The Independent Order

Government => Office of the Chancellory => Forum Administration => Topic started by: CGJ on January 15, 2018, 04:44:17 AM

Title: Dealing with spam
Post by: CGJ on January 15, 2018, 04:44:17 AM

Dealing with spam

We currently have a bit of an issue with spam bots. It’s not a huge, insurmountable, problem. However we are consistently seeing a few bots slip through the net. But, as they’d say in Audax, tendit in ardua virtus![1]

What we currently utilise

As it stands, we use three key methods of anti-spam protection:

• Email verification: requires newly-registered users to activate their account via email
• CAPTCHA: This consists of those annoying letters that everybody struggles reading
• Anti-spam question: These are usually easy to answer

This multi-layered approach is similar what we used at Zetaboards, and even then saw spambots slip through the net. The same is happening now.

Now, unlike with Zetaboards, we are in a position to improve that situation. Having considered our options, I’ve decided to adopt the following three additional measures:

• Form time gate: Spambots are fantastic. They’re beautiful. And they fill those forms in within milliseconds. Fortunately, we know that. And so the time gate will automatically block any user that attempts to register within X amount of seconds (I know what it is, but let’s not make it too obvious).
• Hidden question: We’ve hidden a question that 50% of the time users can’t see. Bots can see it though (they just use the source code!), and if it gets filled in, then it will reject the application
• Akismet anti-spam: This system was adopted from WordPress and is effectively a last line of defence, meaning if the spambots get through, Akismet will flag the post by detecting what it considers spam content, then will place it in the mod queue.[2]

So overall we now have 6 countermeasures against spam. We’ll still probably get the occasional spam bot, but hopefully these occasions become much fewer and far between.

1.	'Virtue strives for what is difficult'...apparently
2.	This may cause an issue, because we often make fantasy posts, of your posts being flagged for spam. If this occurs, let an admin know and we will approve the post.

Title: Re: Dealing with spam
Post by: testbydave on January 15, 2018, 10:39:48 AM

Dave here, just checking the new sign up process didn't have any bugs....worked OK except the damn stupid capcha thing which I hate at the best of times.