From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The email links are gone.

12/2/2006 8:53:58 PM

canal winchester ohio

I hope it's just a glitch & not from members using the easy access to harrass other members.

12/2/2006 9:49:13 PM

Connecticut, USA

Yes, they are. They will be replaced with a link to a grower profile page soon. For now you will have to put your email in the body of a message if you intend to give it out.

Several people have complained about spammers grabbing email addresses from this site.

12/2/2006 9:56:17 PM

Western NY

i like the profile page idea.

thanks for putting the continued work into the site.

12/2/2006 10:09:27 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

Grower profile page!
Hopefully includes full name and email. But if the email is included this will defeat the purpose of the page. I think the risk of having emails grabbed by spammers is worth the risk to keep the site clean and honest. Other things that would be nice to see on a profile page would be address, city, state, years growing pumpkins, occupation and I could think of half a dozen others characteristics that would be interesting.

12/2/2006 11:28:12 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Thanks guys!

12/2/2006 11:55:29 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

It's very difficult to keep the Spam bots out entirely.
A good approach would be that the email or new profile page is accessible to registered members only.
There are some Spam bots out there currently that are able to register at certain message boards but there haven't been many reports of it happening. It is easier to control if guest do not have the ability to view the more sensitve areas such as member contact information.

A profile page would be a nice addition.

12/3/2006 12:08:14 AM

Long Island,New York

Profile page Bah Humbug. I post here just about as much as anyone else so if the 'bots were taking emails and spamming I'd be getting them too...and I'm not. Not having instant access to the poster for a reply will certainly reduce pumpkin related email conversations way-more than it will prevent spam originating from emails stolen from this particular website in my humble opinion. If you want people to know exactly who you are and how long you've been doing this and how good you are, where you live, what you do etc, etc, then everyone should be forced to divulge everything which is more info than I or anyone else should be required to do for a hobby. It's Big Brother taking over cause someone's visiting other sites that steal emails and dumb people sending stupid unsolicited jokes and chain emails with a gazillion email addresses in the address box. Just my 2 cents.

12/3/2006 3:49:45 PM

Wallingford,CT

I agree with Glenn...........

Ken, any chance the little envelope with the users email could be a selectable option for us in our BP profile? Perhaps sort of the way the colors are done. envelop vs no envelope

12/3/2006 4:50:42 PM

canal winchester ohio

I also agree with Glen, I've been using this site since 1999 & I get no unwanted e-mail. Mabey the person(s) involved got tapped into from a different site they don't want their spouse knowing about & therefore saying it's BP....LOL

12/3/2006 5:23:35 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Well, I've got unwanted email. . . creepy guy I had to block.

12/3/2006 6:16:51 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

I get lots of unwanted email but that's what spam filters are for. I seriously doubt that it came from this site. I like the envelopes and would vote for them to come back. I would also like to see a profile page, participate in it if you want.

12/3/2006 6:45:09 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I agree with Glenn, I like the ability to contact other growers.

12/3/2006 6:54:19 PM

Niagara County, NY

my vote--envelopes should stay or atleast be optional

dan

12/3/2006 6:58:09 PM

Connecticut, USA

Everyone will have the option of disclosing their email address if they want to. The exact of point of a grower profile page is to give each person a page to include whatever they want. Think of it as the BigPumpkins.com version of MySpace.....say GrowerSpace or something. I simply removed it for now because I am swamped with seed auctions at the moment.

12/3/2006 7:04:27 PM

canal winchester ohio

Cool..PunkinSpace.

12/3/2006 7:29:10 PM

Mn

i think its a good idea. My email went down recently an i lost all my saved email addresses so having the ability to click on someones name to email them is great.

12/3/2006 8:27:11 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

For the record my primary email address (the one that was visible here at BP) gets very little spam. But I have yahoo & other email accounts that do get inundated with several hundred spams per week. I have those accounts for when I log onto stupid websites like the LATimes, etc that require it then sell my address to advertisers.

I don't believe that BigPumpkins has ever caused me to receive spam. Just a bazillion questions about soil tests & pesticides. LOL That's not spam.

