Forum Registration is a joke but I am not laughing

I know this post will be deleted but I will at least post it for my own sanity.

Your forum registration form is overbearing.. I have lost count of registration forms I have filled in over the years. A required evil in this world but yours is especially nasty...fifth word in first sentence! What sentence!!
Those letters and numbers you have to refresh several times just to read them!

I am sure it not only keeps out spammers but lots and lots of other genuine potential customers needing help with Xara .

Now I have to find help elsewhere, I hope the forum registration is not a reflection of product support I might be getting from Xara otherwise I'll buy my software where Help is more forthcoming.

It beggers belief why its so user unfriendly.
No need to reply unless you've changed the registration proceedure.

Really given me second thoughts about Xara

I tried to send a query to the forum support but even that form was messed up. You enter a subject and you get a pop up telling you to enter a subject!!!

You are really having a laugh at people expence.
Now I have to say the subject is "I wish to change my login name" now that does not work hahaha who designed this rubbish!!!

I eventually got past the stupid registration form (c'mon an idiot designed it or someone who did not want people to use the site)
Shame Xara looked so good too

I'm sorry you had some problems with using the forum software, however fyi apart from the anti-spambot question, this forum uses the standard default vBulletin registration process.
As you probably are aware, CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is the most commonly used system for more than just forum registrations. Something we all have to bear on occasion.

Also please note, that while Xara developers do frequent TalkGraphics, it is not run by Xara. TalkGraphics.com is a place for like-minded individuals to chat about graphics software, website design and more.

Thank you for your feedback and Welcome to the Forums.

Steve

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I eventually got past the stupid registration form (c'mon an idiot designed it or someone who did not want people to use the site)
Shame Xara looked so good too

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There are quite a few people who have gone with the flow and registered and have received the benefits of the knowledge and expertise found in these forums.

When you find a better forum, I hope you'll check back and let us know, if you have not already forgotten your log in information. :rolleyes:

I must say that for the last 2-3 months different captcha images or questions (like "What is eight + 2") have proved wrong or unreadable.. I had a lot of problems with e.g. Joomlashine site. It turns out that I can't count to 10 (plus I never know if they want a digit or a word as an answer) ...or can't see what's written in the captcha images. Someone somewhere had forgotten to do more tests before another "great" antispam system was released...
I have no data on the types of systems but I believe vBulletin might be one of them. I was too much ****ed at the problem to care about the script or whatever... this really is annoying, though.

To sum it up, I understand the author's anger...

Mildly irritating - OK. Something to get angry about? I don't think so.

Sorry to say that the experience is unlikely to improve much. This is far and away the most over-moderated, fascist-run forum I've ever come across. I only visit now to find out about updates and stuff. I will never again participate in any discussion [except this one, obviously].

Ahh.. who would be a moderator? One moment a hero, the next a fascist.

Generally speaking moderation is good here and fortunately has kept the most rabid posters at bay even if sometimes the tendency to pidegeon-hole posts and threads neatly seems a bid pedantic.

It's easy to criticise, but much harder to do the job. Thank you for your efforts and time moderator people!

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Originally Posted by BONES

Sorry to say that the experience is unlikely to improve much. This is far and away the most over-moderated, fascist-run forum I've ever come across. I only visit now to find out about updates and stuff. I will never again participate in any discussion [except this one, obviously].

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Calling someone a who voluntarily gives time to try and maintain order on a graphics orientated web chat site a fascist is, I imagine, a real insult to genuine knuckle dragging, book burning fascists.

Mussolini ran a forum, it was grafic at times, and xtreme too. But he wound up up-side down. I'm old and have trouble making out those whatchamacallit's where you have to type what is in the image. After some frustration, and recycling I finally got it right.
For me, it was like going thru a dimly lit short tunnel to arrive in a huge hall, filled with some of the most helpful people I have ever met. Without who's help I would have never progressed as I have.
The price of admission is well worth the assistance, the echukashun, and the camaraderie that is found here.
And anyone that voices their discontent, about the passage in here, only contrasts the rewards that one gains by being here.
I'd like to thank all, that are here, thank those that take the time to help those of us that need it, and thank 'designedbyamug' for giving me a chance to add my 2¢

Hi Folks,

Might as well chime in too...I found this site very easy to sign up for and I'll soon be 60. True my eyesight doesn't really like all those wavy graphic thingys that are put there for spammers but they serve a very important purpose...they keep the site quite clean of non-people type computer progams....

