Unfortunately, we had some LOW LIFE SCUM sign up here early this morning and SPAM a number of our members with one of those STUPID "I'm from Africa and have a million bucks please help me smuggle it out of the country letters."

I have banned that horrible excuse for a person. Please delete any SPAM you may have received from him/her/it.

My sincerest apologies if you received one of these.

(and forgive my language against this person, but SPAM is theft and harrassment, plain & simple and you good people should not have to deal with it)

Yes, apologies from me as well.

Please forward all spam you received to abuse AT americasdebate DOT com and I will do my best to make this spammer's life miserable.

In the mean time, I have decreased the permissions that New Members (those with less than a specific number of posts).

They can no longer view profiles (an easy way to find the "Email" button), and they can no longer use the email system at all.

Hopefully this will avoid this in the future.

Again, my sincerest apologies,

Mike

Just as an FYI, I have been just been informed by Matt at Invision Power Services (the guy who writes our sofwtare) that the upgrade, due out within a couple of months, will basically put an end to this.

It includes a new setting that allows us to specify the maximum number of email each member can send in one day, as well as the minimum required time delay between allowing members to email from the forum (one email every hour, for example).

Mike