MCForum Frequently Asked Questions
I'll keep updating this as more and more questions keep coming up. But, let's start with the ones that come to mind. If you're having problems with the forum and you're a new member, then check here first.
Question: Why can’t I post a new topic/start a new thread?
Answer: Because you don’t have 3 posts, that’s why. As an anti-spam measure, we don’t allow new topics to be posted by members with fewer than 3 posts. Most spammers don’t stick around long enough to make 3 posts before staring a spam thread, so this works very well. Note: this limit doesn’t apply to the MC Writing board, because one thing we want to allow for is people who are searching for a story or seeking feedback on something they've written and don’t want to make 3 posts before asking anyone if they know which one they’re talking about.
Question: What’s with these verification questions every time I try to post a reply in a thread or send a Personal Message? Do I have to do this every time?
Answer: Until you have 5 posts, you will have to answer the CAPTCHA and the questions every time you post or try to send a personal message. We know it’s annoying, but this setup, along with stopping new members from starting new threads until they have 3 posts, has by and large eliminated the spam issues we used to face on a daily basis.
Question: I’m getting errors (“An error occurred!”) when I try to register to the MCForum, or it tells me I’m a spammer, but I’m not! Oh, by the way, I use an anonymous proxy system like TOR because I’m concerned about privacy.
Answer: Well, unfortunately, these problems are usually on your end, not ours. Nearly everyone who has emailed me with this problem has indicated that they use TOR, and even though they always (without fail) swear that they are 100% sure that they are not being routed through any naughty, spammy servers, it’s really only them that ever have this problem. (Other than actual spammers, of course.) It boils down to this: spammers are very sneaky, and TOR users are also trying to be sneaky, even though their motives aren’t usually malicious. But, sneaky is sneaky, at least as far as the forum’s software is concerned. If you enter a bank dressed in black with a black ski mask on while holding a gun in one hand and a large sack with a big dollar sign on it in the other hand, don’t be surprised if you get treated like a bank robber, even if you’re really on your way to a costume party and only stopped to make a deposit. That said, feel free to email me if you're having problems, because we do have a ban list that could be causing problems. My email is emc dot bobwhite at Gmail dot com.
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