Need for a locked section, for our own security/privacy

[sexual_sushi]

It is a terrible shame what happened to Peter but I'm affraid people were being robbed well before the internet, both by random crimes of opportunity and by calculating and informed individuals. Sure, there is a fairly good chance that someone got information from this forum but there is an equally as good chance that they did not. This quickly escalated into a witch hunt and we are starting to burn the forum before checking whether it floats.

 

I think a small locked section could be good for a LIMITED number of posts/things but it's simple, if we start restricting the quality and accesibility of information on the site, less people are going to come here and less people will be bothered sticking around. The value of this site is directly related to its content which is directly related to its member base.

 

Forming tight friendships with a select few is a nice biproduct of the site, but this is not a chat room for a small group of clicky people who have passed the initiation test. It should be a place to inform and entertain and bring together people with a common love of cars (or a common sense of boredom at work ).

 

Just be smart with what you post in any online community, lock the doors and take out some insurance! (not saying that Peter didn't do any of these things)

[Zedman240®]

One thing I do hope happens when this "individual" is found, is to name and shame him to make an example and to hopefully try and prevent this happening again. Or better yet, drag them out to the middle of nowhere and ..ummm you get the idea.

[dat2kman]

Major issue I see is that as a "guest" a visitor is not known to anyone, does not post anything, but can read and monitor so much information.

 

Fwiw set the forum up in total as locked, and if anyone is keen or in anyway interested in what we are all about, they can register, and in the registration process they supply some basics that enable the mods to have some possibility of reverse tracking them if need be.

 

Other thing, any new applicant should / could be introduced by an existing member, although this could be a bit precious.

I am on other forums where this is required, and because I want to be there it is not an imposition in anyway.

[daw260z]

Hi All,

 

This is actually my first post as I am still trying to find a Zed in WA, but honestly I may not have become a member had I not been able to see the value of this forum first. Despite this, I think that member security is really needed. I would have no problem paying a small fee on sign up, maybe guest should only be able to see the titles of posts or even the first entry to give them a taste of what they can find in the forum. Member locations could also be hidden. Realistically though, as many have said we need to think about how much info we put online. Like MaygZ said, use PM's people and get to know someone before you share your details with them.

 

Unfortunately social media has become one of the latest ways for the devious to work their magic. I guess it would be irresponsible not to make some changes to protect our privacy. But once again like Maygz said where the staple are put needs to be carefully considered so as not  to kill of such a valuable resource.

[luvemfast]

There it is, a first time poster who thinks member security is needed.

+karma for oy sir

 

There are lots of threads that can remain untouched, ie - techical areas

Its mainly the members projects that are in need of protection.

 

I even don't care about the classified section. Leave it open for all. But leave exchanges alone to PM's.

 

I have sent a PM to Gav requesting more security, and encourage those who feel the need to do the same.

 

And where is the big fella on this?

LURCH....... Where art thou?

[BobsYourUncle]

There are lots of threads that can remain untouched, ie - techical areas Its mainly the members projects that are in need of protection.

 

I even don't care about the classified section. Leave it open for all. But leave exchanges alone to PM's.

 

I'm against locking things down, or charging to join, but I'd agree to that - registered users only in the journal section. There's always the "Featured Cars" thing on the main page to show off completed projects.

[Patch]

I can see it gets a lot of guests in here, 49 and 11 members.

Locking threads to members is not going to stop what happened, giving too much personal information does that and main thing you shouldn't do is let people know you are away from your property, and if it is a car event organized get somebody to look after your place that day.

 

One of the bike forums I belong to have a guest section which we make easy for spys to read and any thing we want known to anybody goes in there  and then associate members section which you only need email address to get into, and then we have a full members section and to be a full member you have to give more information and we organize get together's and more personal stuff, I have actually had an AGM of full members at my place with 30 camping over and had no fear of any of them stealing stuff.

[reverendzed]

All this just makes me homesick! talk of opening up a can of whoop ass on someone who thinks 5 finger discount is still the best way to win friends and influence people, to Maygz adventures on the high seas to salty's... O.K now I'm in tears and looking for cheap flights home just so I can stand around a BBQ, drink a beer whilst staring at an engine under a Zed's lifted top and corporately fantasying about the rumored barn finds to be had in rural Vicroria...I have to stop and take a Valium...talk soon!  :'(

Rev

[Sirpent]

There it is, a first time poster who thinks member security is needed.

