Following permissions

[dartel]

@ZTHorse @SloppyTac0 @Oldman

It has been brought up by myself and other many times before, but please look into implementing permissions that will allow users to prevent themselves from being followed.

Following. Is. Not. Secure. I know for a fact there are bots capable of using follow capacity on sites such as this to clone the notifications received by following to twitter (and other chat apps), and if they can clone the notifications to twitter they can also clone them to a sql database for whatever nefarious purpose the operator of that bot wants to use that information. All that bot needs is an account on here that follows the target profiles.

Since this request has received no acknowledgement in the past I've taken the liberty of doing some searching through xenforo's systems for you to see if this is even an option. I've been able to find many threads of other forums operators going back a decade and a half asking xenforo to implement this as a standard security measure, which it appears they haven't, but in just 20 minutes of searching I've so far found 2 addons that sound as if they'll grant some functionality.

Unmaintained - Follow Permissions - Remove ability to follow other members

This is a small add on that adds an extra permission. This permission allows admins to revoke the ability for users to be able to use the follow functionality. This can be useful if users are abusing the functionality or if you have membership...

xenforo.com

At quick overview that one looks like it does exactly what's needed. Allowing users to disallow anyone else from following them.

Remove follow

Premium upgrade: This XF2 add-on along with the entire collection can be purchased for $35.00 USD. Your Premium upgrade will allow you to download as many XF2 add-ons as you like for one year. Please see the entire collection located in the...

xenforo.com

That one seems to completely remove the follow function from the entire site.

PLEASE look into these and/or find others to see if they can be implemented on this forum. We NEED the ability to prevent bots from following us, and I guarantee they are running on here. There are accounts that follow THOUSANDS of profiles yet have never done a single thing on the site; no posts, no reactions, no anything, just follow every profile they can find. If there's not something shady going on with those accounts then I don't know what you qualify as shady.

 

[pes]

Do you actually expect the admins to do something? How many bugs and requests for changes have there been in the past that were denied or ignored?

 

[donlooking]

Do you actually expect the admins to do something? How many bugs and requests for changes have there been in the past that were denied or ignored?

@ZTHorse @SloppyTac0 @Oldman

It has been brought up by myself and other many times before, but please look into implementing permissions that will allow users to prevent themselves from being followed.

Following. Is. Not. Secure. I know for a fact there are bots capable of using follow capacity on sites such as this to clone the notifications received by following to twitter (and other chat apps), and if they can clone the notifications to twitter they can also clone them to a sql database for whatever nefarious purpose the operator of that bot wants to use that information. All that bot needs is an account on here that follows the target profiles.

Since this request has received no acknowledgement in the past I've taken the liberty of doing some searching through xenforo's systems for you to see if this is even an option. I've been able to find many threads of other forums operators going back a decade and a half asking xenforo to implement this as a standard security measure, which it appears they haven't, but in just 20 minutes of searching I've so far found 2 addons that sound as if they'll grant some functionality.

Unmaintained - Follow Permissions - Remove ability to follow other members

This is a small add on that adds an extra permission. This permission allows admins to revoke the ability for users to be able to use the follow functionality. This can be useful if users are abusing the functionality or if you have membership...

xenforo.com

At quick overview that one looks like it does exactly what's needed. Allowing users to disallow anyone else from following them.

Remove follow

Premium upgrade: This XF2 add-on along with the entire collection can be purchased for $35.00 USD. Your Premium upgrade will allow you to download as many XF2 add-ons as you like for one year. Please see the entire collection located in the...

xenforo.com

That one seems to completely remove the follow function from the entire site.

PLEASE look into these and/or find others to see if they can be implemented on this forum. We NEED the ability to prevent bots from following us, and I guarantee they are running on here. There are accounts that follow THOUSANDS of profiles yet have never done a single thing on the site; no posts, no reactions, no anything, just follow every profile they can find. If there's not something shady going on with those accounts then I don't know what you qualify as shady.

Jesh you are extremely paranoid!!! Also you are waiting time on something that you seriously need to get over!!!

 

[Mare Lover 1975]

Easy enough to prevent, just uncheck the "who can see my news feed" and nobody can see shit.

