3/14: Release today + bug reports here

Give me an example of the "spam" you guys are talking about. I guess I'm a little naive. I'm totally unaware of it.
Keith

Some of it looks like the link below - a post that is really a thinly disguised sales pitch. That is a no-no here. Or used to be. I've reported but no one is responding anymore. What a mess!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1422162/

Thanks Cville. Don't think I have come across any of this, but I don't hit many forums

Not all of them are as blatant as that. Good catch Cville.

About the spam, I clicked on the flag yesterday, but haven't checked to see if it has been removed. I don't like pointing these out publicly, but maybe we should to let others be aware so the spammers do not get the click throughs that they want. ??

In the past I always reported them to Melody using the Contact link. She would quickly respond that both the spam and the spammer had been ejected from DG.

I haven't come across any since the flag icon was added so I didn't know if admin was following up or not. From your comments it sounds like they sometimes are, but not always.

Maybe we should all flag that one that Cville pointed out. Possibly that will get some attention.

Done. It will show up as a dmail on your list of dmails. My list is long....but all the spam is still there,not like before.

Okay, I just flagged it. Do we even know if the flag link is working? I did get a message asking me if I was sure I wanted to report that post so I have to assume it's working.

Also, there were several times in the past where I'd see spam that was in one forum repeated in multiple forums. Frequently the spam had no relation to the forum it was in like trying to sell guitars in the Bird Watching forum.

Melody once explained that it was a form of telemarketing. That these companies (generally overseas somewhere) would hire lots and lots of people to join websites just to post their links.

Check your dmails,it should show there. I've reported spam other ways too and the results have been the same....nothing was done.

I did not know reporting spam sent you a d-mail, but I found them. I took a screen shot.. It looks like there was to be a link within the d-mail but there isn't. If I wanted to check if it has been removed, I have to try to remember where I found the spam.

Re: my mention that the same spam is sometimes in multiple places. Here's an example. This same spammer that Cville pointed out is on another thread I found in the same forum. This time they pretend to comment on a previous post. I've flagged it as well. I wonder if they posted in other places.

Here's the thread link and also a Screen Shot of the post. I think more people should flag it. Hopefully it will help.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1385997/

I've reported political threads and they got promptly removed. I just sent the link to Admin and let them make the call.

Has this been recently? I've reported posts in the past and they have always been removed plus I got a reply from Melody or Terry. I haven't gotten a reply since November and the posts are still there. Earlier in this thread Terry said she hadn't seen any come thru the help desk but I've flagged them, demailed them and gone thru the contact us...still nothing. I don't know what has changed.

I doubt it's recent. That's also the way I used to report it with a very quick response and a D-mail to me confirming the removal of both the spam and the "spammer".

Since I haven't had any luck with any of my D-mails getting answered recently, I decided to try flagging this "pillow" spam. That was last Friday 4/15. The spam is still there.

Haven't heard from admin in ages. It never used to be like this. I'm kind of surprised that a banner is up for a new contest. Oh well...

Banner up for a new contest that the prizes won't be sent out???????

Somewhere Terry explained that their contact system is the same as what we use, so they were not getting updated because of that wonky date stamp. She worded it differently, but that was the gist.

I mentioned this to my husband, who works with computers. He said that companies do not usually want to pay for two different messaging systems, but it is the wisest thing to do, as we saw earlier.

This doesn't explain why the spam is not being dealt with, though. If Terry says she cannot see them, then basically those "flags" are doing no good at this point.

I've basically given up that this site improves. The last place I saw this happening the admins stopped answering, things were breaking, the parent company never had answers... The other day, I was curious about it and the website is still there with a notice saying it has "merged" with someone else. All other content was removed.

Chilly, I just tried doing it the old way by using the "Contact" link. I'll see if that works.


This message was edited Apr 19, 2016 12:40 PM

Wow...Terry already responded to my D-mail and she already removed the spam I reported...in less than an hour!

She said they are having problems with the flags so I suggest if any of you find any more spam use the old way to report it...the "Contact" link.

As I've mentioned before, I think Admin. is a little overwhelmed and overburdened right now. Also some of their roles may have switched (at least for now). I believe they still have our backs, so don't give up on them.

I wish she had mentioned that on this thread. I've flagged too many to go back. Did you dmail her directly or use the contact link? Ive tried all 3 ways and got nothing.

A little (honest) communication goes a long way. j/s

The Contact link was updated, but only the D-mail is on the original system. I gave the "contact us" a try earlier today for spam. We'll see... With that contact form, I have no record it happened until they reply.

Chilly, when I reported the spam yesterday I used the Contact link on the very bottom of every page. That's the same link I had always used until recently. For now it's probably the best way to report.

