There was an issue over the weekend where some malicious file, probably inserted by one of the spambots trying to register on the forum, got into the system and was sending out spam at a rate of thousands per hour.
My ISP helped me get rid of the problem, and I updated the Forum to a newer version, so it has a slightly different look, but it should still be working as before.
This brings up the issue of security, however. I use CAPTCHA, and a security question, AND admin approval for new members, plus new members are moderated until I know they are human. So far, the system has worked fairly well, and I've caught and blocked quite a few spammers, but as viruses become more sophisticated, problems can still arise in spite of it all.
For this reason, I'm considering shutting down the registration page altogether and just asking people to email me if they would like to join so that I can register them manually. I haven't decided for sure yet - I'll sort of see how this new phpBB version works first.
I'm only mentioning it here so that registered members and unregistered visitors know what has been happening. Several of the newly registered members are suspicious since they never return after registration, even as lurkers. So I may be deleting any member I don't recognize who never returned after registration, assuming they had other reasons for joining. This won't affect any regular visitors, but if you see the membership numbers suddenly drop, you'll know why.
In the meantime, all is well, and over the next few days I'll decide the best way to handle the security and registration.
Thanks to all the members and visitors who keep the Forum going.
Kate
Thank you Kate for the update!!!!!!
