We have recently come under attack from private message spammers. These spammers are creating accounts on the Animosity website and then posting various messages to users, some claiming to be admin users on our boards or from other boards. Some messages are just the standard spam messages you get in your email accounts. Some of these messages contain links and others ask you to reply to them to get links to websites etc.

Over the past few weeks we have tried various methods to curtail the actions of these users in order to protect our genuine members. We have diligently banned accounts as and when they are discovered as well as changed our CAPTCHA method on registration. Neither of these methods have impacted the actions of these unwanted users and we have decided to take a more direct approach to dealing with the problem.

As such we have now revoked the right for any user who is not a Member, Senior Member, Moderator, Officer, Division Leader, Guild Leader or Retired Guild Leader to use various functions on the site. Previously we were very relaxed in our approach to non-guild members on our site but the security of our members has always come first. As of this moment non-guild member users will not be able to send private messages or emails or view personal profiles, as well as being restricted in the content they can access and participate in on our site.

We realise that this solution is not ideal as it prevents potential candidates from contacting members of the leadership team with questions about Animosity prior to applying and also prevents guest members who we are friendly toward from accessing out site and participating in community orientated discussion. Over the next few days we will be bringing in an additional rank that will be given out on request to verified friendly members. We will also be creating an FAQ thread for applicants, which will contain contact information for people wanting to ask questions of the Animosity leadership team prior to applying.

We would ask that members keep an eye out for any continued abuse of our site as we move forward. This is hopefully the final nail in the coffin when it comes to unwanted spam on these boards.

Today we usher in a spam free age. An age where I can buy Viagra without fear of having my credit card details stolen. An age where I can sit at my PC and read my Private Messages knowing that each and every one of them is important.

Ladies and gentlemen of Animosity, welcome to the Age of the Righteous PM.

(Please note that this solution is going to be discussed within the Leadership and may well change in the future or be reversed entirely depending on various circumstances. Gotta love the bureaucracy<3)