Put an immediate halt to multiple account users

[Rakeesh]

It's getting annoying having the same people register repeatedly in the P&R forum under different accounts. Are these guys mostly just hiding behind proxies or something?

Whatever the case, I've seen a few hacks for vbulletin which can easily put a stop to this kind of thing:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=107566
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=119695

A proxy blocker:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=96318

And a proxy detector:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=95198

[Q]

I hate the multiple accounts per user, as well. This place doesn't seem like it was designed for games...well, not that kind. ;)

I'm sure that there are some downfalls to using blockers like that, like keeping people out that should be let in.

I guess we'll find out as soon as Mike sees this thread!

[Rakeesh]

I hate the multiple accounts per user, as well. This place doesn't seem like it was designed for games...well, not that kind. ;)

I'm sure that there are some downfalls to using blockers like that, like keeping people out that should be let in.

I guess we'll find out as soon as Mike sees this thread!

One of those multi-account blockers includes code for setting an exclusion group. E.g. moderators, certain users who ask for permission, etc.

[Bearclaw]

I hate it as well. Who knows, 'teh bigman' could be someone else now...:p

[retsam]

It's getting annoying having the same people register repeatedly in the P&R forum under different accounts. Are these guys mostly just hiding behind proxies or something?

Whatever the case, I've seen a few hacks for vbulletin which can easily put a stop to this kind of thing:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=107566
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=119695

A proxy blocker:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=96318

And a proxy detector:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=95198
i think this is a good idea. i too am getting sick of these guy comming back time and time again only to pull the same **** that they originally got banned for. besides that fact, this would also keep the headache for mikec to a minimum which is always a good thing:D

[Rakeesh]

I could conceive of a way to get around that multiple account blocking thing, but whoever is attempting to make multiple accounts only gets one time to screw up. After that they are identified and that IP is no good anymore. Then the proxy RBL would mostly prevent them from getting semi-protected proxies from those list servers (be they pay or free) and the proxy detector would make open proxy hunting pretty much useless.

This would root out 99% of the trolls. That other 1% would be the types that have no life and spend their days making trojans for people to download so that they can use them for ddos attacks, etc. There isn't a whole lot you can do about them, but I don't think they would have much interest in a site like this in the first place. If so they would still have to be pretty careful or the multi-account detector would ID them and be able to ban that particular host they are using.

All in all these measures would make it far more difficult to break the rules.

[grey_1]

You got my vote! :thumbsup:

[rewt]

I can think of very simple ways around this.. Don't even need to use a proxy.. But hey, if it can help (without increasing server load or decreasing security) than I'm all for it.

[OldOfEvil]

How about what Jay & Silent Bob did at the end of their movie and we all know teh Gibster has lots of guns..:p

[einstein_314]

I'm all up for only allowing 1 user account. The only problem I can see is if 2 different people use the same computer to access nvnews on their accounts...For instance, my brother and I, who live together, both frequent nvnews...and both have accounts. Although we have our own computers, from the outside, we come from the same IP. So it would look like somebody had 2 accounts...Unless there is actually some way of distinguishing between computers...or maybe there would have to be exceptions that would have to go through MikeC for approval?

[Rakeesh]

I can think of very simple ways around this.. Don't even need to use a proxy..

How so? Any other IP masking technique I can think of would break HTTP and wouldn't work.

I'm all up for only allowing 1 user account. The only problem I can see is if 2 different people use the same computer to access nvnews on their accounts...For instance, my brother and I, who live together, both frequent nvnews...and both have accounts. Although we have our own computers, from the outside, we come from the same IP. So it would look like somebody had 2 accounts...Unless there is actually some way of distinguishing between computers...or maybe there would have to be exceptions that would have to go through MikeC for approval?

Yeah that multiple-account detector has code that specifically allows exceptions for specified users.

[Absolution]

I run this on my forum and don't have problems. Its a wonderful plugin.

[SLippe]

You got my vote! :thumbsup:
Ditto.

[Rakeesh]

Spammers these days seem to be targeting web 2.0 (web forums, wiki's, blogs, etc) in full force lately, to include this forum.

Any word on this admins?

[Rakeesh]

Something else the admins could do is install a plugin that prevents people from posting email addresses or URL's until they have at least 5 posts or so. Use one of the ones that don't error out or anything, but rather they just neuter the website address from the post while putting up a little notice.

[einstein_314]

Something else the admins could do is install a plugin that prevents people from posting email addresses or URL's until they have at least 5 posts or so. Use one of the ones that don't error out or anything, but rather they just neuter the website address from the post while putting up a little notice.
I like this idea :)