Limiting signatures

[french frank]

I'm investigating what can be done to prevent spammers registering in order to post advertising links, either on their profile pages or as signatures. I've removed the signature link, but this is the kind of trouble we're getting.

I know it would be very controversial to ban signatures altogether but you may notice some changes in your signature as I fiddle with some of the controls. Let me know if you do - it won't necessarily be intentional!

A little later: I think I've turned off the 'link' permission and that shouldn't affect legitimate signatures.

[Pabmusic]

What is a signature (in this context)?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

below

[Pabmusic]

I wondered if it might be. Thanks

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yer welcome Cheers

[french frank]

Which I assume is Bündnis Aktiver Fußballfans ?

[Pabmusic]

Which I assume is Bündnis Aktiver Fußballfans ?

I find it baffling.

[Resurrection Man]

Apart from entering a signature, does anyone have to click another box anywhere? I can save a signature but it doesn't appear.

[french frank]

Apart from entering a signature, does anyone have to click another box anywhere? I can save a signature but it doesn't appear.

If you can't see your own signature now, you have disabled the Thread Display Options/Visible Post Elements/Signatures under your General Settings. Check the relevant box.

Sorry if you've already discovered this

[cloughie]

I've never really seen the point of these but maybe others think differently!

[Frances_iom]

I've never really seen the point of these but maybe others think differently!

for some they may be the only sensible part of the post - the longer the signature the less I regard that poster as why the need to repeat the message

[jean]

If the signature is very large - and there's a good example on this very thread - I sometimes don't notice that it wasn't the whole of the post.

[Don Petter]

I just keep them all switched off - Away with self advertisement!

[Sydney Grew]

. . . I've turned off the 'link' permission . . .

A useful tip - thank you! I just wonder why they do it. First they spend fifteen minutes going through the increasingly complex rigmarole of registering, then a further few minutes posting one or two nonsense messages, after which they are very likely to be zapped by the alert administrator. What is the point of it all? Are they a) ignorant, b) stupid, c) anarchistic, or d) evil?

Does the activity of persons in the present age any longer have a point?

[french frank]

Well, I've assumed that by persuading the unsuspecting to click on their link, the website will move up the Google ratings. Other ploys are to include their website as homepage on their profile page.

As for switching off the signature link - I'm not sure whether I've done it effectively or not. But as I work most of the day at the computer , I check every new arrival: certain locations immediately suggest spammers...

I'm afraid I have no answer to your final question so perhaps it was merely philosophical.