Should New Users With Tor IP Addresses Be Approved?

[Pixel--Dude]

What do you guys think to a suggestion I made to @Winston about newcomers not being approved if they are using Tor browser. Mercer logged in with a Tor browser and was an obvious troll larping as some black pill incel. He then made his Chandler account and once I banned this account he kicked off in the shoutbox. With both accounts he signed up using a Tor browser.

My question to you all is this: to combat trolls who only want to cause disruption and hide their identity or existing members who make countless sockpuppets and use Tor to hide their identity, should we disapprove posts made by users who log in with an IP made through Tor?

I know some people might use Tor because they're private, but let's be honest here. 9/10 of users who make an account here on Happierabroad and use Tor are trolls.

I made a thread here about putting an end to trolls on Happierabroad: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=24&t=48414 which is kind of connected to this topic. Where I ask if they should just be removed instantly without going through the normal process of warnings and bans of incremental amounts of time.

This thing with Tor is just a suggestion to make the forum better for everyone. A place without disruptive trolls and assholes who want to flood the board with sockpuppets used to abuse other users.

What are your thoughts? Do you use Tor?

Also a side note: any existing members using Tor wouldn't be affected by this. It would only be newcomers who wouldn't have their initial posts approved.

[MarcosZeitola]

Agreed, it's better not to allow accounts using TOR browers to create accounts here. Most of them are trolls anyway, and we aren't exactly running short of those critters. When someone uses such a browers, it's kind of a red flag and many of the PAG/Mercer/SkeletalRobert associated 'acts' seem to hide behind such software. There should be a bit of due dilligence done in approving new accounts, either way. Just mindlessly approving all is kind of ridiculous and sometimes its good for you to just trust your instincts, PD, seeing as you're the only mod here who takes his job seriously.

[Tsar]

I think that should be a final solution.

We should probably start with a more complicated approval process.

A mod could create a form and ask people questions. Who they are, their intentions, the purpose behind joining, how they found the forum, and other questions. Then, implement a probation period where new accounts can be banned for being extreme trolls.

However, it is more complicated and takes more time. Automatically not approving new accounts would be the easiest and fastest way to eliminate trolls.

Another way would be to restrict them to a newbie area until people get to know them.

Automatically not approving posts from Tor wouldn't prevent trolls because they would find another way. I think it's best to do a probational type system where trolling in the week and month results in a ban if it's too offensive, nonsense, or repulsive.

[Voyager1]

Yes, I think new users using Tor should be approved because you could turn away legitimate users.

I don't think you should ban i.p. addresses either. A few years ago I was staying in Z Hostel in Kyiv. I couldn't log into my account from there because Winston had banned that i.p. address. It turns out that PAG had been staying in the same hostel and Winston had banned him and the i.p. address of the hostel as well.

You just take each new user on a case by case basis and deal with it if they cause trouble. There aren't that many of them anyway.

[Shemp]

A few years ago I was staying in Z Hostel in Kyiv. I couldn't log into my account from there because Winston had banned that i.p. address. It turns out that PAG had been staying in the same hostel and Winston had banned him and the i.p. address of the hostel as well.

Was that some $2/night budget hostel you and the international playboy/millionaire PAG were staying out, with 12 people per room? Do you invite your lady friends there?

BTW Chandler and Spencer are PAG. I never read Mercer's posts so I know nothing of who he is.

[Pixel--Dude]

A few years ago I was staying in Z Hostel in Kyiv. I couldn't log into my account from there because Winston had banned that i.p. address. It turns out that PAG had been staying in the same hostel and Winston had banned him and the i.p. address of the hostel as well.

Was that some $2/night budget hostel you and the international playboy/millionaire PAG were staying out, with 12 people per room? Do you invite your lady friends there?

BTW Chandler and Spencer are PAG. I never read Mercer's posts so I know nothing of who he is.

Mercer was pretending to be Chandler until I banned his account. He's a f***ing idiot whoever he is. I seriously don't know how people find the time to make troll accounts to troll forums online. What do these losers get out of it?

[Voyager1]

The prices aren't quite that cheap. They offer 4 bed, 6 bed and 2 bed dorm rooms. It's conveniently located near the train station so it's a good place to crash if you need to catch a train.

When I stayed there I noticed prostitutes staying there. They would do their calls from there.

