Silk Road Forums

Changes to the forum

Some of you have already noticed I have made a number of changes to the forum so here is a quick brief about them. Some features such as BB coding are running on trial however so please do not abuse them or use it in such a way which will irritate other users. I will be reviewing each of these features over the next few days and if they are found to be abused or unpopular they will be removed again.

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BB Coding

BB coding is a simplistic form of HTML. To use it we use "tags" which open with "[" and close with "]", more known as the "square brackets". In between the two brackets you must specify a code which will be used. For example

This test will be normal [b]but this text will be bold.[/b]
Will look like:

This text will be normal but this text will be bold.

The following codes have been enabled: b, blue, center, code, green, hr, i, list, quote, red, u

As a final reminder, BB codes inside a PGP signed message will break it and therefore should not be used inside anything that is to be signed with PGP unless it is only the contents of a code tag.

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Anti-Spam Measures

Following a few attempts to impersonate staff and scam users I have introduced a blank filter. Each successive spam attack will then be added to the blacklist so details such as associated bitcoin addresses, emails, URLs and so forth will be added to the list. This filter will only take effect on the public forum and to combat mail spam, I have added further CAPTCHA's to users sending out unusually fast messages, plus temporary mail limits so you may only have 1 to 1 conversations with other members, group messages are now disabled to prevent a spammer sending their messages to many users with only one CAPTCHA entry.

If you know of URL's associated with phishing or scamming then please send me a message with it explaining what it is and why it should be added.

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Forum Search Restrictions

This was one of the most common issues which annoyed many on the previous forum. After some stress testing I am confident that removing the search restrictions will pose no problem to the integrity of the forum. It may however take up to 5 minutes for new content to appear in searches however due to the search database now being separate to the main forum database to ensure one does not hinder the other.

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"All" View Option

I have added the option to view all posts in a topic up to 5000 posts in length, this should make keeping a copy (via "Save Page") of the forum easier or if you wish to follow a thread from start to finish. Please take into account long pages of over 500 posts may take a few seconds longer to load.

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That is all for now. Any further suggestions please add them to the Features Requests forum - I read every topic posted there so will see any ideas you wish to contribute. Stay tuned for further market launch details coming soon!

The account is currently suspended. Please see my letter to them below which I wish to make public.

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Hash: SHA1

The account DreadPirateSR has been suspended despite being in violation of none of your rules. I understand I am the figurehead of a forum which again is in violation of no law or rule at this point in time. The previous Dread Pirate Roberts account was also initially suspended but then reinstated so I would request that under the same guise I also be reinstated.

If you feel that the freedom to communicate with others under an pseudonym is a crime then please publicly state this and you have my full consent to make this statement public, but ultimately whether you allow me to maintain this account peacefully which has no commercial purpose or interest other than as a channel to communicate openly with others (in such a way no law will be violated) is your decision. This freedom of speech is protected by the first amendment in the constitution of the United States as follows:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Therefore, any decision to close, suspend or in any way inhibit the freedom of speech shall not be a matter of legal consequence but one which reflects the attitudes of Twitter towards a commitment of freedom of speech or lack thereof.

Wishing you the very best,
Dread Pirate Roberts
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Every computer in the world counts from UTC time and therefore is the default option on most world servers, so keeping it at that helps reduce what is known of the server properties. Adjusting your clocks to your own time zone is subject to various time-skewer attacks so is not recommended.

The users concerned have been deleted and a mass message is being distributed about this. Anyone who has sent their password to any person at all should change it immediately. I apologize for this error and we are already looking into methods to combat spam in the future.

V for Vendetta is a great book. I would recommend picking up a copy when you get the chance.

Reports to: Dread Pirate Roberts
Remuneration: Starting at $400/week + performance bonus

Summary:
We are seeking users to aid us in making some translations on the site. You must be available daily although you will not have work to do every day, only as matters arise. The position is open to anyone who can speak a very high standard of English and also at least one of the following to a highly fluent/native standard:

French
German
Spanish
Danish
Swedish
Dutch
Italian
Greek
Portuguese
Chinese (Mandarin)
Czech
Romanian
Ukrainian
Polish


Apply to: [POSITION CLOSED]

ID Check: No

Time Demands: Variable up to 3 hours per day.

Closing Application Date: 5th November

The idea of allowing vendors to place bonds before the release day was discussed but we believed it would come across to everyone as an attempt to scam by asking for bitcoins before we had the market established. If of course the community was willing to have a little faith and not label it as a "scam" attempt we would reconsider, but the reputation and security of the market must come first.