Here's an effective anti-spam phpbb3 mod

[Ares2]

@Giorgio: You might want to try this phpbb3 mod: http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=570929. Lanik installed it for the EasyList forums and it really works like a charm, not a single spam post for 2 months now.

[Tom T.]

MOD Description: Implements a text-based human validation system in order to verify that a form submitter is human and not a SPAM robot.

A substantial amount of what spam does get here is placed by (semi-)humans who pass the captcha test already in place. I don't see any additional advantage to the linked method, but appreciate your thoughtfulness in trying to help with the issue.

[therube]

Ares2, is there a demo page?
Saw a couple listed in the thread (though I didn't read it entirely), but they no longer seem to be demos?

OK, if I go to the actual "register" page, I see the "Human Verification System".

http://www.absoluteanime.com/forum/ucp. ... e=register

Code: Select all

Human Verification System

Prevents automated SPAM robots from submitting forms.

Respond correctly to confirm you're human:
    Enter the first 5 letters of the alphabet:

That works for users who attempt to register. Is there something similar for anonymous users too?

[Giorgio Maone]

I'd like to integrate ReCaptcha and BadBehavior, which are doing quite a good job at Hackademix.net

[Alan Baxter]

BadBehavior

It hasn't worked completely. My comments are still getting through.

[Giorgio Maone]

BadBehavior

It hasn't worked completely. My comments are still getting through.

gotcha

[GµårÐïåñ]

I'd like to integrate ReCaptcha and BadBehavior, which are doing quite a good job at Hackademix.net

I think ReCaptcha and BadBehavior are better implementations. I have a ReCaptcha key, I will play around with it and share with you. Although since you already have it integrated already on your blog, it might be just as quick for you to do it. BadBehavior, I will keep an eye out for a good one and we'll take it from there.

[Tom T.]

BadBehavior

It hasn't worked completely. My comments are still getting through.

I've had to email Giorgio several times for my comments not getting through, so it must be working sometimes!

I have my own ReCaptcha code that I can use to post my email address at certain sites (they have to allow HTML, but these are all moderated -- nothing gets posted until after approval, usually the next day.) The point is, users see: Email: Tom.....___ @yahoo.com. If they click the underline, they have to solve the recaptchas, then the actual email address is revealed. This is a free service of MailHide, run by the prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University in Pitttsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. You could presumably write a script: if the user successfully gets the address revealed, they click that link or enter the address, and they're validated. I guess you'd need some mass-addresses or a block of them, to prevent someone from solving once, then setting up multiple accounts. Not sure if this works for a site as opposed to an individual. Just a thought.

[Thrawn]

I don't suppose Giorgio could easily implement some kind of probation period for new accounts?

Eg, for your first 48 hours, everything you post has to be approved by a moderator, and within that period, if what you posted was spam, they can summarily delete the account so the post never appears?

Not sure whether that would help reduce spam, or just make more of it anonymous.

[Tom T.]

I don't suppose Giorgio could easily implement some kind of probation period for new accounts?

Eg, for your first 48 hours, everything you post has to be approved by a moderator, and within that period, if what you posted was spam, they can summarily delete the account so the post never appears?

Not sure whether that would help reduce spam, or just make more of it anonymous.

Probably the latter. Huge increase in Mod workload. And one reason that guest posting is allowed in the Support sub-fora (only) is that we understand how annoying computer problems can be, and having to set up yet one more account, user/pass, etc. -- we want to make it easy for the one-time or one-issue poster to get help as quickly as possible.

Deleting spam and banning users actually takes only a few clicks. (You can't see it, but every post has a Delete button displayed to Mods.)

FWIW, I often look at "Our newest member" on the Index page, and if the profile is spammy, ban them before they even post.

(and bumping a three-year-old thread -- really? j/k! )