Effective immediately, we are implementing changes in the handling of new user registrations. Existing users will be unaffected by these changes (with one exception; see #3).

1. New registrants will no longer automatically receive an activation e-mail. Instead, an Administrator/Moderator will review each new registration request and either activate the account or send an activation e-mail to the account address, which must be a valid, non-disposable e-mail account.

2. A new registrant who receives an activation e-mail will have 48 hours to activate the account, otherwise the account will be deleted.

3. The new user queued post count has been increased from 1 to 3. This means that new users will need 3 posts to be approved by an Admin/Mod before being allowed to post freely without approval. Existing users with a post count of less than 3 will also be subject to the same approval.

4. New users can no longer send/receive Private Messages (PMs) until they have met the post approval quota and been granted PM access by an Admin/Mod. E-mail access remains as before.

5. New users can no longer post board messages in the Used Instruments Exchange forum until they have otherwise met the post approval quota and been granted UIE posting access by an Admin/Mod. New users can continue to read UIE offers and reply by e-mail.

NOTE: New users should allow 24-48 hours (or longer) for registration requests to be reviewed and for PM and UIE privileges after the quota is met.

We hope these changes will be mostly transparent. As always, the Chiffboard welcomes new users, who keep our community constantly growing and renewed. But spammers, trolls and other miscreants are invited to look elsewhere.

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Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips

Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.

Are these changes due to a recent deluge of fraudulent accounts or have the you and the other Mods simply had enough of this kind of behavior?

Both.

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Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips

Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.

Nice pro-active changes. Thanks.

Whew! Looks like I got in here just in time.


<--- For keeping this a good place to hang out on the ol' dubya dubya dubya.

Just weeding the garden. Nice.

How long does this take please?

Other considerations may also apply. For users who have been permanently banned from the board, this process may take a long, long time.

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Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips

Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.

Thread revival. - Mod

These changes must be a lot of work, but it undoubtedly makes this a site safer from spammers, scanners and miscreants.