Is that the link you used?

Yes, it was. I don't necessarily need a reply if they get the spam removed. But if they did not believe it spam, I would like to know why so I won't bother them with other like posts.

They will probably let you know one way or another. I think if they don't believe it to be spam they'll probably tell you why.

It was Terry that D-mailed me so she must be the one responding to the Contact link right now.

Been trying to decide on entering the writing contest. I'm sorta loosing heart over here...so little traffic anymore...

Well, someone just posted on NGA (formerly ATP),
"Well - I guess I am officially gone from DG - they had no trouble sending me an email about time to renew (approx $20 through PayPal) and yesterday warned me again that expiration is today. When I go to DG, I no longer see the Parking Lot, etc. - which I fully expected. So be it - I have looked at their site almost every day since 2005, but no more. For plants and information there are better sites (like this one). DG has become hard to navigate around (maybe my fault). I guess they will not send me a note saying thanks for being a customer since 2005 and "we hope you will rejoin us". Nope - just cut me off. Boo Hoo!"

Well, I'll be joining them soon. This is the first thing I've posted here in months and it doesn't appear that things have improved. There ARE better sites around.

I'll be right behind you, ViolaAnn. My sub is up May 12th, and DG has given me no viable reason why I should continue giving them my money. Like I said, this place is as "fixed" as it will ever be. It's completely unacceptable, considering where it was when they nose-dived it into the ground.

Update
To all of you that were following or in some way supporting me in my struggle to receive the calendar showcasing my winning photograph, it was delivered today. It was worth the wait and will be a cherished keepsake.
Keith

Yay Keith!!
So happy you finally got your calendar. Even though it's late, I hope you still enjoy it. :o)

Keith - SO glad you finally got your calendar! Was it redirected at some point?
Not so funny that you should have to wait almost 5 months into the year to get it, but now you have 7 months, and a lifetime to treasure your winning photograph. That's AWESOME :-)

My subscription ends in July (with the extension). Before that, we move in mid-June so I don't imagine I'll be on much then. I won't be extending it when it expires.

I renewed in December.

So many friends died... or were never consistent readers anyway, the halls are beginning to get dusty, the repeat features repeated so often...I shall miss you all as well. Perhaps myself to move where there is no more internet soon, chuckl. I send my well wishes and hugs while I can.

When did ATP become the National Gardening Association? Does this mean that the images I put in Cubits that were appropriated without my permission to ATH will end up there?

What a mess. I spent very little time in Cubits before bailing. I didn't bother with ATP. Who has time to post to three entities?

I have been having a really good time posting with some great people here. And the Back to top/Home function is great. I imagine that there are threads people enjoyed that are gone, and I wish that was not the case. But I have become a lot more active on some threads with some really great gardeners. Been here since 2002, and while not perfect, it meets my needs and wishes well. And that seems to me a good reason for me, personally, to stay.

Donna

I haven't had any issues with DG since I've accepted that admin is MIA. ATP changed this week, according to the newsletter so I suspect your images went with the change, Donna. The newsletter says nothing has changed but the name.

Viola Ann the Parking Lot forum is still here and very active.... I'll give you the link if you'd like?

Here is the link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/parking/all/. One more rumour put to rest. : )

Donna ~ I too am here with no intentions of leaving anytime soon.

I guess I just don't need things to be perfect to enjoy them...and I am STILL enjoying DG.

Good grief, even life isn't perfect...but it's so much better than the alternative.
If I can live with life's many imperfections I can certainly live with the ones from DG.


Edited to remove a ton of blank space I accidently added by pressing "enter" too many times. :o)

This message was edited Apr 26, 2016 1:36 PM

Well, I won't be leaving anytime soon. My main use of DG is my journal. It's been a major help in cataloging my plants and helping me remember exactly where I planted them. I checked out the NGA site and it has nothing even close to DG's journal. It really does get frustrating, though, when problems I reported 3-4 years ago (many of which are simple programming errors which should be easy to fix) have been completely ignored. Instead, an apparent "Beta-Test" of "new and improved" features was rolled out to all members causing a multitude of problems. This was done, presumably, to make the site more "mobile friendly". Well, I really don't like the changes when trying to use the site on my laptop. I rarely come here on my cell phone. I mentioned quite awhile ago that other sites detect the user's platform and switch to a mobile site, if appropriate, and the desktop/laptop users remain on the full site. I still don't understand why that wasn't done.

This may be a rumor but I read in an other forum that Dave sold ATP but is still a consultant boy des that sound familiar.

Terry started another thread, on this forum, about the writing contest....Im not sure why she's not addressing issues here. I'm not done with DG but I am done with Admin.

It's a rumor and wrong