[Tom Otley]

No problem, thank you for that.

I’ve also realised that one of the blunt instruments of blocking users means it blocks all users from that IP address, so if you have posted under multiple handles, one of which is sensible and one of which is not, you may find you are blocked. If that is the case, get in touch and tell me which you want to post under…

many thanks, Tom

[Henkel.Trocken]

Tom, have you thought that if you block an IP address you may be blocking several people who work for the same company and they all post independently perhaps not knowing each other does?

I know one person I work with posts here but I don’t know his handle or how often he posts. I appreciate things need cleaning up but please don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!

[IanFromHKG]

As I understand it, HT, each computer will have a different IP address even if they are on the same network. So unless you are using dumb terminals and a single server, each user’s IP address should be different. I think. (I’m not a techie!)

[Tom Otley]

Hi Henkel,
Yes, it’s possible. Hopefully they will get in touch and we can devise a workaround.
As I said, I can only work with the tools I have got. We’ve asked enough times.
We will undoubtedly upset a lot of people, but hopefully less than are currently being upset.

[edit – where possible I:m also deleting strings of posts where things went off thread in the usual
“You’re pathetic.”
“No, you’re pathetic.”
“No, you are.”.
“No….”
For several pages – sorry if it makes some of the threads jump around.

EDIT 2
That’s 7 posts I’ve deleted on this thread, 4 of which suggest threads I should edit / delete and posters I should ban / block / send to the headmaster.
Don’t post on this thread or I will delete it.
Start a new one, that way I can delete the whole thread more easily.

[canucklad]

Hi Tom…

Havn’t been on over the weekend, so it’s sad to login and see a continuation of the bickering that has resulted in some threads just becoming tedious….despite rfergusons best efforts !

On the point that Ian & Henkel make, how will I know if I’ve blocked for being an immature child, or I’ve been blocked because I’m unfortunate to have the same IP address as one of the blocked?

Sorry to say …..that if I feel like a naughty schoolboy, even if I’m not guilty ( I think) hopefully those who should be sitting outside the headmasters office should be hanging their head in shame!

[esselle]

How do I know if I have been blocked.

[Tom Otley]

I email those who have been blocked – on the email they registered under.

If it’s a fake email – many of them are – I love all of the ones that are rude anagrams / versions of my name, by the way – then of course they won’t receive the email.

[1nfrequent]

I should hold my hands up because I lost my temper a couple of nights ago with alex and simon and blew up when I shouldn’t have done. I’m not completely sorry for what I said, but I did take it out on them when that was unfair and disproportionate. My apologies to both.

Hope this all gets sorted out soon.

1F

[AllOverTheGaff]

Hello Tom

I think you are absolutely right to take the action you are taking, whether I am put on the naughty step or not. This is your website, as such, it should indeed be you choosing who is posting in a correct or incorrect manner, the only plea I would make is that the context of replies is taken into mitigation.

Whilst this will perhaps be seen as inflammatory, I think you should name & shame those who have been using your website with various monikers, which I am sure you can as you are identifying via IP, it might avoid anyone in future from behaving in the same manner and bringing your forum back to where it is now.

BTW, is it to be a permanent red card or a yellow ‘sin-bin’ punishment?

Regards.
AOTG.

[VintageKrug]

It’s good to know I have a clear conscience on the point of using multiple handles.

Apart from protectively registering two handles in Saturday’s abusive thread (to stop them being misused by others with less charitable intentions) I have never used or registered another handle on BT.

Will be interesting to see which handles stop posting as a consequence of this long overdue action….

[Tom Otley]

Yes, well, it’s a fairly blunt took I’m using and I can see a number of edits going on in the back office as well from users themselves, so not all the changes you’ll see are my doing…

I can’t sin bin – the technology isn’t available in this system. If you are blocked you are blocked. I imagine if I got in touch with our developer company they could unblock you, but there would be a cost involved.

No, I’m not going to name and shame – though I honestly can’t see how well educated and busy people have time to post within minutes under two handles on the same thread – sometimes even disagreeing with what has just been posted. Why would you do that? On second thoughts, don’t answer, it will just start another lot of posts no one wants to read.

It’s a boring and time consuming job, and pretty depressing reading a lot of these threads that are so off-topic. Like purgatory will be, I imagine.

[Shearer]

If you need some moderators I volunteer. 🙂

Or move to another Forum provider, with better software, where multiple threads on same subject can be merged; multiple logins from same IP address can be monitored and stopped earlier etc.

I know one forum that blocks any Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo address as anyone can set these up. Stipulating a work address (which could remain hidden if privacy was a concern) might make people think twice before posting?

[MartynSinclair]

Site Administrator 100% support from me (not that you need it :))

On a positive note and building on the above from NIRscot – I also be delighted to help BT for the benefit of this wonderful forum, by offering my time if needed.

No pay required!

[Tom Otley]

Thanks for that – believe me we are investigating. Your patience with the forum software is appreciated. My patience with it has run out.

[Bath_VIP]

If moderation is something that BT is not able to do themselves, an alternative is to carry out a last 50 posts audit of a random sample of posters, perhaps biased to the most frequent posters. You could audit the last 50 posts made by a poster and categorise them as either acceptable or unacceptable. If you prefer, you could use more informative categories. I was going to have a go at doing this myself this weekend and started with my own posts using the following 4 category system of:

Informative: useful information that other posters can make use of
Acceptable: includes comments, opinions, queries
Contentious; comments that some people might take umbrage at.
Offensive: name calling, rants, and obviously offensive behaviour.

For myself, I decided my balance was 5/40/5/0. It might be worth posters self auditing themselves in this fashion but ultimately it would be for BT to carry these out unannounced.

I would have thought this would take BT less time than moderating every single post and anyone who breaches your limits can then be blocked as you wish.

[Author]

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