Users registering for link juice!

StevenBullen · 2010-02-22 13:50:28

Check the link below...
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No way all of the users joined fluxbb today to contribute, any chance on a discussion to fix this?

Franz · 2010-02-22 15:35:55

We're working on it.

StevenBullen · 2010-02-22 16:24:09

Working on what? 40 pages of new users in 7 days.

MattF · 2010-02-22 16:28:43

What might your suggestion be for preventing spam registrations?

qie · 2010-02-22 16:32:32

since forum registration need email validation, i don't think it's bot attack. maybe it's human activities.but anyhow,...a little weird-.-

Last edited by qie (2010-02-22 16:33:02)

eliot · 2010-02-23 01:34:10

I've posted this before, but it may make sense to mention it again. Maybe it will help someone. The people at stopforumspam.com are doing a great service. On my 1.2 register.php I added the following about a year ago:

$urlchecker = file_get_contents('http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?ip='.get_remote_address());
 if (strpos($urlchecker, 'yes'))
        die($lang_common['No permission']);

and have not had 1 spam registration since.

Darren · 2010-02-23 03:08:50

eliot, That looks like a good idea, could you provide some instructions to add that to a 1.4 board please?

Another way to deal with this would be to require a certain number of posts before members can add a url to their profile. The way I see it, if your not an active member you don't deserve the privelage. It wouldn't stop spam registrations but should slow them to a crawl.

MattF · 2010-02-23 03:09:19

I.P based blocking methods will suffer false positives. On a support forum, you hardly want to be running the risk of blocking legitimate users in need of support.

MattF · 2010-02-23 03:12:22

Darren wrote:

Another way to deal with this would be to require a certain number of posts before members can add a url to their profile. The way I see it, if your not an active member you don't deserve the privelage. It wouldn't stop spam registrations but should slow them to a crawl.

Or they would just use a bot for working across the flood period and you'd get a deluge of posts from a single spammer rather than just the odd one or two. They could do a hell of a lot in the hour or two that no mod/admin may be online.

eliot, That looks like a good idea, could you provide some instructions to add that to a 1.4 board please?

Just stick that code he posted at the top of register.php, just after the opening php tag.

Last edited by MattF (2010-02-23 03:13:59)

Darren · 2010-02-23 05:51:16

MattF wrote:

Or they would just use a bot for working across the flood period and you'd get a deluge of posts from a single spammer rather than just the odd one or two. They could do a hell of a lot in the hour or two that no mod/admin may be online.

Yep that's a possibility, in my experience it wouldn't happen that often though and it'd still prevent a lot of spam registrations in the first place, especialy when they realise there is another hurdle.

MattF wrote:

Just stick that code he posted at the top of register.php, just after the opening php tag.

Thanks.

MattF · 2010-02-23 06:09:38

Slight update on those instructions. You'd want to place the code just after the member check. No use doing the lookup if they're already logged in and a member. Pop the code just after this block, near the top of the file.

// If we are logged in, we shouldn't be here
if (!$pun_user['is_guest'])
{
    header('Location: index.php');
    exit;
}

Reines · 2010-02-23 17:21:36

I made a mod for 1.4 (not as complete as it could be, it blocks attempts rather than adding them to a suspected spam queue which would be better) which combines a couple of DNS blacklists (including the one from stopforumspam) with Akismet. Akismet is good for stopping spam posts and users changing their signatures to spam, but it's no good for stopping registrations in the first place. The DNS blacklists will prevent a few registrations but not all.

I was hoping to test this out on the new website once it goes live, but will maybe post what I've done so far when I get home from vacation (Monday 1st).

StevenBullen · 2010-03-02 11:46:45

Reines wrote:

I was hoping to test this out on the new website once it goes live, but will maybe post what I've done so far when I get home from vacation (Monday 1st).

Posting what you have would be appreciated and agree that it cannot be stopped completely.

Reines · 2010-03-02 15:47:42

Here is a patch: http://pastebin.com/bv2ax3Cs or http://home.jamierf.co.uk/~jamie/misc/nospam.patch
Note: Not 100% finished! Should work, but just blocks posts/signature edits rather than queuing them for validation. If a user is flagged as spamming their admin note is set to "Suspected spammer", but they aren't automatically deleted or disabled or anything.

StevenBullen · 2010-03-03 00:02:05

Thanks Reines, will check it out.

Forums

#1 2010-02-22 13:50:28

Users registering for link juice!

#2 2010-02-22 15:35:55

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#3 2010-02-22 16:24:09

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#4 2010-02-22 16:28:43

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#5 2010-02-22 16:32:32

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#6 2010-02-23 01:34:10

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#7 2010-02-23 03:08:50

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#8 2010-02-23 03:09:19

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#9 2010-02-23 03:12:22

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#10 2010-02-23 05:51:16

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#11 2010-02-23 06:09:38

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#12 2010-02-23 17:21:36

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#13 2010-03-02 11:46:45

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#14 2010-03-02 15:47:42

Re: Users registering for link juice!

#15 2010-03-03 00:02:05

Re: Users registering for link juice!

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