+karma for oy sir

 

There are lots of threads that can remain untouched, ie - techical areas

Its mainly the members projects that are in need of protection.

 

I even don't care about the classified section. Leave it open for all. But leave exchanges alone to PM's.

 

I have sent a PM to Gav requesting more security, and encourage those who feel the need to do the same.

 

And where is the big fella on this?

LURCH....... Where art thou?

 

I support Simon 100% on this matter !

 

And with all respect to Gav the creator of the site, I have to say it again for what ever it is worth.

 

This forum in many respects oustrips a lot of the other Z forums on the WWW as far as damn good informative innovative technical information and support, where it lacks however is in the way that some of this information particularly in visual terms is free source.

 

Go join Hybrid Z, or MBWorld.org where I am also a member and try and access my posts, unless you are a member and enjoy trying to decipher reams of text  I can guarantee you will become bored very quickly.

 

On other sites, access to even posted technical attachments cannot be accessed.

 

This simple machines platform is pretty versatile for smaller forums, but what is accumulating here as far as technical matter is going beyond its versatility, I owned a SC400 Lexus/Soarer and was a member on PlanetSoarer some years ago, their technical threads and archives are brilliant and something that would work great for this membership.

 

BUT, this all costs money and as I have said before, if a member logs on here once and looks for answers or approaches another member for assistance the value could run into $100's, I get numerous PM's on body questions and would hope that the advice I have given has paid off to those members who have registered and been able to PM me, and if any of you are reading this maybe you could back up this argument.

 

Peter, Lurch, David, NZ Mike, Dimitri, My Bro Loui !, Mick from SA, Rev, Benny, Simon 1 and Simon 2, hell the list goes on have all shared not only their knowledge with me but also been there on a personal level on countless occasions, and I was once a newbie also but was welcomed and hopefully added to the experience here as much as I have gained from it.

 

Its not about locking ppl out of the forum, its about taking it to the next stage, a stage it deserves but also protecting the intellectual knowledge and investment people give this site every day and the personal risks they may face as a consequence of that, Peter's situation is a prime example.

 

If everyone wants this to just serve as a social chat forum, that's fine, if ppl want to help build one of the best Z sites world wide then its time we all stood up dipped our hands in our pockets on an annual basis and give Gav the chance to take it to a new platform with realistic features so that the input on the site continues not just to better it and our experience but also archive our achievements and knowledge for the next generation.

 

Last year my son almost died, the outpouring of support from individuals here was overwhelming and it touched me in a way that one night I cried while sitting next to my comatose son in intensive care while surfing the forum on my mobile, point is he pulled out of it and the car will be his one day, I hope that he will continue my legacy with the car in 30 years from now when the rest of us are sitting in a retirement home toothless and wheel chair bound reminiscing about the days when a litre of fuel was $4.00.

 

That my wish for this site, my car and my son.

 

Nuf said.

[Sirpent]

All this just makes me homesick! talk of opening up a can of whoop ass on someone who thinks 5 finger discount is still the best way to win friends and influence people, to Maygz adventures on the high seas to salty's... O.K now I'm in tears and looking for cheap flights home just so I can stand around a BBQ, drink a beer whilst staring at an engine under a Zed's lifted top and corporately fantasying about the rumored barn finds to be had in rural Vicroria...I have to stop and take a Valium...talk soon!  :'(

Rev

 

God speed and hurry back Rev !

[Agno]

To throw my hat into the ring...

 

Yes it was a horrible thing that Pete got robbed, however to all of a sudden to go on a crusade/beat down the door of Gav to lock down the forum is a very trigger happy response. I will start off by saying I am a big fan of open forums because they can provide a great insight and ideas to my projects and if you were to go and lock down certain sections of the forum as detailed you might find that you are actively deterring people from joining... I know I would not have registered if I wasn't able to see before hand that there was a genuinely insightful group of people online.

 

If this forum was locked up that probably would have been a fairly significant deterrent for me in terms of buying a Z. It brings an unwelcome feeling to the ownership of a car... and few people would want to get involved in a certain hobby if the feeling that they recieved was that the culture surrounding that hobby was closed off and insular.