I've suffered a bit with those wavy graphics but overall, if you understand the purpose you should be grateful.

As to the level of anger that has been displayed, usually that comes from someone who is somewhat computer illiterate and doesn't know where to turn. It can be very frustrating for that type of person but there has always been expert and friendly help available on this site.

With that being said I hope that the OP realizes sometime that this is one of the best, if not the best forum on the web. The moderators and experienced web and graphics personnel here for the most part are more professional and caring than any business that I know of. Really, many of them should be getting paid for their great efforts. So.....thanks to the moderators and all those greatly skilled Xtremers out there giving their time freely and with xteme dedication....without you, this would be a free-for-all type forum that would certainly die the way of the dodo bird....and....I would certainly never have been able to develop many of the small skills I have done without all of you.

It's nice to see that very little changes around here (discussions about "over-zealous" moderation inter alia). I too found the registration form to be overly overbearing (as opposed to mildly overbearing). I was asked "How many threes make 9". Even I managed to work that one out, so I typed "3". No, that was wrong. The answer was "three", not "3". So why not ask "How many 3s make 9" or "How many threes make nine"... *sigh*. I think I went around that ever-decreasing circle five times before being allowed in.

Anyway, my name is Frank and I've been here before. I hope to be able to learn and contribute in equal measure as, I believe, I have done in the past. And, not being one to measure greatness by post count, I hope to meet old friends and acquaintances for as long as I am here. It's a shame Bill won't be around as much as he was, he is one of the unsung heroes of this forum.

This is and always has been the best Xara forum anywhere in the known universe, and its value as such is immeasurable.

Welcome back, Big Frank. ;)

And a welcome back from me too Frank.

Hi Frank, you old son of a gun. Good to see you!
Saludos,
Bob.

Wow, no more signatures, no animated avatars, threats to shoot you at dawn if you spam, it's not just the tortuous registration form, this place really gives me a big warm fluffy all over!

Thanks for the welcome guys :)

And a big welcome back from me too! :) Nice to see you here again.

Me too Frank, welcome back !

Are you going to repost some of those really helpful mini-tutorials Frank? Bookmarked some but you disappeared them :cool: Welcome back anyway :)

I've no idea what could have posessed me to "disappear" them... :rolleyes:* If you remind me what they were I can post them to my gallery if I remember how that's done. I'm sure I still have them, I tend not to throw anything away.

* :point :rolleyes: I'm surprised this icon hasn't been :banned:, just about everything else has (:|

I'll try and find any xars I did from them. It was generally useful stuff, y'know

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If you remind me what they were I can post them to my gallery if I remember how that's done. I'm sure I still have them, I tend not to throw anything away.

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Dunno. If you had so much trouble registering... :rolleyes:

I wonder if there were absolutely no restrictions or screening of new members if there would be those who complain about the lack of security? Or that the process was too simple.

Just musing.

:D Of course there would be Gary

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Originally Posted by gwpriester

I wonder if there were absolutely no restrictions or screening of new members if there would be those who complain about the lack of security?.

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I suppose that would all depend upon the unofficial official position of the moderating team.

:rolleyes:

As far as I can see the only people to blame for anti-spam measures are spammers, and those who buy from them.

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Originally Posted by jwhitham

As far as I can see the only people to blame for anti-spam measures are spammers, and those who buy from them.

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The anti-spam measures on this forum do not stop spammers, they only stop spambots. The only thing that stops spammers is active moderation, and we don't lack for that on this forum. Unfortunately the Xhris episode proves that you an take active moderation too far, as confirmed by the subsequent actions of Xara, owners of this forum. I guess it is true to say that there are valid arguments for and against aggressive anti-spam measures on a forum and it is left up to the individual to stay or leave in the face of these measures. If you are a Xara graphics addict, you will persevere and stay and, hopefully, contribute positively. Remember, once you are registered, there are still plenty of subliminal ways to spam your commercial message in this forum so that it is picked up by Google. But you have to use finesse and tact because of that active moderation, and the average spammer knows as much about finesse and tact as does the average wild boar. So, even though signatures are banned, those with finesse and tact can and will continue to spam their message. And that's fine with me as long as nobody minds.

