I am familiar with it. Isnt Dywyddyr explaining this to you? It goes without saying that after x number of years you can purge banned names of spammers (not regular users though unles they get a reprieve) because they will just use another name anyway with a new IP.
Maybe, since you are undoubtedly correct as to the current state of affairs. However, as you are aware, creating "read only" SQL is completely noninvasive and the changes I am discussing should be extremely simple to implement. Provided one has access to the source. Do you disagree Dwy?
John, why "purge" any records at all? Are you trying to save disk space? Are you after speed? Neither of which would seem to be important here, we are talking about a record-set of less than a million in any case, right? Maybe I am misjudging the number of records in the ban table. What is your estimate, John, of the number of records contained in the ban table? How many elements / fields do you think make up one such record? I grant that I am using "seat of the pants" approximations, but I am very interested in hearing your opinion. John, the floor is yours... Edit: PS - Please do elaborate on your knowledge of relational databases. Perhaps I have underestimated your knowledge in this area...
I think you've got a solution. As far as I'm aware it should be fairly easy for Stryder(?) to implement: a members-only and a mods-only Ban Listing. (But don't tell him I volunteered him for the job).
How do you do that cool tear out thingy? Just kidding. But I have often wondered about the huge number of members relative of number of posts. I don't much care or see any conspiracy but having more participation would be a good thing wouldn't it. Is it totally out of line for a forum to email registered members and say something like, you haven't posted in 12 months. Your ID will be deleted if you don't post in the next sixty seconds, lol. (or maybe in the next 30 days)
Hell, I volunteered for the job. (Not that I expect to be granted rights to do so Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!)
I've had exactly one e-mail of that type, out of all the fora I've joined in the last 11 years. And, strangely enough, it was one I wanted to stay on (not that I use it much, but it did come in handy now and again). I wouldn't object to it being a more wide-spread practice.
Many people these days use proxies. of course their provider knows they go through a proxy just like an admin can check that a user is not posting from Chine using known proxies.
John, what does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Or, for that matter, the suppression of spammers from the ban list?
Very little to nothing. I suspect John has Tourette's of the fingers and just types the first thing that comes to "mind".
Because IP's from a few years ago are often obsolete. Why would anyone take a username off the list if the user was banned for a specific reason. Though i can see eliminating old spammer names because spammers are less likely to log in with that name 5 years later. It's kind of meaningless at some point though. otoh, if John99 was banned and then they took taht name off the list 5 years from now some user can come on here and use John99 as a user name and people will think it was me.
John: You fail to realize that no one, besides yourself, is advocating taking any records out of the ban list. None. Nada. Kein. Hakuna. Zip. Merely displaying a subset of the records when a user pulls up the ban list. Now do you understand, John?
I just dont understand what enjoyment is to be had from itemizing the list. But if you want to do it for a hobby then go for it.
Right. Since some members would like to see a ban list "set down in detail or by particulars", specifically containing actual members as opposed to spammers, we have the concept of a WHERE clause in a SQL statement. Comprende?
I hereby award Randwolf the George Cross. The only person in recent history (ever?) to get through to John99. Many have tried, most have failed. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I am greatly honored and will treasure this award for the rest of my life. Thank you so much, Dywyddyr. And to think I used to aspire to world peace - that goal is humbled by the accomplishments made here on Sci. /wipes tear from eye...