Math Is Fun Forum
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#1 2022-09-26 14:23:10
- sologuitar
- Member
- Registered: 2022-09-19
- Posts: 467
Math Entry Test
To avoid fakers and scammers on this site, I think an entry math test should be a requirement to join our community of math enthusiasts, teachers, tutors and students. The test should be multiple-choice, 10 questions with a passing score of 70 percent. For those who fail, the test can be taken at least 3 times per year. The test should also be fair but not too easy. Math questions on the test should range from grade 5 to 8. With the permission of the site creator, I would like the opportunity to create a math entry test for this site. You say?
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#2 2022-09-26 14:35:30
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 51,932
Re: Math Entry Test
I don't think it is required, in my opinion.
Let's wait for others' views.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#3 2022-09-26 17:36:45
- sologuitar
- Member
- Registered: 2022-09-19
- Posts: 467
Re: Math Entry Test
You are right. There is no test requirement but I think it is a good idea.
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#4 2022-09-26 18:05:47
- Bob
- Administrator
- Registered: 2010-06-20
- Posts: 10,797
Re: Math Entry Test
I am totally opposed to this. The forum is open access. Lots of our members join because they are weak at maths and want help to improve.
Bob
Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you! …………….Bob 
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#5 2022-09-27 09:55:21
- sologuitar
- Member
- Registered: 2022-09-19
- Posts: 467
Re: Math Entry Test
I am totally opposed to this. The forum is open access. Lots of our members join because they are weak at maths and want help to improve.
Bob
Copy. Understood. No test will be posted. It was just a suggestion.
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#6 2025-09-26 01:09:31
- mycalsuite
- Member
- Registered: 2025-09-10
- Posts: 38
- Website
Re: Math Entry Test
What a fascinating concept! A quick entrance exam could help weed out spammers and maintain the community's authenticity. Only true math fans might sign up if it's fair, covers middle school-level arithmetic, and isn't very challenging. I'd like to know what other people think about making this a requirement.
mycalsuite
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#7 2025-09-26 04:37:35
- Bob
- Administrator
- Registered: 2010-06-20
- Posts: 10,797
Re: Math Entry Test
Every day I have to remove members who only joined so they can advertise on our site. It's a lot harder to do if the person uses a guest post rather than a member post so I have configued the guest group so they cannot do this. Sad but necessary or we'd become overwhelmed by rubbish, much of it downright offensive.
It would be wonderful if there was a mechanism that imposed some sort of post restriction on new members, but, as far as I can think, the only way for a new member to qualify would be to make posts, so I'm in a Catch 22 here. Suggestions welcome.
Bob
Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you! …………….Bob
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#8 2025-09-26 13:45:41
Re: Math Entry Test
Hi,
Email verification is a good idea but the bad part is we don't have it. I agree with Bob, the forum is indeed for all people including those who cant score 70%. So the math test is not a good idea. I'll try to do something if I can, without changing the forum's original code actually.
But wont that be a kinda hacking?
Suggestions welcomed;
I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.
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#9 2025-09-28 02:52:34
- Bob
- Administrator
- Registered: 2010-06-20
- Posts: 10,797
Re: Math Entry Test
Test post.
https://www.google.com/
https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/function-grapher.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/
math
math
https://www.google.com/ https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/function-grapher.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/
https://www.google.com/https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/function-grapher.htmlhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/
I can stop multiple posting if the hyperlinks are all on one line but not if there's a newline between them. 
Actually I cannot stop them even then as the last two show.
Bob
Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you! …………….Bob
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#10 2025-09-28 23:55:28
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 51,932
Re: Math Entry Test
ktesla39,
Why are you trying to run a parallel forum in MathsIsFunForum without getting Administrators' consent?
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#12 2025-09-29 00:19:16
- Bob
- Administrator
- Registered: 2010-06-20
- Posts: 10,797
Re: Math Entry Test
hi Ganesh,
No cause for concern. ktesla39 and I have been trying to find a way to protect the forum from spammers. He has made a copy that he can experiment with without any threat to MIF. Note. He has already found a way to create an Avatar.
I've updated MIF about this.
Bob
Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you! …………….Bob
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#13 2025-09-29 00:21:15
Re: Math Entry Test
I didn't find any way, it was already integrated in the forum I used (the same one as this is). But it seems that some changes made here are the reasons of the avatars not working. Also, if the avatars malfunctioned after server change, I doubt this is because the upload directory doesn't have write rights (for file creation).
Edit: Last lines.
Last edited by ktesla39 (2025-09-29 00:24:01)
I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.
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#14 2025-09-29 00:24:42
- Bob
- Administrator
- Registered: 2010-06-20
- Posts: 10,797
Re: Math Entry Test
Oh, I thought you had cracked it. Longer standing Members with existing avatars continue to have them after the upgrade. More recent members find nothing happens when they follow the instructions.
Bob
Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you! …………….Bob
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#15 2025-09-29 01:30:47
Re: Math Entry Test
I know. I've tried it. If you want to understand it, I'll explain.
The forum (MIFF) is hosted on a server running Linux. The codes (PHP, JS, HTML... files) are stored on the server's memory, kind of hard drive. And since Linux can be used my multiple users, the same server can be used by Rod, Bob, Me or anyone to host/run different things. Each user (superuser for the site like Rod for this) has access to certain components of the server. The reason I doubt (not have write permission) means that Rod created folders and files on the new server but didn't make the directory writeable (meaning files can't be uploaded or created by PHP) and the avatars failed. There might be other reasons as well but..... And the reason your avatars are working, is very simple. The data like your username, password, and other infos are stored in database like MySQL. See this: 
and then see this: 
Did you see a similarity? The ids (mine and Bob's) are 2 and 6 and the files are also named 2 and 6. That's because the files are called on the basis of user Id. So the name for my avatar will be myId.extension. And since all files (including your avatars) had been copied earlier along with the database, your avatars are still working because you have the same user ID and the name of the avatar. So are you clear now? 
I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.
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