External login

[Poiponen13]

Could an external login be utilized on this forum? For example registering by Google or Facebook.

[hotdogPi]

I am strongly opposed to this. This forum is currently completely independent from any of the big companies if you're logged in (and have three or more posts; otherwise you get ads).

Also, what if someone doesn't have a Google or Facebook account? The only reason I have a Google account is because my email address is a Gmail one; otherwise, I would be unable to log in.

You're also above the 8 posts per hour limit right now.

[Poiponen13]

I am strongly opposed to this. This forum is currently completely independent from any of the big companies if you're logged in (and have three or more posts; otherwise you get ads).

Also, what if someone doesn't have a Google or Facebook account? The only reason I have a Google account is because my email address is a Gmail one; otherwise, I would be unable to log in.

You're also above the 8 posts per hour limit right now.

I will now take a break and see what are responded to my posts since it's afternoon now here and more users are waking up to look their posts (because it's morning in US).

[Scott5114]

Google and Facebook are shit.

[Max Rockatansky]

That sounds like something Digital Creator (whatever that is) would say.

[Scott5114]

That sounds like something Digital Creator (whatever that is) would say.

I would assume it creates new digits. Like, I dunno, a 3 with a tilde over it. (It does the same thing to the number 3 that a tilde does to the letter N in Spanish.)

[hotdogPi]

Since when do opinions get purple text?

[Scott5114]

Okay, fine, I'll write it the rest of it out, then.

Because Google and Facebook have shown little regard toward keeping user data safe and not sharing it with third-party commercial concerns, we will not be enabling external logins depending on their systems. One of the benefits of an independent website such as this is that our user data is not shared with the global advertising-industrial complex.

The other one was shorter and more punchy, though.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I am strongly opposed to this. This forum is currently completely independent from any of the big companies if you're logged in (and have three or more posts; otherwise you get ads).

Funny.
I've started getting ads (an ad) when I log in to the message board.

[jeffandnicole]

I think we should all get key fobs that expire every 6 months for 2 factor authorization.  And change the password every 3 weeks.  And require retina scans.  And force a 36 box captcha quiz on us, asking to identify the boxes with droplets from a sneezing raccoon.

[Scott5114]

I think we should all get key fobs that expire every 6 months for 2 factor authorization.  And change the password every 3 weeks.  And require retina scans.  And force a 36 box captcha quiz on us, asking to identify the boxes with droplets from a sneezing raccoon.

We couldn't use the standard "select all images that contain a traffic light" because we all know everyone would get pedantic about whether the backplate counts or not.

[kphoger]

We couldn't use the standard "select all images that contain a traffic light" because we all know everyone would get pedantic about whether the backplate counts or not.

[formulanone]

That sounds like something Digital Creator (whatever that is) would say.

I would assume it creates new digits. Like, I dunno, a 3 with a tilde over it. (It does the same thing to the number 3 that a tilde does to the letter N in Spanish.)

Ah yes, the year 207̃012, when Blendin Blandin was sentenced to the Infinetentiary.

[Molandfreak]

Can't you just tick the "keep me logged in 365 days"  box and not have to worry about logging in again for a year?

[hotdogPi]

Can't you just tick the "keep me logged in 365 days"  box and not have to worry about logging in again for a year?

Did something change? I'm logged in indefinitely, not for one year.

[kurumi]

I've had to log in once for each new browser or laptop. The experience is pretty much optimal.

Could you imagine "improvements" such as:
* short session durations and frequent re-logins
* "please provide a phone number to verify your account"
* "this page looks better in the app"
* "this app is requesting permission to: access your contacts and photos; make bank transactions on your behalf; change your passwords"
* "install the app now"
* "hey babe, how about installing that app? You know you want to"
* "before you close this page, how about enabling notifications?"
* "see AAroads in: [browser - ]  [the App!!!!]"

This forum is an island of sanity IMO, and I'm thankful it's run the way it is.

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that the "log in with [Google/Facebook]" things gather data whether a user chooses to log in with them or not.  It's part of how they build "shadow profiles".

[rickmastfan67]

I am strongly opposed to this. This forum is currently completely independent from any of the big companies if you're logged in (and have three or more posts; otherwise you get ads).

Funny.
I've started getting ads (an ad) when I log in to the message board.

Because you're not logged in. lol.  Once you're logged in, they're gone (unless you have less than 3 posts).  Alex needed a little money coming in, and thought at least showing ads to people not logged in was a good idea, since a good chunk of them are bots scraping the site.

[Rothman]

I am strongly opposed to this. This forum is currently completely independent from any of the big companies if you're logged in (and have three or more posts; otherwise you get ads).

Funny.
I've started getting ads (an ad) when I log in to the message board.

Because you're not logged in. lol.  Once you're logged in, they're gone (unless you have less than 3 posts).  Alex needed a little money coming in, and thought at least showing ads to people not logged in was a good idea, since a good chunk of them are bots scraping the site.

And the bots are annoyed.

[Roadgeekteen]

We already sign up using emails. Nobody cares about facebook.

[Max Rockatansky]

I don't think an external login is necessary for AARoads.  That said, I wouldn't fully dismiss Facebook in terms of a source for road content.  Much of the community has moved to easier to access pages and groups on Facebook over the last couple years.  I hardly touch my own Facebook account, but I spend a ton of time on the Gribblenation account.

[Scott5114]

I find Facebook pages more difficult to access and use than standard webpages on their own domain. With a webpage, I can get to it fairly simply through Google, especially if I know anything about the site ahead of time like the name of the owner or what sort of content it carries.

Facebook's user interface, on the other hand, is an atrocity unto mankind, and the algorithm-driven nature of the site means that often if you don't act on content the first time you see it, it's gone forever. (This is not just a me problem. Often I'll be sent a screenshot of some Facebook post and ask for a link to the original because I want to see a full-resolution image or leave a comment and be told that the person cannot find the post again.)

[vdeane]

Facebook seems determined to make their interface worse and worse and worse.  My time spent on that site goes down with each redesign, especially as they've made groups hard to check.  Used to be it would show the number of unread items on the left sidebar and you could iterate through, scroll down to the point where it demarcates between old and new content, and then move on.  Now, they took all that away, so instead I have to queue up every group in tabs and hope the algorithm has put the new stuff on top because I stop scrolling when I see old stuff.  They also explicitly don't give page updates to everyone who likes/follows a page because they want the page creator (who they envision to be a business; the idea that someone could have a non-business hobby site seems to escape them) to pay to reach more people.

If it weren't for the fact that some content gets posted to groups that doesn't here, it being used to discuss and RSVP to roadmeets, it being the primary way I share updates to my site, and a few people and pages to keep up with, I would have long since deleted my account.

[Big John]

Facebook is adding too many "Suggested for you" posts taking away stuff I want to see.  Worse yet if I tell FB to hide a site I don't like, it will suggest to me an almost identical site.

[Max Rockatansky]

Facebook is adding too many "Suggested for you" posts taking away stuff I want to see.  Worse yet if I tell FB to hide a site I don't like, it will suggest to me an almost identical site.

For some reason Facebook thinks I'm into New Urbanism.  I don't think the algorithm is smart enough yet to know that liking highways and railroads doesn't equate to "New Urbanism."