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IP Ban so it doesn't show up to member?
Topic Started: Oct 22 2011, 01:22 PM (1,026 Views)
Omnission
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So, our board has a member who is fond of causing drama, they are very immature and prone to harassing members. this member has been temp banned a few times. The admins all want to permaban them at this point, but they threaten to come back using different computers/addresses to evade IP bans. Their ip history proves that they have access to multiple locations, it displays a large list of login addresses. the admin team would like to ban them as discretely as possible, as soon as possible.

So here is my question: when you IP ban a member, does the site tell the member when they try to access a message like "You Have Been Banned", or does it give a more generic "page cannot be found" message? The offending member seems prone to being pretty gullible and so if it appears to be a problem on their computer's part, we think that they might finally give up and leave the site alone. But if it says they've been banned, they will act vengefully and continue to harass members from different addresses.

How does the "blocked" screen look like, and how can we make it so that the unscrupulous member leaves our site alone?
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Cory
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http://prntscr.com/3mdjx

That's the message that will be received.

Deterring proxies and whatnot is a complicated process and not always foolproof. Admin validation is the best solution you probably have, but even then you can never really determine if it's the same user, you can likely determine if they're using a proxy though by doing a IP address trace. Some users have to use proxies to access websites in different circumstances, however.
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Tom Gale
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You can't get rid of anyone who has enough skill and enough desire to get back in. You're going to have to get past the idea there's a technical solution to this problem. There are technical aids, but not solutions, if the skill and desire are present.

The person's motivation for continuing to post is that other members are giving him the attention he wants. The solution to this is social, not technical. Until they're willing to ignore him, he'll continue to be motivated.

What has worked for me is to reduce the desire of the person to post - my members, after some experience, know how to do this - and perhaps use the ban tools to frustrate the trouble maker. Raise the effort required to get back in and simultaneously reduce the reward. From a technical standpoint, don't look for the single strike nuclear solution. With the skills you describe, there isn't one. Have patience and wear them out.

For example, rather than using the ban button, put them on mod approval required without them knowing. You'd be surprised how many people post and don't notice their messages are being held until some time later. Really irritating to them. (To put a person on mod approval without them knowing, merely avoid putting anything into the "message to member" pane that's present when taking the action. You have to put something in the reason pane - that's for board records - or the ban won't take effect, but not putting anything in the message to member pane prevents them from knowing they've been modded until they try to post, and then only if they notice the message.)

Course, they could decide at that point to register a new account. Let them. Maybe have their known e mail addresess banned. Make them go to the effort to create a new e mail to register. Or have new members set to Admin approval required. Or change the permissions so that the Members group is modded, then put all the good members in another group that's not modded (lots of work if you have a lot of members and forums). Lots of things you can do. Remember, frustration at every step. Don't try a nuclear solution. They don't work.
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Deleted User
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Some brilliant advice there. Cory I didn't know about that message that appears. That's pleased me. :lol:
One thing to add if I may; make it clear in your site rules that registration using proxy servers is NOT allowed like I have. If it says proxy or unknown I don't allow it in. Hope all this helps. :)
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Tom Gale
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SugarCandy
Oct 26 2011, 02:27 AM
One thing to add if I may; make it clear in your site rules that registration using proxy servers is NOT allowed like I have. If it says proxy or unknown I don't allow it in. Hope all this helps. :)
Assuming from this you have your board set to Admin approval required for new members.
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Deleted User
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Tom Gale
Oct 30 2011, 12:02 AM
SugarCandy
Oct 26 2011, 02:27 AM
One thing to add if I may; make it clear in your site rules that registration using proxy servers is NOT allowed like I have. If it says proxy or unknown I don't allow it in. Hope all this helps. :)
Assuming from this you have your board set to Admin approval required for new members.
Yep I do. :)
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