We get a constant stream of bogus new forum membership applications -just checked. 6 today so far -that are usually linked to porn sites or loan companies. That's how the virus got into the site a few years ago -a bogus application with a spam virus written into the avatar picture. At the time we had the forum set to automatically approve new members.
Now I vet each one & send an email asking them to reply to show they're not spam. I scan down the list each day & most just get ignored cos their user names are a completely random jumble of letters, or they sound like something dodgy. I also double check any I'm not sure about through a couple of spam filter sites. New members aren't allowed avatars until they've posted a few times.
So if you know anyone that's tried to join but been ignored, that's why. Get them to email me directly at:
mankymonkeymotors@gmail.comI plan to relaunch the site sometime this year & streamline it a bit, (don't worry, no major changes), but the forum will remain the same cos it runs as a completely separate entity, just linked to the main site.