BOT Checks & Verification to visit this site ?

[Steve_S]

Well, I just got "Challenged" to Verify with Captcha just to view the forum.
THAT'S NEW ! Not particularly sure if that sends a good message or not.
Seems the "personality" of this forum is changing and not sure if it for the better.

Ohhh well...

 

[Texas-Mark]

I just got that too.

 

[Pyrofx]

Here also

 

[A.Justice]

Same here.

 

[Horsefly]

It may be partly my imagination, but I think the DIY Solar Forum has had a number of shifts over the past several weeks, and none of them really seem good:

1. There's been a significant drop off in postings. This isn't based on me seeing any metrics, just me looking at new posts a couple of times per day.
2. There has been a big increase in what seems like somewhat personal, ad hominem attacks in posts. Again, not quantitative, but it certainly feels like it has gone up.
3. There seems to be more of what I see as trolls posting. By that I mean new people with no particular experience to post about, but posting things seemingly just to get a reaction. This may be closely linked to #2.

My characterizations may be wrong. It just "feels" like these changes have been happening. It also seems like this all coincided with the sudden and spectacular failure of some of @Michael B Caro CATL "group buys". Nothing against Michael. In fact, my purchase through him went perfectly and I was very happy with the cells I got. However, it seems to have scared (and angered) lots of people, and the posts have dropped off and meanness has picked up.

Just an opinion....

 

[A.Justice]

It also seems like this all coincided with the sudden and spectacular failure of some of @Michael B Caro CATL "group buys". Nothing against Michael. In fact, my purchase through him went perfectly and I was very happy with the cells I got. However, it seems to have scared (and angered) lots of people, and the posts have dropped off and meanness has picked up.

Just an opinion....

I've noticed this too, I've never seen so many petty arguments on here, and TONS of shi**y, shameless corporate plugs from new members.

There are a bunch of new members posting on Michaels group buy threads as well, I wonder if the sudden influx of crap has to do with a bunch of very angry people joining the forum and posting after getting all riled up about getting screwed.

Moods transfer. If people are pissed about something, they tend to lash out at uninvolved parties. I'm interested to see what happens if and when the group buy is all cleared up.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Gotta keep the automated spammers out somehow. Unless you want to spring for a staff of moderators that will monitor the forum manually 24/7 and ban those.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Well, I just got "Challenged" to Verify with Captcha just to view the forum.
THAT'S NEW ! Not particularly sure if that sends a good message or not.
Seems the "personality" of this forum is changing and not sure if it for the better.

botchecks keep mischievous people and AI posters away. It can be a tool against Denial Of Service attacks.

it’s not a bad thing.

the personality change? Part of it is cultural- small solar is maturing and the last few years of folks trying to live vanlife and neohomeless or homeless with status has skyrocketed.

RE: small solar maturing… it’s on the cusp of technologically developing in pace with market source intentions. It can go two ways: small solar grows and remains obtainable along with the sophistication and specialization in the grid tie market with AIO boxes being a part of that. Or, as it appears to be going, small solar gets specialized and AIO along with small solar gets more ‘sophisticated’ (like cell phones have become where people are constantly ’upgrading’ leaving older devices as obsoleted waste) and it becomes a consumer drain - latest snd greatest mentality.

We see that reflection of cultural purchasing trends in the attitudes of participants who feel owed something. They only stay to get what they want and then “poof” so troublemakers stand out because the crowd is thinner.

 

[houseofancients]

agree on all counts

 

[Steve_S]

Some of us just get sick of being zapped for helping others and so we move off the greener pastures and the undertones gaining ground here... that ick belongs in the bottom of the outhouse. I'm not the only one backing away from here now and reducing interaction.

 

[stienman]

It's a consequence of the normal growth pattern of every forum. As it grows it gains more extremists, and more attention from marketers.

The mods have enough on their hands dealing with new users who are only here to get their way without having to deal with the constant onslaught of scammers and spammers.

It would be nice if the automated check only occurred for user who were not logged in, or who were logged in but hadn't posted enough good content to be trusted.

 

[stienman]

Some of us just get sick of being zapped for helping others and so we move off the greener pastures and the undertones gaining ground here... that ick belongs in the bottom of the outhouse. I'm not the only one backing away from here now and reducing interaction.

Eternal September.

 

[Diysolar123]

yea thats a royal PAIN IN THE A..
half the time due to network scripting it just hangs...sigh

 

[David in nh]

a occasional bot check seems a small price to pay for the great free help we get here and if it makes the mods job a little more simple it, s all good with me

as for less posting that may do the fact there is so much great information here.

Many times i can find the answer on the forum with out having to ask a question

 

[Bob B]

If it prevents automated attacks on the forum, I don't have a problem with the bot check thingy.

If someone is so impaired by by their chosen mind numbing substance that they can't tell which pictures have a stop light .... they probably shouldn't be on there anyway ....LOL

 

[HRTKD]

It may not be the forum that is causing the bot check. I'm on another forum that had the same thing happen. I think it was CrowdStrike that initiated the validation. The forum had no control over it.