12/3/2006 10:28:07 PM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ spacemaster400@earthlink.net

I agree with Glenn & Tremor, as the address I have in the e mail box on this site gets very little spam and I have had it on here for many years, the same e mail address I think close to 4 years. My other e mail addresses get more spam and I do not even hardly give those out. I think it all comes down to how clean you keep your computer/network, and how well your filtering and protection is working. A lot of folks are not so computer savy and have no clue how to take preventitive steps to keep others who make it a hobby as we do growing pumpkins to attack other folks computers. And they have fun doing it.Too bad we cant spam them back with pumpkin stuff.....lol

12/4/2006 2:06:41 AM

President - GPC

Folks, I too agree with Tremor, James (400SF) and others,
I love the envelopes and vote for their return. I have not received SPAM from this site, folks should realize that if they are not running anti spyware software or the latest versions and updates of Symantec AntiVirus version 10, or MCafee that detect spyware then they are being mined for information when they surf.
Being a IT techy, I see user computers that have Hundreds of infections, most can be minor, some very serious. Surfing habits are being collected and tracked by a large number of sites, MSN, AOL,....if you have clicked on any pop ups then please see below.
Removing the links from BP will not stop the spam because if they got into our address database or singles, they would of gotten all of them and everyone here would be getting the spam, the same spam. Check out this site for a free download of spyware monitoring and removal. Its one of the best....and there are others......Run the software you will be surprised, If your not running any anti spyware, in addition to Anti-Virus...................then YOU ARE BEING WATCHED!!!

http://www.adawareresource.com/co/adawareresource/?sid=M2AG0006aGS

or google for lavasoft, they are the manufactures and have a great product.

Also see www.grc.com and grab the spybot program,
http://www.safer-networking.org/

If you need help or want more info then email me, perhaps I can help you out .....for that 1068 Wallace seed your holding onto.......lol......really Im happy to help.......You all know my email...just look in the seeds section.....lol
Wiz

12/4/2006 9:37:04 AM

Indiana

I don't get any spam on the address I use here either. Sounds like a couple complaints are causing grief for the majority of us. If your worried about spam change you bp e-mail to a hotmail/yahoo account, dont cause more work for Ken and John

Steve

12/4/2006 11:06:18 AM

Belgium Europe

Agree with steve & glenn,tom and others, but i'm sure ken will come with a goodsolution for everyone.

12/4/2006 11:07:53 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I absolutely agree with the recommendation to use anti-spyware programs. We use Ad-Aware. It catches both normal & malicious spy-cookies. Good or bad, I delete them all.

I suppose a profile page is OK.

The user gets to define how much or how little they share about themself.

This might solve the age old complaint some growers have had about posting here. The second they post they get inundated with seed requests.

12/4/2006 12:57:02 PM

Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

BRING THEM BACK, PLEASE....ASAP!....thanks,
Bill

12/4/2006 2:08:50 PM

President - GPC

Email links are present if you look at the persons diary. Hope they stay!

12/4/2006 4:08:31 PM

Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

Wiz, you gave it away...it was a secret. They will prolly go now too! Dang it!

12/4/2006 9:30:50 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Never had a problem with SPAM at all here.

Profile pages are a much better resource of grower information than just their email address.
You can have fields for location, age, gender,garden size, personal best, AIM, links to chats or home pages, whatever the member wishes to convey about themselves. All at the members disgression and changable by the member at any time.

Ken, any thoughts of adding Avatars and or Monikers?

This is a wonderful site that I am sure will only keep getting better.

12/5/2006 8:50:09 AM

President - GPC

Sorry I have no secrets and like to share..........

12/5/2006 9:37:38 AM

Indiana

Please no avatars or smileys that is one of the things i like about this forum simple and straight forward.
Steve

12/5/2006 9:56:31 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

TheWiz, No apollogies necessary.
That is wonderful, and I feel the same way, but one of the greatest things about living in a free society is having freedom of choice. Giving members that freedom of choice just may be what brings a few new growers to the board, posting and sharing with this community.

Honestly it doesn't matter to me what Ken decides to do. I'll keep coming here and interacting with the community, fancy bells and whistles or not.