 

[Katelyn]

"ThEy DoN't Do ShIt"

I'm a girl online, I don't expect the admins to instantly come up with all the solutions to my problems. There is a reasonable amount of work they can do within this forum platform. It isn't like they have 100% control over the entirety of the product they purchased. Plus it seems like they do have quite amount of flexibility with who can see what, several women have mentioned (and I agree) they enjoy who can see their profiles and news feeds, or if people can message them. I personally keep myself open because women PM me with questions I can answer, and they feel safe closing everything else off.

I also know there is an inherent amount of risk posting online publicly on a sex forum, even with a VPN and such.

 

[UR20Z]

Jesh you are extremely paranoid!!! Also you are waiting time on something that you seriously need to get over!!!

And you're clearly not paranoid enough. Must be new to the "game", if I can be allowed to call it that.

 

[donlooking]

And you're clearly not paranoid enough. Must be new to the "game", if I can be allowed to call it that.

I was following dartel the one who started this thread. And he posted on my profile page that “wanted the stalker” me to stop following!! So I finally decided to unfollow him today!!!! Isn’t following someone just part of being in a FORUM??

 

[UR20Z]

I was following dartel the one who started this thread. And he posted on my profile page that “wanted the stalker” me to stop following!! So I finally decided to unfollow him today!!!! Isn’t following someone just part of being in a FORUM??

No, it isn't.

OK, lemme rephrase that - to me, no, it isn't. The whole "follow" thing is creepy in my book. You wanna "follow" me? I'm not at all pleased about it. If we don't have some sort of relationship beyond "I see this guy posting on a forum - think I'll follow him", I'm not interested. Any more than I'd be interested in having someone literally follow me in real life. IRL, such a person is real likely to turn the corner I just turned, and find himself looking down the barrel of my gun as I demand an explanation of just what the fuck he thinks he's doing, and exactly why I shouldn't assume he's got bad intentions and blow him out of his shoes. And I WON'T be even PRETENDING to be polite about it.

I think I've got a total of *MAYBE* 5-6 people I "follow" here - I'd have to go look to see wht the exact number is. And of those, all of them are (unless I've followed accidentally - I've done that at least twice that I can recall, and immediately "unfollowed" them when I noticed) people that I have something more solid than "I liked his avatar", or "He told a funny joke", or similar trivial bullshit to base the "follow" on.

Anybody who wants to "follow" me is, of course, free to do so, but if you expect anything more than my contempt, you're barking up the wrong tree. Don't expect that I'm going to do so much as say "hi" in response. In damn-near all cases, I don't WANT you following me. (for any value of "you" that applies)

I'm not here to pick up meaningless unknowns as fans. Your follow isn't a mark of "respect" or "admiration" in my book. Unless it's someone I actually have some sort of connection with, it's a sign of a lame-ass stalker.

You wanna chalk up worthless "I'm speciall" points by following people, head for facepuke or twatter - those places are designed around the "grow your fanbase" concept. Here, no... Just no.

 

[donlooking]

I could just be minding my own business when someone called ''CrazyDogDeepthroater'' suddenly follows me for no reason. Like, fuck off.

Yea I do agree that would raise alarms!!!!

 

[UR20Z]

I could just be minding my own business when someone called ''CrazyDogDeepthroater'' suddenly follows me for no reason. Like, fuck off.

Have seen many notifications that had that "flavor" myself.
Hey, didja know, you there's no way to see who's following you? At least, not that I can find.

 

[Oldman]

@ZTHorse @SloppyTac0 @Oldman

It has been brought up by myself and other many times before, but please look into implementing permissions that will allow users to prevent themselves from being followed.

Following. Is. Not. Secure. I know for a fact there are bots capable of using follow capacity on sites such as this to clone the notifications received by following to twitter (and other chat apps), and if they can clone the notifications to twitter they can also clone them to a sql database for whatever nefarious purpose the operator of that bot wants to use that information. All that bot needs is an account on here that follows the target profiles.

Since this request has received no acknowledgement in the past I've taken the liberty of doing some searching through xenforo's systems for you to see if this is even an option. I've been able to find many threads of other forums operators going back a decade and a half asking xenforo to implement this as a standard security measure, which it appears they haven't, but in just 20 minutes of searching I've so far found 2 addons that sound as if they'll grant some functionality.

