OLBG Forum to close down?

[Shrews]

I have just been sent this email from Darren@OLBG. Please can someone confirm this is not a SPAM email or potentially harmful one. Cheers! (no, I have not clicked on any links, but others might). I have altered the links in the email addresses below so they can't be clicked by mistake.


darren @ol bg.com
4:14 PM (6 minutes ago)
to

Hi,


As one of the most frequent users the OLBG forum, I am writing to let you know that the forum will be closing on 30/4/23.


We have recently become aware that the forum is becoming a security risk for the whole OLBG site as it provides a ‘way-in’ for hackers and the only way to remove this risk completely is to remove the forum.


We have looked into the possibility of providing a similar alternative to the forum system we have now and we believe an external site called Discord provides a very similar set-up without the security risk to the rest of OLBG.


We have set up an OLBG community channel on Discord which should look very similar to the OLBG forum. We have given you early access via the link below:

htt ps://d iscord.gg/4nA3tCWU

Please note the above invite will only work for the next seven days.

Hopefully the Discord set up will feel familiar and be straightforward to learn but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.


We have already begun setting up the challenges section and we will continue to pay existing prizes as usual.


We would be very grateful if you would have a look round and provide us with some feedback. Once we have received feedback from our test users (such as yourself) we will make a general announcement on the forum outlining the upcoming changes.


Please reply to this email when you have had a chance to see what Discord provides.


Thank you for your continued input into OLBG.


The Tipster Competition Team

htt ps://ww w.o lbg.com/

[zagreb]

I had the same message and am also concerned. Likewise I have hot opened any links and have deleted the email.

[Shrews]

I had the same message and am also concerned. Likewise I have hot opened any links and have deleted the email.

I have reported it via the contact form too Zagreb, so hopefully one of the mod team will spot it and confirm.

[TeddyT]

Hi,

Yes, unfortunately, the forum will be closing on the OLBG site on the 30/4/23 but we are in the process of building something very similar that all existing users will be able to access.

We were hoping to get feedback from a selection of users before making a full announcement but the forum has become a security risk to the whole OLBG site as hackers target the forum as a 'way-in' to the full site.

We have looked at various options and have decided that the safest thing is to try to generate a similar forum on an external site called Discord.

We are still in the testing stage of how things will look etc on the new site so we aren't in a position to open the new area up to everyone just at the moment. If you have been contacted with a link please log on and have a look round and feedback with your thoughts via email.

The forum has been an integral part of OLBG, but in recent years posts and active posters have reduced so this new security risk has left us with no choice but to make this change.

Hopefully any existing users will be able to see that the experience on Discord should not be that different to what we currently have. If everyone can take a little time to get used to the new set up then things will hopefully not change that much.

Thank you

[racingformstudy]

I seen on Twitter on the run up to Cheltenham there a lot of people that you hadnt seen had set up a DISCORD account. I never looked at any so I may be a bit slow on the uptake with this. I assume you have to download DISCORD and what would happen to everyones details from OLBG (ie emails/paypal accounts) would they be safe?

[Zipster]

I seen on Twitter on the run up to Cheltenham there a lot of people that you hadnt seen had set up a DISCORD account. I never looked at any so I may be a bit slow on the uptake with this. I assume you have to download DISCORD and what would happen to everyones details from OLBG (ie emails/paypal accounts) would they be safe?

The only part of OLBG which is moving over to Discord is the forum, this discussion part, the tipster competition, members area, tip pages everything else will be remaining as they are so payment info etc will still only be part of here and not on Discord.

You can use the Discord App on mobile devices but on desktop you can use their webpage, the only information you need to give is an email address when signing up, if possible try to use your OLBG name as your username on there so everyone knows who is who! We have set up a few bits, it's just about getting members over to test it out, find their way around and ask any questions before the final move is made.

We know 'New' things can be scary in the tech world but we will do our best to help everyone who has issues, Discord is pretty simple to use and we have it setup in a forum style so members can post in threads just like on here.

[DAVIDADAN]

Ah that’s a relief it’s just the forum after receiving the email! I’ll see you all over there soon.