ONE thing That IS needed here IMHO is a clickable link on each persons profile page, under their name etc. which will make it easier to retrieve post made by that member.

A Private message system would resolve a lot of contact issues as well, making private conversations available to members without having to go to email.

12/5/2006 10:14:02 AM

President - GPC

Yes, I do miss the ability to email with ease, its sort of like the hyphae on the mycho fungi.......allows us to communicate and is essential for growth.......lol. Im sure Ken will figure out a way to get it done.

12/5/2006 11:29:51 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Uhg! No Avatars please! I know of websites where the idiotic avatars take up 10 times the space the written text. Smiley things & bouncing happy guys are lame too.

12/5/2006 1:49:34 PM

President - GPC

How bout my stupid bat? Ive become quite fond of him.....lol

12/5/2006 2:23:12 PM

Ontario

No spam here, but minus the option some of the heavy hitters that lurk in the shadows might start posting without fear of getting hit with a ton of email. Personally I like the option but may encourage more chat for some without their email being exposed.

drew

12/5/2006 6:58:35 PM

canal winchester ohio

very good point drew

12/5/2006 8:01:37 PM

canal winchester ohio

Although, off the top of my head I remember the following Heavy Hitters posting once in awhile. Jack LaRue,Jim Sherwood, Ron & Dick Wallace, Jerry Rose, Quinn Werner, Larry Checkon,Joe Pukos, yourself Drew, Bob Liggett.
While your point is a good one, there are many HH's on the boards & in the chat rooms.

12/5/2006 8:32:46 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

A profiles page would be great! I hope it becomes a reality.

Avatars would be nice IFF (if and only if) they were simply a decent and respectable photo of the person behind the screen name. Unfortunately that will never happen, so leave them out.

12/5/2006 10:18:19 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

why not the option when signing in...do you want email or not click it on or off...if it's on you've got mail..if it's off you don't...have a real good year you can click it off! LOL

12/5/2006 11:20:52 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

What is an "avatar" or a "moniker"? sounds greek to me?

12/6/2006 12:14:38 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Brian C., I'd email you the answer but...

An avatar is the picture or icon that you see in some forums. We use them on the GVGO message board (http://www.gvgo.ca/mb).

By the way, I know that they can sometimes be annoying, but the board administrator can automatically limit file or pixel size or file format. The admin can also decide if users will be able to use their own avatar or only one provided by the site.

12/6/2006 12:25:01 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

An avatar would be a little postage stamp sized picture that goes over there by your name. Ideally it would be a picture of "you", but usually it's a picture of "anything but" on most sites....

A limited use of the little smiley icons can be ok if they're meant to show meaning. :shrug: For example, the little smiley who seems to be shruging his shoulders could help people understand that you're offering an opinion or idea but don't feel too confident about it. The little guy laughing could replace all of the usage of "LOL". But then again it becomes a lot of clutter, especially if it isn't used well.

12/6/2006 1:05:42 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

On my board, after registering each member has the option of not only wether they wish to use an avatar, they can also choose wether or not they wish to view avatars on the site at all.
In the Member control panel there is an option to turn avatars an smilies off across the board, making the board very user friendly.

I welcome Ken or anyone else from BP to register and have a look at the different options available. I will help you in any way I can.
I am currently using vbulletin 3.6.4 which is the latest version of forum software. It really doesn't get much better than vbulletin as far as forum software goes.

12/6/2006 1:38:30 AM

Western NY

i think the best way would be to only allow a hotlinked pic from someone's diary or photo album on bp as their profile pic. that way, it has to go through the approval process anyway. most of us would use an already uploaded one i would imagine.

we'll get used to the new format, and most of us will like it better.

my spam dropped off a bit these last few days. not that i complained about it or that it was that much, i did notice.

12/6/2006 8:28:26 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

It's when avatars become a half-naked picture of Britney Spears or an advertisement for your favorite heavy metal band, that they become a problem.

12/6/2006 12:06:55 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

So were all those unwanted stock recommendations coming from here? The ones with the different colored text lines?Suddenly they've dropped off here too.

I tried following a couple of those losers just to see how they did. LOL....Bad mojo.

