# making some user group changes - please let me know if something gets weird!



## TUGBrian (Aug 31, 2022)

Attempting to implement some additional security to combat the guest/scammers etc, so please bear with me if i mess some things up!

folks with less than 3 posts will now have a RED "newbie" tag under their username and will be limited on their forum activities (ie unable to start conversations).  We hope this will curb the number of scammers who register just to send private messages.  after making 3 posts you should automatically be promoted to a GUEST and have the ability to start conversations etc, basically all the same permissions from the previous GUEST label.  

this should have no impact on TUG Members, which should retain that tag under their usernames.  Please chime in if you experience something other than this with your forum account and ill be happy to get it sorted out!  In many cases we see if a user has not logged in or made a post in quite some time, it will upgrade you from newbie to guest after your next post etc.


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## TUGBrian (Aug 31, 2022)

Might take an hour for this stuff to rerun...but in the end there should be a new category for non members.

it will say "newbie" as a user title for all guests who have not posted on the forum yet.

the guest tag will (should) remain under any non member who has made at least 3 posts.


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## easyrider (Aug 31, 2022)

Maybe you could require 20 or more posts to enter the covid forum. 

Bill


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## TUGBrian (Aug 31, 2022)

right now it shows everyone (non member) as a newbie, but it should upgrade you to guest the next time the database runs whatever maint job handles that user group list etc....or if you make a new post apparently!

just going to stop playing with it until it sorts itself out and folks who should be guests lose the newbie tag!


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

appears its going to take a login or post in order for your group to be promoted from newbie to guest (assuming you have more than 3 posts)...I see users that have made the switch just fine, but all of them have had some forum activity since my change.

newbies will be restricted from starting private conversations, so please let me know if you are still labeled as a newbie and you should not be (ie you were a guest, and have more than 3 posts, but still show as a newbie).  It is my hope that these changes will eliminate the recent influx of scammers sending PMs to folks looking for rentals!

please email me at tugadmin@tug2.net if you experience issues with the forums relating to your user group!


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

ok..colors should work now.

newbies with less than 3 posts will now show RED under their username, after making a few posts you should automatically be promoted to the GUEST group and have the ability to start conversations etc.


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## pedro47 (Sep 1, 2022)

TUGBrian, maybe Marriott’s IT Dept can you use your expertise. LOL


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

ha, im not sure if id help or hurt there....  perhaps two negatives make a positive?


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## callwill (Sep 1, 2022)

maybe the identified scammers should get a  special title visible only to members...


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

well once identified, they are easy to spot with a big line thru their username =)


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## Passepartout (Sep 1, 2022)

Some long time members and guests are getting caught by this.


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

can you cite some examples so that I can look into it further?

it should not impact anyone who was already in the TUG MEMBER group.


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## callwill (Sep 1, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> can you cite some examples so that I can look into it further?
> 
> it should not impact anyone who was already in the TUG MEMBER group.


He may be referencing this thread that involves two newbies...They cant communicate yet...








						$225 Puerto Vallarta 1BR Vallarta Torre Oct. 4-11, 2022, and Oct. 11-18, 2022
					

One bedroom resort condo vacation rental in Puerto Vallarta available in October. I have reserved two weeks in a one bedroom unit in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for rent. Our plans have changed so I am offering either one or both weeks for $225 per week. These units sleep four and include a...




					tugbbs.com


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## Passepartout (Sep 1, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> can you cite some examples so that I can look into it further?
> 
> it should not impact anyone who was already in the TUG MEMBER group.


Sure, I just say a Newbie red flag on longtime member @Brett


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

isnt a tug member, so hopefully itll switch over when it does its nightly reset/maint job.  every time i look at the log another 100 or so users get switched.  guess i figured it would do them all at once but clearly thats not the case.


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## TUGBrian (Sep 1, 2022)

just forced the job to run again and another 100 or so got done (including those in that post)

if i had to guess, perhaps it works its way backwards based on recent activity?  its certainly not working as I pictured it would when implementing a change like this for sure.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 1, 2022)

Passepartout said:


> Sure, I just say a Newbie red flag on longtime member @Brett


Brett is a guest, not a TUG Member. Shows as Guest now.


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## pedro47 (Sep 1, 2022)

dioxide45 said:


> Brett is a guest, not a TUG Member. Shows as Guest now.


Brett is Guest on the website and not a TUG Paid member.


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## Passepartout (Sep 1, 2022)

Yes, I saw that. Blame it on 7 decade old memory. Not the first time, Won't be the last.


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## easyrider (Sep 1, 2022)

Passepartout said:


> Yes, I saw that. Blame it on 7 decade old memory. Not the first time, Won't be the last.



It's cool. I have the same problem and I'm years younger than you.

Bill


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## TUGBrian (Sep 2, 2022)

ok, seems to still be promoting folks as they log in or post...so im going to stop dinking with it and keep an eye on it.

please let me know if someone makes a post/reply etc and has more than 3 posts...but still shows as a red newbie!


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 2, 2022)

I cannot send a PM to someone showing as a Newbie but is not a newbie at all, just not a member.


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## TUGBrian (Sep 2, 2022)

when is the last time they visited the site and or posted?

username?


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 2, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> when is the last time they visited the site and or posted?
> 
> username?


Today.  So weird.  I typed in their username to send them a message.  It said the message couldn't be sent after I typed it out.