[daw260z]

Yes it was a horrible thing that Pete got robbed, however to all of a sudden to go on a crusade/beat down the door of Gav to lock down the forum is a very trigger happy response.

 

 

I dont think its trigger happy, especially since the culprit has been caught and this discussion is still open. The incident has brought to light an issue that needs to be considered. It is one that may have previously been overlooked.

 

If this forum was locked up that probably would have been a fairly significant deterrent for me in terms of buying a Z. It brings an unwelcome feeling to the ownership of a car... and few people would want to get involved in a certain hobby if the feeling that they recieved was that the culture surrounding that hobby was closed off and insular.

 

Maybe instead of a notice telling guests that certain areas are for members only a brief explanation that they are locked for the protection of members privacy might help prevent negative feelings. Free membership could still be offered with an option of donating on sign up. Maybe features like sending a PM, posting and viewing member details could remain locked until members donate. That way new members would get a good taste and if they are seriously interested they can get involved. I know that would rule me out right know but I will be donating as soon as this post is finished, to prevent any hypocracy.

 

I hope you don't think i am having a go at you Agno, I think that its an important issue that should be considered and discussed. Think of facebook. The most successful social media website we know. Try and access someones page without becoming a member or someones friend. Security doesn't always mean scaring people away.

[C.A.R.]

I'm not going to bang on about this subject too much - other members that I'm in agreeance with, have already posted far more then I could be bothered typing!

Peter's theft would appear an isolated case with circumstances involved.

 

I still believe this forum should remail 'open' EXCEPT for the Members Project's section. I feel that the cars in that section may become targets of theft or the like & should be closed to anyone who has a post count of - say - less than 20 for example.

Leave the Classifieds section open, as you never know when a bargain will be posted from a person who has never been heard of before...

 

My 2c.

 

[luvemfast]

I still believe this forum should remail 'open' EXCEPT for the Members Project's section. I feel that the cars in that section may become targets of theft or the like & should be closed to anyone who has a post count of - say - less than 20 for example.

+1

This should not affect traffic to the site too much and still have heaps of info available to everyone.

[lightmaster240z]

Once again word of wisdom from the grump one. so it + 1 from me  

[MaygZ]

We all seem to be focusing on locking sections or restricting access until a financial contribution is made or number of quality posts is reached.  Surely what we are really concerned about is security; not being exposed to all the nameless, faceless trolls of the interweb.  This could be changed by having a password emailed to an email address on sign-up.  I'm not an IT guru (a gimp really) but I've seen many other forums and sites run this system.

 

I know I could be fred.flinstone@dodgyashell.com if my motives were sinister.  Maybe it could be restricted so no hotmail/gmail/yahoo addresses (I'm sure there are more dodgy free domains - I'm not saying everyone that uses these domains is dodgy, but you know what I mean).

 

Again I don't know much (anything) about setting up or running a site, but this could be done, right?  It sounds easy? 

 

Having said that, if it is deemed appropriate to 'lock' a section, then I would support locking the build threads.

 

I agree with DAW(date of birth).  Had I had to pay to get into this site, I wouldn't have joined.  I may well have bought an old Capri and gone down that path - buy British, buy bad!!

 

Rev, I miss you.  Other than reducing my blood pressure (by cutting down my Salty intake), I'm a lone ranger for peace, respect and love in a world of misunderstanding, sarcasm (not easy in printed form) and general sledging.  I can't do it all on my own  .....  I must have more formula .... please come back 

[nizm0zed]

I really hate forums that block all free email sites, like yahoo/hotmail ect.

I use Yahoo for my email, i have for around 12 years now.

I dont have another email option open to me, other than the one that comes with my broadband plan, that is a complete pig to use and i never remember the password anyway.

When i find a forum that blocks those email addresses straight off, i never bother with it again, i just go elsewhere.

Im sure im not the only one.

 

I dont think we need to lock the place down and be paranoid, I think we need to EACH be smart about what we post.

Same as in public, you dont go around announcing to the world in general that you have $1000 in your wallet and lots of expensive things at home.

thats just asking to be robbed.

 

I do agree that the projects/members rides section should be available only to members signed in, but lets face it, if you really want to be an ass and find someone to rip off, its not hard to get a dodgy email and maybe make a $10 contribution to seem 'legit' while you plan your heist.