12/6/2006 4:55:41 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Sorry, I haven't had a chance to login the past few days. I created a test email address that I only used on this site (pumpkinspam@wickless.com). Within one week I was receiving spam and phishing emails to that address, and I shared that information with Ken and John. Those of you who have had your email address on this site for several years are likely getting a large amount of spam that can be contributed to bp. It was good move to remove the link. Again, thanks guys for doing it.

12/6/2006 9:30:21 PM

i was getting 2-6 stock recommendations as tremor points out daily now- all gone

12/6/2006 10:16:52 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I was the same way. Sometimes I'd get 10 per day about the same stock. These bottom-feeding slugs should be shot & p*##&* on. Glad to see them gone. Thanks guys.

Phil

12/7/2006 6:48:40 AM

Mocksville, NC

Same here! i dont have a prb giving my e-mail out, or profile there in the anyways.

BP.com has 8 affiations, and 1 IP of 216.147.96.192
My site advisor has checked them all, and they were all positve safe sites, and was established in 1999
so its not the site its some comp or person snatching e-mails from prob the letter boxes.
Good choice Ken has made. Roger

12/7/2006 7:13:21 AM

Mocksville, NC

By the way more than half are just growers clubs Thats cool with me.

12/7/2006 7:18:19 AM

Mocksville, NC

By the way again sorry you can go to top of any growers diary and the envelope with e-mail is still there at the top, Just thought you should know!

12/7/2006 8:29:18 AM

Indiana

Why would the stock recomandations stop after they already have your e-mail address?? Im sure the bots werent picking up the adresses an a daily basis???
Steve

12/7/2006 10:58:26 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Maybe the stocks didn't do so well, so they could no longer afford such an expensive marketing campaign.

12/7/2006 11:47:13 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

Hey guys, once they have your address, once ANYONE has your address, you're forevermore going to have spam. They don't refresh the list every day. There must be some other reason for a decrease in phony stock emails, Christmas season perhaps?

My yahoo account is probably available in about a billion locations now. Who cares? That is, I setup the spam filtering on the Yahoo and 98 out of 100 spams end up there. It does a pretty good job. Once or twice a week I get a spam message that actually gets to my inbox. I can put up with that for now.

If you're using your work account to get emails for things like this... don't do it. (Of course, now it's too late.....)

12/7/2006 11:59:34 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

Having said that, I'm all for moving the email information within a password protected area, if that is possible.

12/7/2006 12:10:27 PM

Marengo, Ohio

The site is already password protected...just don't make the e-mails available if you are not logged in!

12/7/2006 3:43:52 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Im still getting 20 stock e-mails a day

12/7/2006 5:10:13 PM

Mocksville, NC

I can just report them to my server as spam, and man they sure go away real quick! There are now spam laws that protect all, but if you dont report them they can keep on coming. There prb useing a IP that they spoofed, that means they have used a trojan on somebody eles computer so they dont get caught, but if you report them the cyber cops will weave there way to the real culprit, and they have there ISP drop them, and hefty fines too! becuase it is against the law for unsolistated spam.

12/7/2006 5:50:48 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The Federal Government wants to know about spammers too.

Tom Priv gave me the following email address that we should forward the spam to:

spam@uce.gov

12/7/2006 6:36:35 PM

President - GPC

New Spam Worm being circulated----Warezov or Stration Worm....Spammers have come up with new variants that are hard to detect and spreading......email spams are now reported to be up 500% just over the holidays in the last few weeks. Reports say that spammers have gone from being one person to organizations and its looking like organized crime is behind it. More and more sophisticated phishing attempts, new botnets and worm attacks focus on monitoring keystokes to get personal information for personal gain.....So get your flavour of spyware detection and make sure its updated. Even some spyware free trials behave like spyware messing up your computer. They will scan your PC but want you to buy to remove it, or their pop ups continue to annoy. The computers version of the cuke beetle....... innoculate now

12/7/2006 7:21:21 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

KISS...keep it simple stupid...I'd like the envelopes back please Sir!

12/7/2006 9:17:11 PM

western PA

Any feedback as to what is going to be done about the e-mails being available or not?? It was kinda nice to be able to just hit the link instead of searching for the e-mail.

