We get the odd spammer account on our site, typically one or two a day. We aren't using Captcha because it bars access to too many people, so that's not an option, but I am noticing that spam users always use the same random word for username, first name and last name. They also register with gender of 1, instead of male or female.

So I have created a cronjob on the server to run a mysql command to delete users with gender=1 every hour.

So far so good, does anyone have any thoughts about it? Thinking about blocking them as part of a login event, but then perhaps they'd tweak their scripts to comply and I wouldn't be able to tell the users apart any more.

It's not a major problem for us as far as I know, so not desperate, but perhaps there could be a blocking of the ability to send messages through the site for users like this - perhaps the login form can use hidden fields that a spam bot would fill in that a user wouldn't, to identify them.

--- (Edited on 14-03-2010 17:31:45 [GMT+0000] by xootom) ---

perhaps the login form can use hidden fields that a spam bot would fill in that a user wouldn't, to identify them.

I like it, as long as we can do it without having the yes_i_am_a_spammer hidden field interfere with normal operation, screen readers etc..

Patrick

 

+1

We've been looking into this too. It would be an accessible alternative to the current captcha, which is essentially what xootom is asking for.

Pros, cons and possible implementations in this article: http://nedbatchelder.com/text/stopbots.html (read the first comment too).

I would like to add an RFE for this, but I'm not sure yet what the best way of implementing this would be. Any ideas?

Rogier | United Knowledge
www.unitedknowledge.nl · www.webgui-help.nl

--- (Edited on 17-03-2010 10:32 [GMT+0100] by rogier) ---

regarding the captcha. Since webgui added support for reCaptcha in 7.6.11 (maybe .14) it is much, much better and accessible. I'm just curious what problems you are still having with the captcha.

Wiki article on using recaptcha that I wrote is at http://www.webgui.org/wiki/enabling-recaptcha

Susan B

 

Yes, reCaptcha has an audio alternative, but simply adding an audio option doesn't make it accessible. It's the way this thing is set up that makes me doubt if it's usable at all for visually impaired users, let alone user friendly...

(Has anyone ever tested reCaptcha with a screen reader and written about it? I couldn't find anything)

A "hidden" form field, a so called honeypot, like described in the article I linked in my previous post, would be a big improvement in accessibility: the user will be presented a regular form field and the only thing they have to do is not to fill it in. I think it's more user friendly for both screen reader users and regular visitors.

Rogier | United Knowledge
www.unitedknowledge.nl · www.webgui-help.nl

--- (Edited on 18-03-2010 10:23 [GMT+0100] by rogier) ---

Stopping spammers is becoming more difficult every day, well it has stalemated into a continual war.

You really need captcha other solutions will be circumvented. Other solutions include activating an account only after manual confirmation from email but I personally hate that.

Ehab Heikal

Web Development and design in Egypt, Arabic Portal with news chat and Videos using WebGUI

www.elmotaheda.com

Quote: An eye for an Eye only helps make the whole world blind

Gandhi

--- (Edited on 5/14/2010 6:50 am [GMT-0500] by ehab) ---