Some guests do register and set their DOB to the current day, but they do not post anything or any link in the form, neither in their signatures and their online time is only for 2 to 3 seconds, I wonder who are they? Are they harmful to my forum?
No they're not harmful though but you may deny them to access UserCP > Edit profile r Edit options pages by using this plugin:
http://yaldaram.com/showthread.php?tid=224
What it does is very basic, just deny the use of Using / Editing Signatures and Editing Profiles from UserCP for selective usergroups only who are registered to the community / forum before X days passed. After X days, they will use both of those features just as normal. X days are configurable directly from ACP > Configurations > No Control Panel > Days.
and what if they get access to user cp, edit profile, etc?
They can't until X days passed.
actually, You didnt get me, if I don't install that plugin, then they have access to user cp, edit profile, etc, rite? Do they cause harm to the form through user cp, edit profile etc?
(2011-08-11, 09:23 PM)sunjava1 Wrote: [ -> ]actually, You didnt get me, if I don't install that plugin, then they have access to user cp, edit profile, etc, rite? Do they cause harm to the form through user cp, edit profile etc?
He already answered your question:
Quote:No they're not harmful though but you may deny them to access UserCP > Edit profile r Edit options pages by using this plugin:
bolding my emphasis
They did nothing,therefore they can not cause harm.Just another irritation we have to deal with.
He suggested the plug in to deny access to those areas you are concerned about.
I wonder then why do they register?
(2011-08-11, 09:45 PM)TheGarfield Wrote: [ -> ]Use Signup Questions plugin
Trust me it works perfectly I've had the same problem before
http://mods.mybb.com/view/signup-questions
Don't install any other plugin that one is strong enough to stop spambots 
Yeah will try it
(2011-08-11, 10:56 AM)sunjava1 Wrote: [ -> ]Are they harmful to my forum?
Depends on your definition of "harmful". They will try to post links in their profiles and signatures and will use the extra exposure of profiles that are linked from the index page if you have birtdays listed there. So basically they are spammers, even if many will not start to spam forum posts.
If you allow google etc. on your user profiles, their spam links will, in the long run, ruin your forum's google reputation because "you" link to spam sites. And of course they just add nothing of value to your user database.
(2011-08-14, 03:38 PM)linguist Wrote: [ -> ] (2011-08-11, 10:56 AM)sunjava1 Wrote: [ -> ]Are they harmful to my forum?
Depends on your definition of "harmful". They will try to post links in their profiles and signatures and will use the extra exposure of profiles that are linked from the index page if you have birtdays listed there. So basically they are spammers, even if many will not start to spam forum posts.
If you allow google etc. on your user profiles, their spam links will, in the long run, ruin your forum's google reputation because "you" link to spam sites. And of course they just add nothing of value to your user database.
Thanks alot.
But what with those who have not put links in their signatures. Neither they do any posts. But they are displaying their date of birth at today's birthday.