South West Railway Forum

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:06 pm

On Sunday while at Dawlish for Tornado I met a chap who runs a forum for "Railway Enthusiasts in the South West area of the UK". He said they don't yet have many members so I promised to mention it here - and now I have.

http://swrf.co.uk/

chippy · Post by **chippy** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 2:52 pm

Did try to register...could not get past verification bit.

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:33 pm

chippy wrote:Did try to register...could not get past verification bit.

That *was* a bit odd, I grant you. From what I recall, it was two words with missing letters and you had to guess the word and so fill in the gaps. Maybe that's why they have only about a dozen members!

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:42 pm

Geoffers wrote:
chippy wrote:Did try to register...could not get past verification bit.
That *was* a bit odd, I grant you. From what I recall, it was two words with missing letters and you had to guess the word and so fill in the gaps. Maybe that's why they have only about a dozen members!

I guess it changes all the time but the current verification required is:

What drink is made in Scotland -- orange, apple, whisky:

Write tw31v3 with letters instead of numbers:

(it took me a while to realise this meant twelve!)

If wet weather what is it doing -- pushing, raining, sunny:

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:30 pm

Strikes me that if you have to pass an intiative test to get in they shouldn't be expecting to get many members

jules · Post by **jules** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:45 pm

Strikes me that if you have to pass an initiative test to get in they shouldn't be expecting to get many members

I got past the three simple questions, but it said my password must be eight characters long.

I don't want an eight character password. It's a railway forum - not a bank!

Lost my interest already ...

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:45 pm

They now have 13 members - cooking on gas or what?

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:55 pm

jules wrote:[ got past the three simple questions, but it said my password must be eight characters long.

I don't want an eight character password. It's a railway forum - not a bank!

Lost my interest already ...

Sorry - swanning off topic again

This is a typical example of somebody not thinking things through.

As Jules said, this isn't a bank, this isn't somewhere that you put or access sensitive information, it is a simple forum - a sort of enhanced email service where, instead of sending an email to individual members, you post something in a structured forum and the other members can read it, or do the other thing, as the mood takes them.

Whilst I can understand that a level of security is required to stop spammers or hacking, it is totally uneccesary to go to these lengths and, as Jules has also said, he's lost interest already. Can't say I blame him - I was turned off simply by reading about their security arrangements, let alone being faced with them!

I've had this sort of argument umpteen times with IT people and with people about software programmes. Think things through first. If you make a field entry mandatory, one of three things will happen - (a) you'll get the information you want; (b) people will put any old garbage in that field to get past it, or (c) they'll simply not bother to use the programme at all. Therefore, by making a field mandatory, you've got a one in three chance of achieving what you set out to achieve, and the existence of option (b) means you can't rely on any of it.

Option (c) seems to be a popular one in this particular case!

My other per hate is drop down menus with an "other-please explain" field. In most cases this can be interpreted as: "now do my job for me and fill in all of the options I've forgotten."

Rant over. I shall post something railway-related next time

simon · Post by **simon** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:33 pm

Personal I feel there are far too many forums/fora on railways and every other subject.

Let's just stick to what we've got.

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:40 pm

I think it's the owner just trying to keep out spammers. I used to run forums dedicated to the singer Matt Monro and composer John Barry. Despite all our efforts we could not stop the spammers (mostly apparently of Russian origin) and in the end had to close both forums.

So I don't mind the precautions particularly though I do think there could be better explanations before you input -- I also fell foul of the password too short rule.

jules · Post by **jules** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:37 am

Sorry - swanning off topic again Mr. Green

This is a typical example of somebody not thinking things through.

Don't get me started Robin

I've been designing, implementing and advising on corporate computer systems for many, many years - and it has lately become a hopeless task

Now, can I see your utility bill please? It must be within the last three months and it must have been paid ... boy am I not looking forward to returning to that aspect of UK life!

I've got a website idea: printyourownutilitybill.co.uk - I reckon it would go down a treat! Oh, but before you can access it, I'll need the fourth, sixth and ninth letters of your pass phrase and the middle name of the kid who sat next to you in infant's school ...

A discussion best reserved for the upcoming pub meet I think ;o)

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:28 am

Robin Summerhill wrote:
jules wrote:[ got past the three simple questions, but it said my password must be eight characters long.

I don't want an eight character password. It's a railway forum - not a bank!

Lost my interest already ...
Sorry - swanning off topic again

This is a typical example of somebody not thinking things through.

I've had this sort of argument umpteen times with IT people and with people about software programmes. Think things through first. If you make a field entry mandatory, one of three things will happen - (a) you'll get the information you want; (b) people will put any old garbage in that field to get past it, or (c) they'll simply not bother to use the programme at all. Therefore, by making a field mandatory, you've got a one in three chance of achieving what you set out to achieve, and the existence of option (b) means you can't rely on any of it.

Option (c) seems to be a popular one in this particular case!

The thing that particularly irritates me as a resident of Bristol is when filling in my address online I am required to state the county.

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:20 am

AndyK wrote:The thing that particularly irritates me as a resident of Bristol is when filling in my address online I am required to state the county.

Its not only with online forms that you are asked daft questions.

My former dentist used to have a "health questionnaire" that he wanted filling in each time I went for a check up. Some of the questions and my preferred answers follow:

"Date of birth" - "the same as last time I filled in one of these forms"
"Occupation" - "what's that got to do with my teeth?"
"Are you likely to be pregnant?" - "What do you think?"

Geoffers · Post by **Geoffers** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:51 pm

The owner of the site has read all the feedback here and as a result is making several changes, including to the number and complexity of the security questions and a shorter password.

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:15 pm

Andy, when I were a lad I lived in the 'City and County of Bristol'. Then one day Avon was imposed on us. I refuse to use Avon in my address. As far as I am concerned Weston-super-Mare is in Somerset.