[Dave1962]

Thanks for the heads up. Knew nothing about this. I’m sure when the time comes we will all migrate and in a few weeks/months time realise there was nothing to be concerned about.

I wait to hear what we will need to do.

Hope it’s simple!

Dave

[mazeymay]

Security risk,my arse, what a pathetic excuse. Hopefully the forum will exist elsewhere without the cash cow members. The site has been on a downward curve for years due to members just posting tips in the competitions without becoming involved in the day to day activities that made the site so good. I can think that 99% of members wont even know of the decision because they don.t bother reading the forum. To those who did contribute over the years i wish you all the best and thank you for your informative posts and tips

[TeddyT]

Security risk,my arse, what a pathetic excuse. Hopefully the forum will exist elsewhere without the cash cow members. The site has been on a downward curve for years due to members just posting tips in the competitions without becoming involved in the day to day activities that made the site so good. I can think that 99% of members wont even know of the decision because they don.t bother reading the forum. To those who did contribute over the years i wish you all the best and thank you for your informative posts and tips

It's very disappointing to see such cynicism from a longterm member. Why on earth would we go to all the trouble and expense of setting up something new if what we are saying re a security risk wasn't true? We had an extended period at the end of last year when the site was up and down over a period of a week and that was caused by a hacker gaining access to the full site via the forum. Our technical team have looked very carefully at the risks and feel that there is no safe way for the existing forum to carry on in its current guise. The idea is to replicate what we have via an extrernal site - I really can't see what we would gain by doing that if it was not 100% necessary.

[meoldmate]

This Discord setup, do you put a link up or is it a game of hunt and find.

I read several imports about going to Discord, I personally think we will lose a lot of thread members, members will be happy to stay with the tipping.

To be honest, I cannot think of the love of OLBG why this has come to fore.
Alright hacker got in, first time or second time in fifteen years I have been here, surely to run to another site for security warrants this.

You have ten massive threads on here, many are not required like Blog page, betting chat and help, student set up school business with betting, Archive can go, Plus many sports could be brought together,

Horse racing the most popular I think why have Cheltenham link, Grand National, can come under discussion, matter of fact, there are a lot pages even on the horse racing set up can be lost, one has 297 which is discussion with that page with no new news on why keep it.

Making the forum smaller can keep security tighter, no need to lose hundreds of members, that go on the discussion pages, if there is a hundred.

I know things with life cycles do not last forever, OLBG a might be doing this winding down,
Matter of fact, you have more traffic in your tipping comps than forums, surprise this part has not been transferred over to Discord as security with this part of the OLBG would be more lucrative to a hacker than discussion pages, where hackers can get to cash from members who leave money in there accounts.
If backroom boys can police this well, then forum pages can be policed in the same style.

I think, there is more than that, which is not being spilled.

I have been a Mod for a long time on here and manage to secure the threads when hackers have appeared and acted quickly.
When OLBG changed a few years back when blogs were eased back from rewards, members who were so called loyal disappeared, communication then started to dry up, as community managers never communicated. There is Mod page on here, which was used for issues and be told what is happening, now it is like not for your eyes and ears, need to know basis.

I feel sour with what OLBG are doing, this could be handled a lot better than moving to Discord, could have moved to Facebook, or any other chit chat pages.
I understand why you are using Discord it has a black look, that will be a black day for OLBG.

Every time I type in OLBG they cannot find, I been in with 888 poker, what a load of rubbish appearing there, like Facebook, would not be surprise if OLBG forum has a sale and buy page.

[Zipster]

Hi Colin,

Discord is invite-only which we are putting out in stages.

I am not sure you fully understand when we are talking about hackers and the forum, we are not talking about people posting on the forums, not talking about people under fake numbers claiming prizes, we are talking about the coding of the forum, the stuff behind the forum that no one sees, the nuts and bolts which run the forum. Reducing the size of the forum would make no difference, it's the coding which is problematic and as we have found out is a way in for the hackers, a way they can flood the site and make the site non-operational otherwise known as cyberattacks and it's all coming through the forum.

We are happy to see so many already over on Discord and have a look around, it's a great site and others so much and actually offers members much more flexibility over there too, don't forget any questions be sure to ask!