Please help, especially if english is your native language

[Tim_FSD 0]

The purchase that I made yesterday - my first and last from FSD - was clearly marked as final and non-refundable.Protecting against spammers is one thing, being rude is something different.

Our apologies if we were being rude. We were simply trying to protect ourselves from spammers, which is a legitimate concern to anyone running a forum. Most forums these days, including this one, require complete information when registering. However, we don't want to seem unreasonable and are looking into an easier way to implement the registration process.Tim Dickens

[trisager 2]

Our apologies if we were being rude. We were simply trying to protect ourselves from spammers, which is a legitimate concern to anyone running a forum. Most forums these days, including this one, require complete information when registering. However, we don't want to seem unreasonable and are looking into an easier way to implement the registration process.

Hey, fair enough, and thanks for responding. If the problem with my registration (and the OP's, presumably) was indeed that the display name should be my real name, it would be very helpful to point that out when sending the rejection. "Rejected due non-compliance with clear and unambiguous Forum registration requirements." wasn't helpful, and frankly felt like a slap in the face. I may not be the brightest guy on the planet, but I don't believe that I'm the dumbest, either, and that requirement wasn't clear to me.

[rightseater 0]

Our apologies if we were being rude. We were simply trying to protect ourselves from spammers, which is a legitimate concern to anyone running a forum. Most forums these days, including this one, require complete information when registering. However, we don't want to seem unreasonable and are looking into an easier way to implement the registration process.Tim Dickens

I can't even begin to explain how true that is. I hope there's a special place in hell reserved for spammers.

[Jayjay 62]

Our apologies if we were being rude. We were simply trying to protect ourselves from spammers, which is a legitimate concern to anyone running a forum. Most forums these days, including this one, require complete information when registering. However, we don't want to seem unreasonable and are looking into an easier way to implement the registration process.Tim Dickens

It is really a pity that by using my initials and first name (jjstruyf) and thus not hiding myself behind some word and numbers aggregation, I am being categorized as a possible spammer. On most fora's where I participate I am using the same login name jjstruyf. Avsim is The exception. I subscribed to Avsim in it's early stages (don't remember exactly when-think it was around 1997-1998) and I used the nickname my american colleagues used to call me (the first one I was introduced to in 1973 was a texan and for him trying to pronounce Jean-Jacques correctly turned out to be a real torture, so he asked me "do you mind if I call you Jayjay?" and that remained so forever...Jean-Jacques

[Geofa 108]

It is really a pity that by using my initials and first name (jjstruyf) and thus not hiding myself behind some word and numbers aggregation, I am being categorized as a possible spammer. On most fora's where I participate I am using the same login name jjstruyf. Avsim is The exception. I subscribed to Avsim in it's early stages (don't remember exactly when-think it was around 1997-1998) and I used the nickname my american colleagues used to call me (the first one I was introduced to in 1973 was a texan and for him trying to pronounce Jean-Jacques correctly turned out to be a real torture, so he asked me "do you mind if I call you Jayjay?" and that remained so forever...Jean-Jacques

Just as a point to see both sides-mods like Jeremy and I have our plates full every day deleting posts and banning spammers. It is a huge problem which is probably transparent to avsim users because it for the most part is quickly and silently taken care of by volunteers here.Yes it is a pity-but like all things especially in today's world-we get dragged down by the lowest common denominator.Do you have any suggestions how to solve the problem? We have been trying to figure a way to fix this rampant problem also.

[N400QW 205]

Spam in our forums and email systems is a scourge on all honest people. Spam registrations are a huge distraction these days.Hard to gauge how much time is expended annully just to get rid of this mess but it ain't small potatoes. :( :(

[Jayjay 62]

Just as a point to see both sides-mods like Jeremy and I have our plates full every day deleting posts and banning spammers. It is a huge problem which is probably transparent to avsim users because it for the most part is quickly and silently taken care of by volunteers here.Yes it is a pity-but like all things especially in today's world-we get dragged down by the lowest common denominator.Do you have any suggestions how to solve the problem? We have been trying to figure a way to fix this rampant problem also.

