Why Am I Banned????

[More Power]

We get messages like the following every once in a while:

When I tried to log onto the forum from my home computer I received the message that my IP address had been banned, and was asked to contact the administrator using the provided link. What did I do wrong?

The answer is usually "nothing". Apparently, some portion of that user's IP address was included in a commercial spamming ban list. It's not a perfect list, and it sometimes includes an IP that shouldn't be banned. Mistakes like this don't happen very often.

Actually, nearly all of the IP's on the ban list are for commercial spammers originating in eastern Europe, Latin America or China. They frequently use automated bots that register for bulletin boards and attempt to post ads that most users here don't want to see (meds, porn, electronics, etc.).

If you get a message saying your IP has been banned, don't despair. Just send us a message, using the "Email" link in my forum signature, saying your IP was banned. We'll fix it.

Jim