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Newest topics and users posts
27 Mar-19:47:08 Re: 2 unknowns co-occurring with caledonite, grand reef mine, az (Pete Richards)
27 Mar-16:15:44 Re: 2 unknowns co-occurring with caledonite, grand reef mine, az (Cfrench58)
27 Mar-15:18:59 Re: 2 unknowns co-occurring with caledonite, grand reef mine, az (Alfredo)
27 Mar-14:39:29 2 unknowns co-occurring with caledonite, grand reef mine, az (Cfrench58)
27 Mar-05:21:48 Re: the mim museum in beirut, lebanon (Mim Museum)
27 Mar-05:03:26 Re: trying to find information on rose/pink quartz and tourmaline associations. (Ning)
27 Mar-02:39:50 Re: the mim museum in beirut, lebanon (Tobi)
27 Mar-00:23:28 Re: collection of volkmar stingl (Volkmar Stingl)
26 Mar-00:53:41 Re: collection of volkmar stingl (Volkmar Stingl)
25 Mar-13:32:10 Re: collection of michael shaw (Michael Shaw)
25 Mar-00:25:58 The mizunaka collection - quartz (Am Mizunaka)
23 Mar-13:35:22 Re: collection of firmo espinar (Firmo Espinar)
22 Mar-08:32:28 Re: collection of michael shaw (Michael Shaw)
22 Mar-04:20:41 Re: the mim museum in beirut, lebanon (Mim Museum)
21 Mar-22:49:19 Re: green seam. Looks like it in a state of decay. (Ning)
21 Mar-22:47:40 Re: green seam. Looks like it in a state of decay. (Ning)
21 Mar-22:45:25 Re: green seam. Looks like it in a state of decay. (Ning)
21 Mar-15:34:23 Re: the mizunaka collection - quartz (Am Mizunaka)
21 Mar-14:35:08 Re: jim’s mineral collection (Jim Wilkinson)
21 Mar-14:15:36 The 4th phoenix heritage mineral show (phms) hosted by mineralogical society of arizona (m (Chris Whitney-smith)
21 Mar-04:36:10 Re: the mizunaka collection (Tobi)
21 Mar-04:11:47 Re: jim’s mineral collection (James Catmur)
20 Mar-23:34:15 The mizunaka collection - quartz (Am Mizunaka)
20 Mar-18:13:16 Re: jim’s mineral collection (Jim Wilkinson)
20 Mar-14:06:43 Re: dry gill mine, caldbeck fells, cumbria, uk (Forrestblyth)

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A general guide for using the Forum with some rules and tips
The information provided within this Forum about localities is only given to allow reference to them. Any visit to any of the localities requires you to obtain full permission and relevant information prior to your visit. FMF is strictly against any illicit activities related to collecting minerals.
Undesirable posts
  
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chris
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Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 08:14    Post subject: Undesirable posts  

Hi Folk,

You probably received during the previous week several notifications of new posts that turned out to have been deleted (most of the time) when you tried to see them. After having warned Jordi about such posts, as other members probably did, he asked me to give you a small explanation about that.

I guess all of you already heard about hacking. A the very origin, the term referred to software / hardware experts that knew a system so much they were able to command it to do things it wasn't designed for (getting free long distance phone calls for instance). More recently the term refers to people trying to break into a computer system to steal information or alter data (these hackers are often called "Black Hat"). They are hacker groups all around the world. Some of them challenge each other during contests whose goal are to be the first to successfully break into a specific system.

One of their targets is phpBB probably the most popular Open Source forum engine. Once the hacker has successfully registered, he will post messages aimed at proving he won the challenge. Unfortunately for us all, FMF is based on phpBB and sensitive to such contests as a result. This is what happened during the week. Several hackers tried to break into FMF. At least one out of 100 attempts succeeded. This is why we all got email notifications about irrelevant topics.

One has to understand that even if counter measures have been taken, they are not always 100% efficients. And when they are, the constraint is so important for the regular users that putting them into place is not always a good idea. The most usual is to ask peers (meaning human beings) to review the posts prior to there publication. The consequence being a delay between the moment you post a message and the moment it will appear in the forum. Jordi decided not to use this approach, but to relay upon us to detect such unsolicited posts.

Even if FMF's security was enforced during the hours following those attacks, the risk still exists. So feel free to warn Jordi (or any other moderator of the thread) when you spot a weird post.

Christophe
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Gail




Joined: 21 Feb 2008
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Location: Texas, Lone Star State.


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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 08:26    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

I figured you had it under control when I saw the notifications about them I simply ignored them. Thanks for this wonderful site, the great fun and information it gives to all of us. We certainly appreciate your battles with these horrible hackers.
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Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so...
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lluis




Joined: 17 Nov 2006
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 09:41    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

Hi, Chris, Gail, List

Well, there is a way (I told to Jordi in person), that allows all people post in an immediate way and makes life of hackers a little bit more interesting (of course, nothing is completely safe)

I am moderator in several groups (in things that are very far from minerals, like coins....)

Group is set in the way that each and every new member has messages moderated.
That lets know who is who. When a member places several pertinent messages (from one to a good behaviour till any quantity taht owner decide), he is set to unmoderate.

Till now, only when an account has been hacked (and that for only one message), no message pass through.

Anyway, the occasional spam that pass through not makes me uneasy,
It is a tribute to new technoligies that permit us to share such a wealth of information.
Nothing good has not a bad con, then...

With best wishes

Lluís
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Jesse Fisher




Joined: 18 Mar 2009
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 09:58    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

I think it should be pretty obvious to most when a post if bogus. That's what the "delete" button is for. Small price to pay for the benefits of forums such as this.
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Antonio Alcaide
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Joined: 23 Aug 2009
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 10:11    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

We must apologize. After Munich spammer attacks have increased. Now Jordi is very busy at an important mineral show in Barcelona -Expominer-, so perhaps you have to see what usually you have not -thank to the Jordi's tireless watching activity-.

I strongly agree with your opinions: few spam is worthy compared with the benefits of sites like this.

Regards

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Debbie Woolf




Joined: 09 Feb 2009
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 10:17    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

Is it possible to have a report message button ?
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GneissWare




Joined: 07 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 10:21    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

Agreed. For a forum that has such internet exposure (I wish I had as many Google hits), FMF gets very little spam, and its easy to hit delete for the message lines about wedding dresses, cell phones and drugs.

But, perhaps on new users, adding moderation would solve a number of problems. Lately there have been a number of users posting samples of rock, glass, driveway gravel, etc that don't follow the process, requiring lots of bandwidth, numerous email notification, and lots of time to explain to them how to ask for help, and they just disappear. Or we get strange notes from folks from "Space" that are likely from there. Moderation would help on this front.

Of course, as Tobias says, all this will be resolved in 12/21/12, so perhaps we should all go out, buy lots of great rocks, post photos here, and hit the delete button when necessary.

I have to go now and buy a few minerals!
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chris
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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 11:09    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

I do agree too. It is the price to pay when a forum is popular. Receiving a notification due to a few spams doesn't bother me as the benefit of FMF is much higher.
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nurbo




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PostPosted: Nov 12, 2011 17:24    Post subject: Re: Undesirable posts  

I wholeheartedly agree that the benefits of this forum far outweigh the hassle of the odd spam email. Also if you put in place measures to keep out hackers and spammers you actually make it more appealing for them to try and get past the measures you put in place, this kind of thing just a facet of the internet we have to (sadly) live with.
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