Geofa, no I do not have any magical solution, but in my opinion, asking for full name and first name isn't one either, because instead of my real name "Jean-Jacques Struyf" I could use "Marcel VanSteenkisten" or my wife's maiden name and it would not protect you against spammers either, no?Jean-JacquesP.S. And I agree, spamming is a real problem for you guys

[Kyle Schurb 89]

Of course - a commercial members reaction!What are they doing here anyway???

Because we consider FS as a hobby too, for starters...

[snave 0]

Spam protection is just a red herring. FSD recently upgraded their forum software, yet still kept the same requirement as in their previous software. Other forums using the software do not have the same restrictions... Curiously double-standard too, when they also insist on a `proper` email address when many simmers use a convenience address for forums precisely because the forum security is ineffective at preventing spammers from obtaining the email addresses of customers and using them for spam purposes. Not only that, its laughable coming from a development team that previously utilised an intrusive worm that inserted itself into the users Registry... The status of the email provider has absolutely NO bearing on spam intrusion and I'd be interested in any evidence that FSD might have to back up their specious requirements. I run a technical forum as part of my role in real life and I can assure you that my users - from all over the World including those countries supposedly notorious for spamming - have no such restrictions nor do they pose any greater spam or viral threat than any other service user. I deal with a profusion of first-time posters as well as regular users who use different email addresses and ISP's at different times AND include attachments. A far higher risk state than anything a mere flight simulation developer can encounter. We have no spam problem and we don't require shoe size and mothers maiden name for registration, even though we have more than a thousand accesses to the fora every single day from unknown or first-time users, including linked accesses from information sites.The exploitation of loopholes is actually worse at source than it is at the ISP. We, as part of our ISO certification, protect our acquired information in a very complex way. So what protections - guarantees if you will - can FSD offer that they safeguard such personal information in a way that doesn't lay their forum users open to being abused? No point blaming the users when the provider is most often the source of the risk. What security standards do FSD adhere to? Do they even have an Approved Quality and Safety Assurance system in place? The answer is no, they don't, because as part of that QA one is required to display the assurance or certification on the website. They don't.Sorry, but excuses are only tenable if they are believable - bit like the `promise` of a money back guarantee contradicted in writing by the Terms and Conditions of sale...Most other developers seem able to provide a courteous support service, accessible to legitimate customers without abusing the genuine buyer or being so inconsistent in their business approach. Why are FSD so different? And should that be a cause for concern? (it's a rhetorical question, non-customers here already confirm that the `hoop-jumping` is affecting their business), and if that is the case where is the long-term stability for customers?

[trisager 2]

I can only speak for myself, obviously, but I don't really have a problem giving my real name as part of forum registration - or mother's maiden name and shoe size, for that matter. If it helps filter out spammers or is required to determine if you are a customer or not.As far as I'm concerned an apology was offered and accepted, and that pretty much ends it.

[Tim_FSD 0]

I can only speak for myself, obviously, but I don't really have a problem giving my real name as part of forum registration - or mother's maiden name and shoe size, for that matter. If it helps filter out spammers or is required to determine if you are a customer or not.As far as I'm concerned an apology was offered and accepted, and that pretty much ends it.

Tom,This is new forum software for us and we are not really familiar with all of the options yet. Our previous forum did not allow for validating email addresses, and it seems now that this one does. So if your email address is valid that is really all that is needed. If you register again you should not have a problem.Tim DickensFSD

[Geofa 108]

Tom,This is new forum software for us and we are not really familiar with all of the options yet. Our previous forum did not allow for validating email addresses, and it seems now that this one does. So if your email address is valid that is really all that is needed. If you register again you should not have a problem.Tim DickensFSD

Thanks for clarifying the situation and I think we can close this one out now.