Anti-Bot: Are You Human/Bot?

[Jiveturkey]

It installed without a problem but doesn't work.

There's a bunch of code at the top of my forum though.

I attached a screen shot.  I'm using a slightly modified version of the default theme.  I tried the code trick but it was already in the registration php file.

[karlbenson]

Open

Themes/default/languages/Modifications.english.php &/Or Modifications.english-utf8.php

Find ?>
Move that right to the very bottom (on its own line below everything else).

[Jiveturkey]

Thanks for the quick reply.

That fixed that problem but the text isn't showing up on the registration page.

A screen shot is attached again.

[karlbenson]

Is this on SMF 2.x?  If so try cleaning your file cache via Admin > Forum Maintenance > Empty the file cache.

[Jiveturkey]

I'm on 1.1.4

[karlbenson]

check whether your custom has a language folder
and if it has a Modifications.english.php

If it has, you'll need to add the language strings to it.

[Jiveturkey]

Fixed!

You rule.  Sorry for not following all of the directions.  Since I have the default theme I didn't think that all of it applied to me.

Let this be a lesson to future users.

[Jiveturkey]

PS.  How effective has this been?  I'll be using it with visual verification and required activation.

Prior to today I was only running required activation and I was getting hammered with spammers.

[karlbenson]

I'm not aware of any spam-bots getting passed this.
Technically its not that difficult to defeat.

Overall the size of the problem with SMF is much less than I've seen with PHPBB forums (which gets 100's a day).
Of course this mod doesn't prevent humans from registering/spamming.

There are other anti-spam bot mods available if necessary.
Anti-Bot Registration Puzzles

And only 2 minutes, I've just submitted a new one
Anti-Bot Clock
(although this one hasn't been approved yet so you won't be able to view the screenshots, nor download it).

[karlbenson]

FYI: this mod now works for 2.0 beta 3 public

1.2 - 21st March 2008
o Fixed align/valign issue affecting w3c xhtml 1.0 validity
o Tweaked to get it to work for SMF 2.0 Beta 3 Public

[Jiveturkey]

I notice that my new registration had dropped to 0 when I installed this a few days back.  Today I tried to register as a test and no activation email went out.  Is it possible that I changed something that I shouldn't have?

There have been a lot of changes over the last couple of days.

Any advice?



http://coastercommunity.com/smf_forum/index.php

[karlbenson]

Works for me jiveturkey.

I just registered and received my email activation.
http://coastercommunity.com/smf_forum/index.php?topic=1847.0

[Jiveturkey]

Thanks

I woke up to the email this morning.  It just took a little longer than it had in the past.

4 days and 0 spam accounts.  Best mod ever!

[karlbenson]

Glad you like it.

Personally my favourite of my anti-bot mods is my latest for SMF 2.0 beta 3 public. My Anti-Bot clock
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1134

[scottws]

It works on my forum in the sense that it appears and functions as intended.  But we've still had two bots register while using this mod + high CAPTCHA setting.  Yes, I changed the question to something I made up.

The effectiveness of this mod is questionable, but we appreciate the effort.

[Jiveturkey]

We're they bots or actually spammers?

[karlbenson]

@scottws
Yes I agree, its questionable.

I'm not aware of any automated bots getting through it. (although as per the readme, it is only a matter of time).
It doesn't prevent signups by human spammers (maybe in chinese sweat-shop type factories).

There are alternatives which are much better. My anti-bot clock or anti-bot registration puzzles.

[scottws]

I'll have to check those out.

But yeah, I'm pretty sure they were bots.  buysauna.net, footballyears.net, and heightgrowthshoes.co.  If you Google Search those terms, you'll see that every result is a forum profile at hundreds of forums.

They seem to just be ad-bots, because they don't seem to bother activating themselves.  I guess they are satisfied with the fact that they just exist in the member list and as the newest member as being a form of advertising.  Or maybe they are hoping for forums setup without activation.

[karlbenson]

Scott was that with my mod installed, or before.

[scottws]

buysauna.net was before, footballyears.net was after but before I changed the question, and the third was after.