October 2008

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First Non-Human Member

October 28, 2008 in News by admin | No comments

I noticed a user named BestelenViagra registered for the site today, obviously indicating that a machine registered as opposed to a real person with that username. So today, instead of adding more features to the site, I spent my time upping the security against bots like this one from registering. There are only two major things that potential members need to know:

  • Don’t use spammy names in your username. If you try, you will be blocked from ever registering for the site again from that computer. This shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who doesn’t want something like “viagra” in their username.
  • IP addresses. Unfortunately prevention against this kind of stuff needs to be better enforced so if needed, we’ll block your IP address from registering or visiting any user-created portion of the site. Again, this shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who isn’t wreaking havoc on the site.

That’s it. Registration was down for a few minutes during the changes but it is now back up and running.

Update (11/2/08): I’ve added a CAPTCHA verifier as an extra level of security when registering. This should prevent this even moreso.

Redesign Progress - Ratings

October 22, 2008 in Development by admin | No comments

Today, building upon the recent member Points System, the ability to rate Flash movies and games has been enabled. Rating a file will not only contribute to the site, but give you 1 additional point on your username. This can help you increase your level, unlock features, etc.

This is going to help further integrate a load of data about all the files of FlashStuf. For example, when a good amount of files have been rated, we will display high score tables listing the best and worst works on the site. High ratings on FlashStuf-artist work will even give you more points. Note that as of now, guests cannot vote on games and movies. This may be changed in the future, depending on how things go. Enjoy!

Moderators Wanted

October 20, 2008 in News by admin | No comments

FlashStuf needs moderators! It has become too much for me to run alone, so I’m looking for people who want to volunteer to moderate and maintain the site. If interested, I’ll train you on how to do all the things I do, such as adding new content and posting news on the site.

This is not me giving the site up, but rather getting a little help in maintaining the content side of the site. This would give me a lot more time to work on the development of the site and not have to worry about updating all the time (although I still will be doing that).

So if you are interested, here are the only requirements.

  • Must be a FlashStuf member (this is easy)
  • Be fairly internet-savvy and willing to communicate with others
  • Preferably have a good idea about current trends on the web

And you can be in charge of the following (you may pick what you’d like to do).

  • Updating the site (uploading new content and posting news)
  • Moderating the forums
  • Getting new artists for the site
  • Managing users, making sure no rules are broken

If you are interested at all, you can PM me on the forums or email me at webmaster at flashstuf dot com.

Version 3.5 coming soon

October 9, 2008 in Development, Updates by admin | No comments

FlashStuf will be undergoing a fourth redesign in the next two months. It’s going to improve more upon the backend of the site and include some new features.

When FlashStuf version 3 (the latest redesign) was unveiled earlier this year, there were a lot of sections and new features left unfinished– sections such as the polls and downloads were put on a lower priority so that the site could continue running as normal, with the main content still intact. This update’s purpose is to make the site complete again. Here are some of the changes that are coming.

New Features
It’s also going to be more interactive and community-driven. Users can earn points by playing games and participating in the site, raising their status.

Profiles
FlashStuf Profiles are going to be more of a way to show your activities on FlashStuf and interact with other members. The purpose won’t be to replace a profile you have on another site anymore. Privacy settings and more customization will finally be added here.

On another note, the current Favorites system has been updated, allowing you to display your favorites on the home page again. Non-FlashStuf members also won’t see the FF+ links on the home page anymore. Many more small changes like this will follow as we get closer to the redesign.