Unmaintained - Follow Permissions - Remove ability to follow other members

This is a small add on that adds an extra permission. This permission allows admins to revoke the ability for users to be able to use the follow functionality. This can be useful if users are abusing the functionality or if you have membership...

xenforo.com

At quick overview that one looks like it does exactly what's needed. Allowing users to disallow anyone else from following them.

Remove follow

Premium upgrade: This XF2 add-on along with the entire collection can be purchased for $35.00 USD. Your Premium upgrade will allow you to download as many XF2 add-ons as you like for one year. Please see the entire collection located in the...

xenforo.com

That one seems to completely remove the follow function from the entire site.

PLEASE look into these and/or find others to see if they can be implemented on this forum. We NEED the ability to prevent bots from following us, and I guarantee they are running on here. There are accounts that follow THOUSANDS of profiles yet have never done a single thing on the site; no posts, no reactions, no anything, just follow every profile they can find. If there's not something shady going on with those accounts then I don't know what you qualify as shady.

I sent zthorse a messsage. Looks like we will be implementing this and restricting the follow until member has 10 posts as long as everything goes well once the module is installed or settings adjusted.

 

[UR20Z]

Look in your ''about'' section on your profile.

Will check. Maybe I looked "through" it - that's been known to happen. Be looking so hard for something you can't see it when it's bobbing in front of your face on a spring...

 

[UR20Z]

Will check. Maybe I looked "through" it - that's been known to happen. Be looking so hard for something you can't see it when it's bobbing in front of your face on a spring...

Yep, sure enough... There it is. 98 following me right now - and oddly enough, looks like WAY more than half - perhaps even 3/4, are lurkers with no other visible activity... Imagine that...

 

[dartel]

I sent zthorse a messsage. Looks like we will be implementing this and restricting the follow until member has 10 posts as long as everything goes well once the module is installed or settings adjusted.

Well that's at least a start and should stop most of the bots, but still doesn't help those who don't want to be followed at all. Following someone who posts porn is one thing, so the pathetic fappers can see immediately when they post something else. But for those who post no content and only engage in discussion, it's pure stalking. There's no reason to be notified every time someone makes a comment on a post you've not read to begin with.

 

[Oldman]

I think that may be an option as well, but not really certain until whatever was chosen is implemented.

 

[ZTHorse]

@ZTHorse @SloppyTac0 @Oldman

It has been brought up by myself and other many times before, but please look into implementing permissions that will allow users to prevent themselves from being followed.

Following. Is. Not. Secure. I know for a fact there are bots capable of using follow capacity on sites such as this to clone the notifications received by following to twitter (and other chat apps), and if they can clone the notifications to twitter they can also clone them to a sql database for whatever nefarious purpose the operator of that bot wants to use that information. All that bot needs is an account on here that follows the target profiles.

Since this request has received no acknowledgement in the past I've taken the liberty of doing some searching through xenforo's systems for you to see if this is even an option. I've been able to find many threads of other forums operators going back a decade and a half asking xenforo to implement this as a standard security measure, which it appears they haven't, but in just 20 minutes of searching I've so far found 2 addons that sound as if they'll grant some functionality.

Unmaintained - Follow Permissions - Remove ability to follow other members

This is a small add on that adds an extra permission. This permission allows admins to revoke the ability for users to be able to use the follow functionality. This can be useful if users are abusing the functionality or if you have membership...

xenforo.com

At quick overview that one looks like it does exactly what's needed. Allowing users to disallow anyone else from following them.

Remove follow

Premium upgrade: This XF2 add-on along with the entire collection can be purchased for $35.00 USD. Your Premium upgrade will allow you to download as many XF2 add-ons as you like for one year. Please see the entire collection located in the...

xenforo.com

That one seems to completely remove the follow function from the entire site.

PLEASE look into these and/or find others to see if they can be implemented on this forum. We NEED the ability to prevent bots from following us, and I guarantee they are running on here. There are accounts that follow THOUSANDS of profiles yet have never done a single thing on the site; no posts, no reactions, no anything, just follow every profile they can find. If there's not something shady going on with those accounts then I don't know what you qualify as shady.

Users that have less that 10 posts have had their follow permissions removed based on your suggestion.

After 10 posts, they can follow and if you wish not to be followed, you'll have to customize your permissions in your settings.

This issue has been resolved and the thread is closed.