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## TUGBrian (Sep 2, 2022)

can i get a hint on what said username might be to look into it further?


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 2, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> can i get a hint on what said username might be to look into it further?


I was able to send him a PM finally.  I don't know what I was doing wrong, but that never happened to me before.  I would bet it was user error (me, all me).


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## NOLA47 (Sep 3, 2022)

Please help me understand why a guest would be allowed to make so many posts.  Is there a benefit to allowing guests to stay on so long?  After a maximum number of posts, should they not be forced into a paid membership mode?  Do guests have access to all posts?


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## TUGBrian (Sep 3, 2022)

the forums have always been and always will be a place for owners to come and get help and advice for free.

while we would certainly hope folks would find value and support the site with a membership, it wont ever be a requirement to join/participate on the forums!


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## dioxide45 (Sep 3, 2022)

NOLA47 said:


> Please help me understand why a guest would be allowed to make so many posts.  Is there a benefit to allowing guests to stay on so long?  After a maximum number of posts, should they not be forced into a paid membership mode?  Do guests have access to all posts?


Another fact is, many people who show as "TUG Member" are in fact no longer members. Many that don't renew their membership still retain the "TUG Member" moniker. Of course, someone who has paid for a membership in the past and just not renewed is not likely a scammer


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## NOLA47 (Sep 3, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> the forums have always been and always will be a place for owners to come and get help and advice for free.
> 
> while we would certainly hope folks would find value and support the site with a membership, it wont ever be a requirement to join/participate on the forums!


Thanks.  Got it.  Your first statement explains it very clearly.  I was not looking at it as a site for owners to get free advice.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 3, 2022)

Looking at the different banners, it seems that "TUG Member" is the least interesting.


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## pedro47 (Sep 3, 2022)

dioxide45 said:


> Looking at the different banners, it seems that "TUG Member" is the least interesting.
> View attachment 64083


You are so funny at times and always upbeat. LOL


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## TUGBrian (Sep 3, 2022)

dioxide45 said:


> Looking at the different banners, it seems that "TUG Member" is the least interesting.
> View attachment 64083


im fine with changing the color of any of them, what would you prefer the tug member box color to be?

would prefer the red newbie color to stay, the goal was to make that stand out in a post/etc especially for rentals.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 3, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> im fine with changing the color of any of them, what would you prefer the tug member box color to be?
> 
> would prefer the red newbie color to stay, the goal was to make that stand out in a post/etc especially for rentals.


I think the old Guest had no color. I actually think the color for guest would look better on TUG Member. You know, you sign up and get "gold status".


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## TUGBrian (Sep 3, 2022)

haha, i thought it was brown vs gold...

boxes can quite literally be any color in the CSS color chart!

these are the defaults





administrator/moderator/lifetime member take up 3 of them that id not want to duplicate...


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## GetawaysRus (Sep 3, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> im fine with changing the color of any of them, what would you prefer the tug member box color to be?


Well, that's pretty obvious. This is a timeshare forum. So Platinum, of course, since Red is already taken. I find it amusing that Newbies got Red.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 3, 2022)

TUGBrian said:


> haha, i thought it was brown vs gold...
> 
> boxes can quite literally be any color in the CSS color chart!
> 
> ...


I would agree with the plantim, or perhaps the one that looks orange/gold (last one on the right). Guest could go back to what they were before, first on the list (no color).


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## TUGBrian (Sep 3, 2022)

platinum looks alot like silver!

maybe we should start a poll!


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## Armada (Sep 4, 2022)

How is this going to affect first time visitors who just bought a timeshare and are looking for advice?


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## TUGBrian (Sep 4, 2022)

wont impact them at all, it only limits the ability to send private messages until at least 3 posts are made.


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## pedro47 (Sep 4, 2022)

TUGBrian,  does it costs money to run a website 24/7. True of False.


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## TUGBrian (Sep 4, 2022)

very little is free these days.  so yes it costs money to host the site.

im not looking for ways to force folks to pay for a TUG membership just to get help on the forums though.  that goes against everything I feel my father and the other original tuggers were trying to do on the original BBS etc.

if someone finds value in the site, we hope they would support the site in one way or another (even if its just clicking the ads shown to guests)...however owners will always have a place to give and get help for free here as long as im around!


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## callwill (Oct 20, 2022)

Just asking for a friend... Are you still a "newbie" if you are showing as a member for @ 5yrs but only have 1 post?
What are the points associated with your membership here?


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## TUGBrian (Oct 20, 2022)

anyone who is a TUG member will not be impacted by these changes regardless of post count.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 20, 2022)

callwill said:


> Just asking for a friend... Are you still a "newbie" if you are showing as a member for @ 5yrs but only have 1 post?
> What are the points associated with your membership here?


I think this really should have been a new thread. As I understand it, even if you are a paid TUG member who has entered the Codeword, you will show as a newbie even if you have 1 post. You won't get out of newbie status until you meet the post threshold. Once met, you should then show as TUG Member.


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## TUGBrian (Oct 20, 2022)

the newbie/guest title only applies to folks NOT in the TUG member usergroup.  so if the member code word is in their profile a user would be promoted to the TUG member usergroup and not be impacted by this change.

its certainly possible there would be a delay if someone input the member code word into their profile before the script ran etc to promote them, but it should only be temporary.


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