[Pixel--Dude]

Yes, I think new users using Tor should be approved because you could turn away legitimate users.

I don't think you should ban i.p. addresses either. A few years ago I was staying in Z Hostel in Kyiv. I couldn't log into my account from there because Winston had banned that i.p. address. It turns out that PAG had been staying in the same hostel and Winston had banned him and the i.p. address of the hostel as well.

You just take each new user on a case by case basis and deal with it if they cause trouble. There aren't that many of them anyway.

I could turn away legitimate users, but it's like I said to Winston 9/10 times users who join with Tor browser are most likely to be sockpuppets or trolls. Mercer and Chandler both used Tor. Troublemaking trolls always use Tor to hide their true I.P. that's why I was contemplating just disapproving posts from Tor browser accounts. Winston hasn't given me permission to do this, so at the moment I'm only disapproving users who post to advertise stuff. It's just a suggestion at the moment. A way to combat trolls.

[Pixel--Dude]

I think that should be a final solution.

We should probably start with a more complicated approval process.

A mod could create a form and ask people questions. Who they are, their intentions, the purpose behind joining, how they found the forum, and other questions. Then, implement a probation period where new accounts can be banned for being extreme trolls.

However, it is more complicated and takes more time. Automatically not approving new accounts would be the easiest and fastest way to eliminate trolls.

Another way would be to restrict them to a newbie area until people get to know them.

Automatically not approving posts from Tor wouldn't prevent trolls because they would find another way. I think it's best to do a probational type system where trolling in the week and month results in a ban if it's too offensive, nonsense, or repulsive.

It's a good idea. But it's long winded and I doubt new users would be that bothered about doing all that just to write on the forum. I don't think it's something I would have the patience for either. Managing several new users at once all submitting forms would be a pain in the ass. It's easier if we just stop users with Tor joining.

[Voyager1]

When I stayed there I noticed prostitutes staying there. They would do their calls from there.

These were not Kyiv girls. They looked to me they were girls from the village. They would come to Kyiv to earn what was for them easy money. Some of them were quite attractive.

[Voyager1]

I think that should be a final solution.

We should probably start with a more complicated approval process.

A mod could create a form and ask people questions. Who they are, their intentions, the purpose behind joining, how they found the forum, and other questions. Then, implement a probation period where new accounts can be banned for being extreme trolls.

However, it is more complicated and takes more time. Automatically not approving new accounts would be the easiest and fastest way to eliminate trolls.

Another way would be to restrict them to a newbie area until people get to know them.

Automatically not approving posts from Tor wouldn't prevent trolls because they would find another way. I think it's best to do a probational type system where trolling in the week and month results in a ban if it's too offensive, nonsense, or repulsive.

I think at the bare minimum new users should provide a brief introduction about themselves, where they're from and why they would like to join the Happier Abroad community. What they offer and what are they looking to get out of it.

[Pixel--Dude]

I think that should be a final solution.

We should probably start with a more complicated approval process.

A mod could create a form and ask people questions. Who they are, their intentions, the purpose behind joining, how they found the forum, and other questions. Then, implement a probation period where new accounts can be banned for being extreme trolls.

However, it is more complicated and takes more time. Automatically not approving new accounts would be the easiest and fastest way to eliminate trolls.

Another way would be to restrict them to a newbie area until people get to know them.

Automatically not approving posts from Tor wouldn't prevent trolls because they would find another way. I think it's best to do a probational type system where trolling in the week and month results in a ban if it's too offensive, nonsense, or repulsive.

I think at the bare minimum new users should provide a brief introduction about themselves, where they're from and why they would like to join the Happier Abroad community. What they offer and what are they looking to get out of it.

There is already the Introduction section of the forum. But I agree that new users should at least utilise this and make an introductory post so we know who they are.

[Voyager1]

Yes, that's what I meant.

[Tsar]

When I stayed there I noticed prostitutes staying there. They would do their calls from there.

These were not Kyiv girls. They looked to me they were girls from the village. They would come to Kyiv to earn what was for them easy money. Some of them were quite attractive.

How old were they? 18 or 19 or 20, or older?

How attractive? On a scale of 1-10? 7 out of 10? 8 out of 10?

[Voyager1]

I'd say early to mid 20s. I can't remember. Not less than 7.