New anti-spambot measures in place

[Calimus]

Hello everyone. As part of running a forum one of the very few negative duties is dealing with spambots trying to register and spam the forums. Our little forum here had managed to really gain the interest of the spambots over the last year and as of late it's almost become a part time job combating them. We get about 30+ spam registrations a day that I have to validate and remove.

I've tried many normal methods of dealing with them with initial luck, but they quickly make the spam bots smarter very quickly to the point that they now are able to real the captcha images and figure them out as well as use search engines to look up complicated questions like the ones I have used here on the registration form.

So I've just implemented a new tool in the spam fighting world which so far today seems to be working well and hopefully will continue for a while. It requires the registering party to read a question, see the answers and then drag the proper answers over to the correct area. Seems that so far the bots that try to hit our site can't click & drag so lets hope they don't figure that out for a while.

Additionally, while I've tested it several times and had no issue, please let us know if you know of anyone trying to register that has difficulty. I've made the questions pretty simple (like Plump Crazy is not a factory FJR color, though maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea) Or that Yamaha doesn't make the F100. However, just in case, if anyone has an issue, please contact myself or Wayne so that we can assist them in registration or find the problem and fix it if it's a software related issue.

Thanks and have a great & safe Holiday season

[raYzerman]

You're doing a great job because I haven't seen any spam..... your latest idea is a good one, better than on other forums. Cheers!!

[huron52]

Some times one can forget the hard work that goes on behind the site. Keep up the very good work!

[Geezer]

I read comments on the other forum about there being spam here, but I have to say that I rarely noticed it and didn't find it to be a problem. Now I learn that the reason I rarely noticed it is because someone was battling and purging it for us. Thank you very much for that. I hope the new scheme works for a long time.

I don't understand why people spend time trying to spam a forum like this one, or most others. Users have become sophisticated enough over the years to recognize spam when they see it and it is more of an annoyance than an enticement. Oh well, there are a lot of things I don't understand these days.

[Hppants]

I don't understand what goes into doing this, but none the less that doesn't prohibit me from appreciating it.

Thank you for taking care of us. It means a lot.

[LKLD]

Well, whatever you're doing, it's working.

Thank you.

[0face]

Spammers should be strung up by their nuts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Calimus]

Thanks everyone. I certainly appreciate your appreciation. I really didn't mean to have this sound like a "hey this is what I'm doing, pay attention to me", I much prefer to be in the shadows and just gain the knowledge you all post up. It was really more about drawing attention to anyone that tries to sign up, has a problem and maybe say something to one of us or on the other boards.

As was mentioned, many time folks to know what's going on behind the scenes of the forums they are on. I like to keep that out in the open. it's certainly not for any gratification on my end, but more so that if the changes I make cause problems, I can find out about it faster. You guy's with all of your different ways of getting to resources on the site will always find a bug/issue faster than I can. Which I massively appreciate.

With all that said, it's been 24 hours of no spammer signups and 1 successful new user signup (which I have approved). So I'm hoping that's a sign that continues for a while.

Thank you all for responding....oh, and Oface, I think hanging them up by their entrails is still far too kind for the frustration they inflict on the world.

[huron52]

shadows or not keep up the good work! You too Wayne.... Can't do it without the people in the background!

[HotRodZilla]

I think one of your questions should be: "Should all spammers be strung up by their little unused nuts and beaten with a bat like a cheap piñata?"

[Bounce]

Thanks for digging in your heels. Double your pay next year!

[wheatonFJR]

I think one of your questions should be: "Should all spammers be strung up by their little unused nuts and beaten with a bat like a cheap piñata?"

Where is that damn LIKE hammer?

That one made me laugh out loud.

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks for digging in your heels. Double your pay next year!

Oooh, not sure we can afford that!

Doesn't Wayne already give him free beer?

[wpbfjr]

bravo, thanks for the hard work!

Sent from my TRS-80

[NTXFJR]

Admins, thanks for what you do here. This is a great spot to be!

[raYzerman]

Spammers should be strung up by their nuts.

I'm not sure they have any....... but if they do, hang 'em high!

Thanks again Calimus for what you do.

[wheatonFJR]

Admins, thanks for what you do here. This is a great spot to be!

All hail Calimus!

[Calimus]

Thanks everyone, we appreciate it.

[Queensland Ken]

Thanks very much for your hard work, time and effort.
Much appreciated.

[BikerGeek]

I don't understand why people spend time trying to spam a forum like this one, or most others. Users have become sophisticated enough over the years to recognize spam when they see it and it is more of an annoyance than an enticement. Oh well, there are a lot of things I don't understand these days.

I hear ya, G-man. The thing is, were it not for the efforts of Calimus and Crew, the only posts you see would be spam.