Why PCEFX 2014?

[o.pwuaioc]

Looking at the stats, it appears that this site quadrupled its member registrations in 2014 from 2013, most of which occurred in December. Anyone know a reason why that might be? Was the site touted big time somewhere? Was this a giant spam attack?

[PunkCryborg]

Retro Japanese games really blew up in the last year because of the low yen and all the exposure in facebook groups, instagram and youtube

[o.pwuaioc]

Retro Japanese games really blew up in the last year because of the low yen and all the exposure in facebook groups, instagram and youtube

But 2000 new registrants in December (a few hundred every other month).

That JP games really blew up is still unfortunately true.

[SuperDeadite]

Another reason was for a long time accounts could only be activated by Aaron directly...

[CrackTiger]

Word is spreading that goods are sold here for below "market value".

[PunkCryborg]

oh yeah forgot NecroPhile became mod and approved a ton of accts lol

[NecroPhile]

'twas a spambot problem.  For a while there we were getting about a hundred registrations per day instead of the usual two or three.

[o.pwuaioc]

'twas a spambot problem.  For a while there we were getting about a hundred registrations per day instead of the usual two or three.

Gotcha. Very weird, I wonder what turned them here. I mean, it couldn't be search rankings since there is no indexing.

[BlueBMW]

I'd guess it was a covert operation by DoxPhile operatives...

[sirhcman]

I'd guess it was a covert operation by DoxPhile operatives...

uh oh.. busted!

[tknjin]

'twas a spambot problem.  For a while there we were getting about a hundred registrations per day instead of the usual two or three.

You are definitely right.  I remember I first tried to register sometime in like 2010-2012(one of those years), and never got an acceptance.  Then I had to ask somebody from the assembler forums about what had happened, and thus it is what NecroPhile said. 

[bob]

I thought a dormant member purge had occurred recently (last year?)

[esteban]

I suspect that goverrats are behind the spam.

I also know that most new members are, in fact, goverrat operatives.