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Originally Posted by beretgascon

So, even though signatures are banned, those with finesse and tact can and will continue to spam their message. And that's fine with me as long as nobody minds.

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I like your username! >:) ;)

Indeed, and that's just one way. There's plenty more :)

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Originally Posted by beretgascon

the Xhris episode proves that you an take active moderation too far

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Please do not even try to discuss the "Chris episode". There is too much left behind the scenes for anyone here to make ANY sensible conclusions (except moderators, Xara team and Chris).
This was a dispute between Xara and moderators. No members involved. So please stay away from it.
Thank you for understanding.

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Originally Posted by covoxer

This was a dispute between Xara and moderators. No members involved.

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I think you'll find that Chris is a member.

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Originally Posted by covoxer

Please do not even try to discuss the "Chris episode".

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I'm not. I'm just agreeing with Charles Moir. I wasn't going to discuss it because I wasn't involved in it, but your repeated insistence that this event must be expunged from our collective memory (and so treating the membership as serfs) is offensive to me, and maybe others, who knows? Charles made his and Xara's position quite clear. Let me remind you what he said:

• "OK guys enough with the pointless speculation, this is the position from the horses mouth."
• "In fact Chris broke no rule, but was banned"
• "So all we did was point out that SOME moderation was poor"
• "some posts, that were in our opinion perfectly legitimate and broke no rules were being deleted"
• "we were objecting to too much censoring"
• "yes the moderators were moderated"
• "The moderation of the forum has generally been excellent, but nothing is perfect"
• "to expect total carte blanch control over the forums that we own and pay for is naive"

If you disagree with any of the above, please take it up with Charles. :rules

Now, if there are no more points to be made on the topic of "Forum Registration is a joke but I am not laughing" then why not lock this to prevent any further discussion of the undiscussable?
:salute:

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This is a do-it-yourself test for paranoia: you know you've got it when you can't think of anything that's your fault.
Robert M. Hutchins

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he's just scared Frank

leave it be..

OK, now I'm getting paranoid... :straight:

I come here, post stuff, comments etc, no problems... today I had a band practice, did some digital sculpting, some 3d painting, played arounf with a few more apps, played a bit more geetar... had a great Saturday all in all... yeeeehaaawwwww !

Just saying :)

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Originally Posted by beretgascon

Charles made his and Xara's position quite clear.

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Charles said that Xara can moderate moderators whenever necessary. He was not saying that "beretgascon" can do this.

Once again let me remind you that discussing moderators actions on this forum is not allowed.

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Originally Posted by gidgit

had a great Saturday all in all... yeeeehaaawwwww !

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Nice one gidgit! Hope your Sunday goes as well or better! :)

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Originally Posted by covoxer

Once again let me remind you that discussing moderators actions on this forum is not allowed.

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Oh, for pete's sake, all I said was "Unfortunately the Xhris episode proves that you an take active moderation too far, as confirmed by the subsequent actions of Xara, owners of this forum". I've made my point, and as much as being shadowed all the time is great fun, this thread is now way off-topic and I'm going to move on to something graphics related now. Please do join me there. K thx bai.

I hope you have a great Sunday as well! ;)

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Originally Posted by beretgascon

I'm going to move on to something graphics related now. Please do join me there.

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Now that is a very good idea. :)

For all of you that think that this site is over moderated or whatever, go away don't visit ot at least don't post I couldn't care less. For the many that do I appreciate the fact that this is one of the few places I can visit and read, contribute and learn valuable information without sifting through mindless dribble. Don't bother to respond if you disagree I simply won't waste my valuable time to be dragged into a senseless forum war.

For the many that take the time to keep this site a valuable asset I say thank you.

My first post. I just managed to register after many many tries.

I look forward to participating in this helpful community.

However, the registration process is unnecessarily difficult.

Welcome to the forum, Fjord. Glad you managed the herculean task of joining us! :thx