12/14/2006 8:29:20 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

The little email envelopes are still in everyone's diary section. I know that not everyone has a diary but at least there are some.

12/14/2006 8:07:19 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I would like to see them be there, maybe on a choice by the sender basis. Sure made it easy to contact folks. Peace, Wayne

12/14/2006 10:30:24 PM

Wilmington.Ma.

Whats the difference in having the little envelopes on the page angd or just writeing it on the page???

12/15/2006 3:13:24 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Ahab, email me bout mill cloth, wsmpeace@aol.com...lost yer last email. Peace, Wayne

12/15/2006 4:47:35 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Wayne, email me Ahab's email addy, wanna send a Christmas Wish his way...
Duff (asselinduffy@aol.com)

12/15/2006 8:21:39 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Duff, George's email addy is now listed on the seed exchange board. Peace, Wayne

12/16/2006 9:04:26 AM

Leamington, Ont.

<-- My version a temporary option.

12/16/2006 11:16:50 PM

President - GPC

Sweet, Shiznit quite resourceful, this could work!

12/17/2006 12:52:52 PM

western PA

perhaps we could have the address appear like our location does. not a link (if that is a big problem) but just as writing. it hasnt been a problem with my email( no spam )

12/19/2006 2:30:46 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

<<<------You mean like this?.....Good idea.

12/19/2006 3:13:35 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

I just changed mine to see if it works.

12/20/2006 12:16:24 AM

Utah (Wolfleym@aol.com)

The location field will hold a lot of data.

12/20/2006 11:32:06 AM

President - GPC

Nice, Life finds away! Choices are good!

12/20/2006 1:37:53 PM

Wallingford,CT

abuse of the 'location' field only serves to force the column to its maximum width and waste a lot of screen real estate. The width of the location column seems to be dynamic so it adjust to accommodate the longest entry up to its preset limit. Nicely done by Ken and John. I support leaving its use for its intended purpose.

12/20/2006 5:39:54 PM

Wallingford,CT

abuse of the 'location' field only serves to force the column to its maximum width and waste a lot of screen real estate. The width of the location column seems to be dynamic so it adjust to accommodate the longest entry up to its preset limit. Nicely done by Ken and John. I support leaving its use for its intended purpose.

12/20/2006 5:39:54 PM

Long Island,New York

Definitely a post worthy of repeating.LOL.
Just give us back the quick email addy access and we'll forget this ever happened Ken.

12/20/2006 7:14:07 PM

Rexburg, Idaho (brianchristensenmd@gmail.com )

I would not call it abuse. According to the dictionary "Location" is defined as "the site or position of something". In this case it just happens to be the address of a computer terminal.

12/20/2006 7:14:42 PM

western PA

just put your email in parentheses and the address will go underneath your location. saves space.

12/21/2006 8:16:42 AM

Wallingford,CT

The information in the location column comes from the “Geographic Location” on the user setting page. Where you will also see it says “(City/State or City/Province or City/Country)”. To fill that field with something other than that would seem to be abuse especially when e-mail address has its own field. Agree or disagree, it doesn’t matter so long as one poster maximize the column width the space is lost.

12/21/2006 5:44:50 PM

Montoursville, PA

If I could somehow block forwards what I call spam would nearly disappear. On a few instances when any individual got to sending three and four "you must read this" forwards I have ask them to cease within a no forward program agreement. From well meaning friends and associates I was getting up to thirty a day. Most understood or got peed off and quit. Funny the spam was from individuals who rarely sent a personal original communication. Maybe some do enjoy the stupid forwards. I do not! I enjoy personal communication and respond to all that come in. It does take a lot of time dumpping the forwards while looking for the occasional personal note included.

My ISP does a good job of filtering. Four or five days after the latest big penis spammer's five a day issue stopped. After all gentle encouragement to friends and associates I still have to block my next door neighbor.

I enjoy the many E's that are personal even if they are into things that are quite commonly already somewhere within this site. We do not all know how to effectively search.

I know of no other site as meaningfull to a broad range of opinions and subjects, to and for those who post.

12/31/2006 5:54:37 PM