New member sign-ups

I have just now added two slight changes to the signup process for new members. We, like a lot of online community networks, have had a continuing flow of fake requests for membership driven by infected PCs on the Internet. These robot driven or "bot" requests use fake email addresses and are blindly diriven by hidden programs in these infected PCs. If membership is granted to one of these fake requests, we might get a flood of unwelcome messages sent to us. These two changes have been made available by Ning and should block fake requests.

1. Anyone asking to be added as a member will get an email sent to the email address they provide. They will need to respond to that email by clicking on a link in the email. If the email address is fake, this email that Ning sends should essentially disappear since it cannot actually be delivered and should prevent our ever receiving the actual request for membership.

2. Requesters will need to respond by entering the letters displayed in a small graphic image. "Bots" cannot do this.

No such fake members exist in the Hunters Creek online community, but until now we have had to block them manually. Some of these fake requests have successfully connected to hundreds of online communities. This improvement in the signup process should make blocking them from Hunters Creek automatic.