HeavenGames Tech Blog : Archives for March 2008

Forums 2.10 -> 2.20

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:07:00 -0400

A small maintenance update to fix a couple bugs and to accommodate a couple requests that couldn’t wait until Cloud Nine. Here are the notable changes:

Non-Staff Moderators

The software supports non-staff moderators (e.g., Core Group) in forums. They act like forum moderators, but can’t ban/unban users, move threads, view private data on user profiles, view contents of hidden/deleted threads, and view hidden users on the list of online users. Just as they can on staff moderators, Seraphs have the option to set the invisible bit on them, which hides them from the list of moderators for the forum.

Rate Throttle Updated

After hearing repeated complaints from members that the rate throttle is too strict, we’ve examined the throttle rates and are experimenting with new values. For now, users with higher post counts (in the thousands and above) should see a more relaxed rate. The changes are experimental so they are likely to change as we try to balance things out again.

View Source option now available only to members

The View Source feature is now available only to members to help cut down on the # of pages search bots access on the forums.

~~Changes in regard to users who are banned~~

The software now auto-hides all posts made by members who are banned. Forum administrators and moderators will still be able to view them (via the view source feature), and they are unhidden once the member is unbanned. This measure was taken to give a ban more gravitas, as well as save our moderators the trouble of having to track down every post the user made if the post contained materials that are in violation of the Code of Conduct, such as disturbing/graphic images and spam.

Speechless.

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:30:00 -0400

From the registration logs:

Scrotums Smurf (ballsackforever@**********.***)

In case if you were wondering, that user has two other smurfs in the system.

Use G-Archiver? Your Gmail account may have been compromised.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:25:00 -0400

Via Slashdot :

“It appears that a popular Gmail backup utility, G-Archiver, has been harvesting users’ Gmail passwords. This was discovered when a developer named Dustin Brooks took a look at the code using a decompiler. He discovered a Gmail account name and password embedded in the source code. Brooks logged in and found over 1,700 emails all with user account information — with his own at the top. According to a story in Informationweek, he deleted the emails, changed the account password, and notified Google. The creator of G-Archiver has pulled the software, stating that it was debug code and was unintentionally left in the product.”