing is dead, people dont want M>what we have to offer. THAT is the problem. going around and saying 'hey i'm M>retro, come visit' doesnt do jack shit but get someone to visit you once to M>never return again.
There was an interesting article from Allen Prunty, in a recent issue
of The FidoGazette, on "The Relevance of BBSing in 2017"...I thought it
Daryl Stout wrote to VK3JED <=-
"Do you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping beside you, and feel
glad that you are alive?? I just did...and apparently will not be
allowed on this airline again". <G>
Daryl Stout wrote to MRO <=-
There was an interesting article from Allen Prunty, in a recent issue
of The FidoGazette, on "The Relevance of BBSing in 2017"...I thought it was good reading...so much so, that it's on my bulletins menu.
There was an interesting article from Allen Prunty, in a recent issue of The FidoGazette, on "The Relevance of BBSing in 2017"...I thought it was good reading...so much so, that it's on my bulletins menu.
Wouldn't mind reading that one.
DARYL STOUT wrote to VK3JED <=-
That was like the thing I saw on Facebook...
"Do you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping beside you, and feel
glad that you are alive?? I just did...and apparently will not be
allowed on this airline again". <G>
| Sysop: | Ragnarok |
|---|---|
| Location: | Dock Sud, Bs As, Argentina |
| Users: | 137 |
| Nodes: | 10 (0 / 10) |
| Uptime: | 95:41:24 |
| Calls: | 15,362 |
| Files: | 20,057 |
| D/L today: |
14 files (3,410K bytes) |
| Messages: | 1,797,584 |