Lets face it, if peter was working on more common things, Eg RB skyline, Commodore or falcon bits ect, do you think he would have been able to track anything? It could be anywhere, with anyone.

At that point, a bit of time and a $10 outlay for the theif to make $1000 on some stolen parts would be nothing, same as if they are willing to give up a few evenings to case the joint.

 

I have to ask, do you really know me?

I could be the head of an international car theft ring.

I think most of you would probably take my word as honest seeing as i have been around for a while and racked up a decent amount of posts.

but really, of EVERYONE on the forum, can you really say that of them?

Unfortunately that sort of paranoid will end up destroying everything, so lets not end up down that path.

If you really need to give out secure information, do it via PM, over the phone or in person.

fortunately for our small group, most of us know each other or have met in person, so its a bit more secure.

 

to recap, be smart about what you post.

when you take picures, make sure you dont have valuables, targets or identifying locations in the background.

Dont take pictures of your security systems, or theft preventatives.

Treat the majority of people on the internet as untrustworthy.

[Six_Shooter]

Well said nizm0zed!

 

I too have used a free mail service account for around 12 or 13 years, and don't have another option.

[daw260z]

 

I agree with DAW(date of birth).

 

 

Time to add my date of birth to my profile I think

[Bigfella]

I'm not going to bang on about this subject too much - other members that I'm in agreeance with, have already posted far more then I could be bothered typing!

Peter's theft would appear an isolated case with circumstances involved.

 

I still believe this forum should remail 'open' EXCEPT for the Members Project's section. I feel that the cars in that section may become targets of theft or the like & should be closed to anyone who has a post count of - say - less than 20 for example.

Leave the Classifieds section open, as you never know when a bargain will be posted from a person who has never been heard of before...

 

My 2c.

+1 with the big man

Not that I have anything worth steeling as of yet, But there will come a time as the car progresses. I would be hesitant to post picks of new parts now.

 

I vote for locking the journals.

 

Matty O

 

[saxon]

Let me start by saying I hope the thief rots in hell.

 

but my opnion is that this proposition wont be very effective and will damage the forum.

 

I think there are 3 ways to prevent theft of your car and parts:

 

Make sure no body knows about it

Make people dont know your address

Get security/insurance

 

humans are vain creatures, and the reason we want cool cars is to look at them and drive them and enjoy them, but also to show them off. If you dont want to post pics on websites detailing the progress of your car for the public to see, then you might as well lock it in the garage forever cause i gurantee you the shady alcoholic/junky/gambling addict neighbour is more likely to try and rob you than someone scoping you out on a website. For one, the neighbour knows where you live.

 

Just very careful who gets your address. And get security. And live your life without fear of these scum bags and keep showing off your beautiful cars to the public, and keep making people jealous that their 80k european sports cars cant match the raw sexiness of a zed.

 

Also, i have seen many good forums become rubbish because of elitist attitudes (members only posting and reading). Whether intended or not, outsiders will see it as elitist and be unwilling to become part of your community. And I doubt a determined theif illing to travel 100 ks would be put off by it.

[sco_aus]

I also believe a locked area wouldn't really prevent it, they would just sign up, but it would put people off from joining, I still haven't joined a lot of the other Australian forums because of this, it just puts me off, like I am not welcome or something.  I guess the onus should be on the person for their own security as much as it sucks.  I'm sure Gav has enough to do.  I do feel sorry for you losing your stuff mate, that really sucks, I hate that shit.

[luvemfast]

I think people are getting a bit distracted......

 

I feel, as others have stated, that the only section that would really need it is the members projects. Its not a kneejerk reaction as its been brought up in the past and whe theft has just highlighted that maybe it is necessary.

The rest of the forum would be free and open.

That isn't going to discourage new members signing up.

 

Is Gav on holidays or something? Or just deep in thought?

[sco_aus]

That still doesn't change anything, it takes all of a couple of minutes to sign up and they can access the same information you and I can...  So I repeat my previous statement, it really is everyone's own responsibility to keep their information private, Gav has enough on his plate.

[Six_Shooter]

That still doesn't change anything, it takes all of a couple of minutes to sign up and they can access the same information you and I can...  So I repeat my previous statement, it really is everyone's own responsibility to keep their information private, Gav has enough on his plate.

 

This has been my point all along...