How can I contact the forum admin in this situation

H

hari

Tazmanian
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
5,701
I recently joined a very interesting forum and wanted to reply to some of their discussions, but unfortunately it requires admin account activation. The forum runs IPB 3.0.

The last activated member account appears to be in August 2012.

  • I am unable to post anything on any board/subforum or PM anybody.
  • The admin contact e-mail bounces all mails. Even the activation mail was sent by this mail (but by the e-mail sending agent on the forum server) so that leaves that option out.
  • There is no other apparent way to contact one of the admins or moderators since their e-mails are hidden in their profile.
  • Even whois e-mail address on the domain is fake or inactive. It also bounces.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Yet the forum appears fairly active and members keep posting there. I am just frustrated to think that I cannot do anything about it, since there appears no way to contact the admin. The last activated forum account seems to be in August and that makes me think that the admin isn't so active any more. It appears that I have to wait indefinitely to get my account activated.

I was just wondering if I had missed something obvious.
 
Last edited:
Wasp

Wasp

Recruit
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
722
Option one. Contact the admin. Look up the website url, and contact the owner.

Option two. That. Forum software has a security hole, and it may be possible to force a administration account.. This option vays on the Grey side, and should you choose it the research is your own.
 
Taylor

Taylor

Sexier Than You
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Apr 28, 2010
Messages
963
Bing's pretty good at finding e-mail addresses. Try searching "@domainname.com"?
 
PacMan

PacMan

Tazmanian
Joined
Apr 12, 2004
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4,266
Try contacting one of the members and ask them to contact the admin/moderator(s) for you.

Look for members who have contact info (email, skype,facebook,twitter, etc)/website info in their signatures. Google the most active members, maybe they are on other sites and you can get in contact with them on the other site.
 
Taylor

Taylor

Sexier Than You
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Messages
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NerdForum said:
I assumed he meant the contact email listed on the forum, generally the whois is different.
Click to expand...

He said: "Even whois e-mail address on the domain is fake or inactive. It also bounces."

Anyway, doesn't need to be a conflict. Just continuing a discussion by saying he'd tried that, in case you had other ideas that could help him.
 
Taylor

Taylor

Sexier Than You
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Messages
963
Me, too, but then I saw it and edited my post real sneaky-like before anyone saw.

:shifty:
 
shadowavalon

shadowavalon

Enthusiast
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Jun 17, 2008
Messages
143
usualy forums have introduction boards or some sort that hari could try but if the admin is hiding all boards from guests then there's not much he can do
 
JessJ

JessJ

Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 20, 2009
Messages
145
Assuming whois gave you the owner's name, you could try googling them. Chances are they'll have some sort of social networking profile.

*I'm also having this same problem -.- ... *

If not, then I really don't know, other than doing some research.
Having the link to the site might be helpful (for us).
 
H

hari

Tazmanian
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
5,701
Thanks all. On that particular forum, there are no boards where I can post a message. Even the intro forum is hidden from me.

I tried the whois route but unfortunately the whois e-mail ID also bounces. I will try contacting a member and seeing if that helps. But if the admin is inactive, I don't see a way to get into the forum.

And here's the final catch... I am not even permitted to send e-mail to other members even when their e-mail is allowed. But it doesn't show the actual e-mail ID. :( :(

The forum is holmesian.net/forums

Maybe, here is my idea. I will create my own forum for that topic. :D
 
LeadCrow

LeadCrow

Apocalypse Admin
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
6,818
Or hunt down staff using their username and contact elsewhere, like on IRC, other forums or email? Its unlikely other other/admins couldnt have recent contact info for an AWOL keeper.
 
H

hari

Tazmanian
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
5,701
LeadCrow said:
Or hunt down staff using their username and contact elsewhere, like on IRC, other forums or email? Its unlikely other other/admins couldnt have recent contact info for an AWOL keeper.
Click to expand...

I think it would be a bit too much to go out of the way to search for user IDs of non-admin members. I was a bit uncomfortable with that approach since it feels a bit like stalking.

Moreover, the usernames used seem very topic specific (as related to the topic of the forum itself) so I doubt if they are used on other websites.
 
H

hari

Tazmanian
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
5,701
Solved. I contacted the admin using an e-mail which he/she had posted in an announcement thread.

At least the mail didn't bounce. I hope the admin will get this e-mail.
 
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