Dear Members:

One of the major issues plaguing the SON Community in recent months has been bot attacks, which not only cause a surge in our Google Analytics traffic but also trigger the dreaded max connections error 500 message and result in CSS/design problems where the boards get wacky and do not display correctly.

This matter has been affecting thousands of websites, including several major ones, not just our little community. Therefore, I have made the decision to permanently implement the Cloudflare security verification check.

While I wish this weren't the case, it has become impossible to run this place without having to deal with this problem almost daily.

I know this might inconvenience some of you, but be aware that the notification only shows up when you have been away from the SON Community for a set period of time, including if you are browsing another website or visiting the site for the first time in a while (hours, days, etc.).

Most people shouldn't have an issue with a quick check, as it will automatically verify you are human, but there might be a few occasions where you might have to click on the box to verify.

Note: The security check might sometimes also appear as you are posting. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent that, but rest assured your post should still go through once the verification is complete.

it doesn’t bother me at all & totally support it if it helps you guys run this website easier!

26 minutes ago, Errol said:

Note: The security check might sometimes also appear as you are posting. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent that, but rest assured your post should still go through once the verification is complete.

Not always; sometimes, it will take you back to the topic, and all you need to do is reload the response and then submit it. But otherwise, this is fine if it is keeping SONetwork functional.

Thanks for the update. Already used to it.

4 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Not always; sometimes, it will take you back to the topic, and all you need to do is reload the response and then submit it. But otherwise, this is fine if it is keeping SONetwork functional.

That’s what it is like for me, and I agree. I would rather have the site working and less headaches for the admins than the minor inconvenience.

Errol, thank you for everything. As annoying as it might be for us to wait an extra two seconds, it must be one million times more annoying for you dealing with all this.

At least now I am logged in and browsing without errors. It was impossible before.

Thank you @Errol 😊

I understand why you are doing it, but when I have to get this "Verification" just scrolling page to page in a thread, it's a bit of overkill IMO

On 10/31/2026 at 2:13 PM, dragonflies said:

I understand why you are doing it, but when I have to get this "Verification" just scrolling page to page in a thread, it's a bit of overkill IMO

We don't control how the verification process works or how often it is engaged. If/when you are viewing another website while keeping the SON Community open in its own tab, or returning to the SON Community after viewing another website, the verification process will engage.

If you stay on a page for a long period of time, it could trigger the verification process, regardless of where you are.

I've disabled the verification setting due to member complaints. If the boards get wacky as a result, I will no longer intervene.

Separately, but likely related, I have upgraded the software to its latest version. Hopefully, it helps with any other issues members have brought up across the community.

46 minutes ago, Errol said:

I've disabled the verification setting due to member complaints. If the boards get wacky as a result, I will no longer intervene.

Separately, but likely related, I have upgraded the software to its latest version. Hopefully, it helps with any other issues members have brought up across the community.

Thanks, Errol!

I was locked out. For some reason I wasn't able to get through the verification process.