External IM Verification Tool

Loads of newcomers get scammed because they do not request a PM, even though it is said over and over again. It is not immediately obvious why a PM is required so they may disregard the advice.

Suggestion:

1) Make a page that automates the PM sending process into a verification process. This would simply consist of two or three text boxes, their Sythe name, your IM address, and their IM address (optional). Then make the receiver copy and paste something into chat and have the sender paste it into the website to fully verify. Allow the receiver to click an imposter button and optionally add the imposter IM address to an imposter list.

2) Give it an easily rememberable URL such as www.sythe.org/verify

3) Make it give useful information and instructions that any newcomer will understand. Use big words like "NOT YET VERIFIED. DO NOT TRADE." and "VERIFIED, BUT PLEASE TRADE WITH CAUTION".

The exact system may need tweaks to avoid all the threeway scams and stuff. I'm sure any experienced marketer could fill us in on those.

 

It makes it easier which will make more people want to use it. No need to find the users profile, just go to the easy to remember URL. Use autocomplete for the username field. It is also not abstract like sending a PM is. It is clear that is it for verification and not communication. "Verify Skype ids with sythe.org/verify" instead of "Send a PM to the user that you are trading with to verify their Skype. Make sure you do xyz to avoid scams abc".

 

Simple requesting PM verification is enough.Not sure why you think the newcomers will be more fine with complicated system.
I believe almost everyone have on his thread note about the PM verification.
I cant support this.

 

Your description does sound a little convoluted, I think something like this might be useful though. Simple is better.

 

This. Why complicate a process so simple? We can't continuously help users who don't use common sense.

 

This is easier than a PM and it makes more sense intuitively. It's also more professional and may give the site a competitive advantage if users like it. This could also easily leave a paper trail that moderators could search and see. That could potentially be useful in some hacking cases.

I was trying to defeat man in the middle attacks. I guess you could just compare entered Skype Ids. So three fields, username and their skype, your skype.

 

How about making a rule that a person has to send a proper pm(my skype, your skype, chatlogs)

 

That would not make people who don't do it do it.

 

I don't think it's a Sythe issue, I think it's a user issue. There's risks involved with trying to cut corners to trade quicker, and the sooner they learn it the sooner they'll take the extra, tiny amount of time to send someone a PM.

Don't think it's needed.

 

Sythe is its users.

 

I'd really really really prefer upgrades to SytheChat to where it can be used for secure trading and IMing for market use.

 

Why not just make it mandatory or like at the end of every thread like "Make sure you pm me confirming, I will never deny one".

Because lets be honest here newcomers won't read all the stickies of a section because they don't understand the importance of it.

 

This got mentioned in the spam forum and I completely agree. That is just a much farther long shot than this, I think.

 

Honestly, people will actually use it if it's implemented better. I promise you.

Here's some things that absolutely need to be done for it to get to a level where it'd be suitable for mass use:

• Ability to download a client to use on your computer
• Ability to use it on Sythe, like Facebook chat
• Chat history, no limit on logs. Maybe allow purchase of log space.
• Ability to message someone on the chat and have them be notified somehow

And the good thing about Sythechat, again, if implemented properly with security features, means that it would be as secure as private messages, which would mean it's secure enough to where, if they use the features now offered with Sythe accounts such as 2 factor authentication, would be so secure that they would not get hacked, and they would prefer it over Skype. Honestly, if I still had my gold shop, and my primary source of revenue was Sythe, and SytheChat was offered as a secure means of trading that's easy to use, I would definitely use it over Skype. Skype is terrible with security.

 

To be fair SytheChat needs a lot of work before it is usable due to the bugs and stuff in the system and it needs the community to support it. Maybe offer miniranks for chat loyalty or something.

 

I've been saying this from the very start, it needs an official desktop client to actually be adopted by a majority of users. A shitty chrome window won't cut it, and neither will telling people that they have to go set up a third party xmpp application. Put it somewhere prominent. There have been people who offered to program it for free and you shut them down.

A facebook style chat would be cool too, it'd be nice if by default you could message anyone at any time. It could be set to friends only, or off. How significantly would it lag the site? Definitely give it a reasonable amount of investigation.