Old TD web URLs?

[fraggle42]

I've seen too many people lately getting scammed by going to the URL that a TD used to use before it was closed down.

I know the process usually is

A TD trades from a known website.

B The powers that be get the site closed down, and a page is put up telling people why it was closed down

C (I'm guessing) After a while, the "site has been closed down" page is removed and the website URL is put up for sale

D A scammer buys the website URL, sets up a scam website

E Members here and in other forums, read the old URL, go to the scammers site and get scammed.

I know that people are quick in posting the new URLs, but normal members don't have permission to update the TD forums and the TD members info, so those can lie around for a while, misguiding people.

Why don't we buy these old URLs ourselves as soon as they are available? It costs maybe $25 a year to register a URL, and that's all we'd need it for really, plenty of time for all pages to get updated. You can register interest so that when a URL that is currently in use becomes available we'll get notified.

I would like to think that the forum itself could finance this idea, I know it's been having problems with the payment system at the mo, but once that's sorted is there any way the forum can do this? If not, anyone else want to contribute to doing this?

Anyone think its a good idea, or bad, or have a different idea?

Maybe an alternative is to make an active member a moderator who has responsibility to keep these TD links upto date?

[PeteM]

I understand your thinking mate.....

 

I dont think personally that its a good idea....for several reasons but most notably the issue of the purchase and its cost and ownership and the potential ramifications of that ownership...

 

It is and always has been the responsibility of the TDs to update and maintain there sections.... and arguably that is where we need to focus a solution if needed.

 

Maybe the crew need to be a bit more proactive in chasing up the dealers maybe they do...I dont know ..but I have seen comments on the sections by the crew asking dealers to update their site details etc...

 

Maybe it simply needs a rider stating to non contributing members that they should satisfy themselves that the sites are current and up to date etc etc

 

I am not sure what non contributing members see in the TD section so its difficlut to say...but if they can see the TDs section then I would suggest that is removed from view...

 

Overall I personally think it is up to the individual to satisfy them selves that they are not using the info on here as a blanket way of being safe.... if you know what I mean....It is always imperative that new members read all the introduction threads and guides and get to know the place and the way things are done....

 

Most of us ended up here because of being scammed or researching to avoid a scam...and the latter shouldnt stop because anyone is on this forum...after all scammers and scams come in all shapes and sizes and appear in the M2M as well as the TDs.... can be one offs or ongoing...

 

Those URLs you refer to are not always used as you say...indeed you tend to find more often than not that the scammers use the original sites looks but vary the name slightly rather than just use the old URL...though it happens...

 

So for me...

 

TD section should only be viewable to contributing members (if it is)

Dealers should be made or asked to regularly update their sections (that is if there arent already) maybe to maintain TD status a 3 or 6 month 'check in' (update and edit etc 'housekeeping') and confirmed by crew/admin is required or something similar and if not then section is made invisible until it is... or perhaps only when new URLs are issued TDs must remove all previous URLs or make clear the new one etc etc.... maybe having a specific member/crew person/s responsible for administrating the section might help..that I am not sure of how or even if it is but there are better guys than me that would know how best to do so...

 

 

But it is up to the new member to read around in all the intro topics etc etc..... I recall I spent many hours doing so and so have many others but at same time you see guys that clearly dont...and those guys cant expect this community to carry them if they dont choose to do that... it is still important even under the umbrella of this forum that individuals still dont take everything stated here as gospel without at least double checking first or asking especially when it comes to parting with their own money or watches....

 

We are, as a forum and a community here to help each other and share a great hobby...but surely we cant be here to help those who wont help themselves or follow even the most basic of guidelines when joining... we are not I believe a 'nanny' forum or a controlling one... (Now I am not suggesting that is the case in all these situations but does tend to be the case more often than not)

 

 

I applaud your motives mate and hope it will create debate and hopefully better suggestions than mine .... but I dont see the benefit of going down the route first suggested....

[fraggle42]

> the issue of the purchase and its cost and ownership

£20 or so for a year, per URL. One purchase to a scam site can be 10 times that.

> and the potential ramifications of that ownership...

None as far as I can see. You wouldn't put "this site is an old one, if you want XYZ's current site, click here!", you'd just put up a simple holding page "This website is not in use." kind if thing - nothing at all to link you the rep business.

> It is and always has been the responsibility of the TDs to update and maintain there sections

Yes, but we can see that they aren't doing that.

The way I see it is that someone new coming along sees the "forum" as an entity, and anything within that is a "part of the forum" (the TDs sections) and is essentially endorsed by the forum (owners), so if the information is out of date and someone gets scammed because of that, it's the forums fault.

I know in an ideal world everyone would do their own investigations until they're completely satisfied, but in the real world people will see this "forum" and the things that have been created and are part of the forums, i.e. the TD sections, as endorsed and 100% reliable. They would never think that the URLs might be out of date, especially if they click on them and get something that looks genuine.

I understand where you're coming from, that you don't think we should nanny new members, but I ask myself "how much extra effort is it?" - very little really, "cost?" - not a lot, "benefit" - if one person avoids being scammed I'll feel happy about that, and I know they will.

I'll make a point of saying that I'm not saying that you don't want to help new members, absolutely not! It's a healthy attitude to get people to take responsibility for their own actions and research first, I'm just a bit more forgiving and think that learning those lessons when you're talking about $300 or so is a hard lesson to learn, and I'd be grateful if someone helped prevent me from doing that. (luckily I wasn't fleeced before I found this place)

> I am not sure what non contributing members see in the TD section so its difficlut to say

I don't believe there is any difference, and I know all the TDs I've seen express an opinion it say they do not want their TD sections to be restricted to VIP members and above.

> maybe having a specific member/crew person/s responsible for administrating the section might help..

This is my favourite option. It'd just need one of the regulars to keep an eye out on all 4 forums for any announcements by the TDs or by other members of changes to the TDs sites and then update the TD sections.

I'm going to set things up so I'll be notified when any of the TDs sites come up for renewal.

The costs per year for me in the UK are cheap for UK and generic domains, reasonable for the US ".com" domains, but expensive for most EU specific ones, no idea about ".cn", etc.