one for the web-meister

[Osiris]

hiya,

i run a couple of phpbb forums (some of you might be familiar with one of them), i'm having a lot of problems with fecking spam posters at the moment.

I was wondering how the HG forum deals with this problem? My version of phpbb is up-to-date and i've turned on visual confirmation when new users are registering and taken every other precaution i can think of but still they get on there! Is it just a question of being ever vigilant or is there a good plug-in to stop them?

thanks, Jas

[Sharon]

I've done as much as you have, and so far have been reluctant to do more due to the hassel of redoing it everytime phpbb upgrades - though thast not been for a while. This last week or so the spam signups have went a bit crazy thogh, so action is reluctantly needed.

It could be manual signups - which might seem unlikely, but not impossible.

Things that could be done

*remove the web address field from user profiles - except for active users
*rename the fields on the signup form to confuse bots if it is indeed bots
*hide all inactive signups from the memberlist
*migrate to using other forum packages!?

There dont seem to be any hacks that are really recommended, but i have only had a cursory look.

Any further suggestions are welcomed here too!!!!

[BobK]

I run a couple of forums and one of them is over-run with spam posters.
The only way I can get round the problem is to manually approve new members.
If you make sure that people know that this process will take place before they sign up it will discourage the spam posters from doing so.

You still get some of course, but it has greatly reduced since using this method.
The only drawback is that you give yourself extra work. If it's a really busy forum with loads of new sign ups then it could cost you up to an hour every couple of days.

[Sharon]

If you make sure that people know that this process will take place before they sign up it will discourage the spam posters from doing so.

Now that may be a key point ive not considered - actually telling them!!! An edit of the signup blurb will be happening.

Good tip

And yeah, it does take around half an hour or so every few days to filter through new signups and deleting the spam and activating the newbies.

[AMcD]

This thing can help clear-up spam signups.

http://starfoxtj.phpbbhelp.org/phpBB/toolkit/

[Sharon]

This thing can help clear-up spam signups.

http://starfoxtj.phpbbhelp.org/phpBB/toolkit/

An excellent tool, and one that i couldnt do without now!!!

[Osiris]

I found a great Mod for deleting multiple users and their login keys/sessions without going into the database and messing around in there.

Its called User List and i've been using it for about a month or two without any problems, its a great feeling deleting 50+ spammers with just one click!

http://www.yinfor.com/blog/archives/2006/05/phpbb_mod_admin_userlist.html