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Creating a forum without SPAM?

by Tris
13 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
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YOYO!

I have a forum that is now inundated with Spam.. It is using phpbb3.

Most people tell me I MUST update to vbulletin but I know of many other sites using phpbb3 without all the spam issues I seem to get (about 30 spam topics an hour). I would update, but others tell me that vbulletin will have the same problem. So maybe it is something else I am missing?

Does anybody know of a way to fix this? How do all the other phpbb3 sites do this? I am at the point were I am happy to pay someone to fix my phpbb3 site. Can anybody please help me?
#creating #forum #spam
  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    guessing you have the normal settings in place, no guest posts, capt-cha / security question, email validation for new members /

    spammers are like cockroaches you let one in the rest follow
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    • Profile picture of the author Tris
      Certainly do.

      On the surface my forum looks exactly the same as all the others that have no spam. But under the hood these guys are clearly doing something I do not know how to do...

      Phpbb3 "out of the box" is not powerful enough to avoid spam.

      Usually searching on Google I can fix most things.. But this has been driving me nuts for over a month now. I just shut it down out of frustration but surely someone has the ability to SPAM PROOF a forum... Like this site does?
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      • Profile picture of the author vivadesign
        Originally Posted by Tris View Post

        Certainly do.

        On the surface my forum looks exactly the same as all the others that have no spam. But under the hood these guys are clearly doing something I do not know how to do...

        Phpbb3 "out of the box" is not powerful enough to avoid spam.

        Usually searching on Google I can fix most things.. But this has been driving me nuts for over a month now. I just shut it down out of frustration but surely someone has the ability to SPAM PROOF a forum... Like this site does?
        Switch your captcha image. I know a few of the spam apps have updated there captchas.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tris
          Originally Posted by vivadesign View Post

          Switch your captcha image. I know a few of the spam apps have updated there captchas.
          Really? You say it like it's almost easy?

          Thank you Vivadesign. I will try this in the morning...

          One more thing: Is changing my captcha image something easy to do? Is that something simple found in the ACP? I was under the impression I needed a MOD?
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          • Profile picture of the author vivadesign
            Originally Posted by Tris View Post

            Really? You say it like it's almost easy?

            Thank you Vivadesign. I will try this in the morning...

            One more thing: Is changing my captcha image something easy to do? Is that something simple found in the ACP? I was under the impression I needed a MOD?
            Its in the ACP
            spambot countermeasures for registrations:

            You can change it to Q&A like this board has. Make sure it is switched on, try it out and register a bogus account.
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            • Profile picture of the author Tris
              Thank you vivadesign ~ Saved me from dropping the whole forum. Never even saw this Q&A option before and it is exactly what I needed. Come to think of it, PHPBB3 should almost make it default considering the CAPTHA thing does almost nothing at all!!

              Thanks again, I really appreciate it
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              • Profile picture of the author Tris
                This certainly helped, I am not getting like a million spam a day.

                But somehow, someway, for some reason, these spamming scum of the Earth is still getting through.. I have no idea how? I implemented everything and changed to the Q & A option and they somehow can answer the questions. Does that mean some PERSON is sitting there doing this?

                eww. I'm so mad.

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                • Profile picture of the author vivadesign
                  Originally Posted by Tris View Post

                  This certainly helped, I am not getting like a million spam a day.

                  But somehow, someway, for some reason, these spamming scum of the Earth is still getting through.. I have no idea how? I implemented everything and changed to the Q & A option and they somehow can answer the questions. Does that mean some PERSON is sitting there doing this?

                  eww. I'm so mad.
                  Yes it seems so, It could been someone you know trying to bug you.
                  Did you try and register yourself? Try it, don't fill in the Q&A and see if you can still register. What i do know is, no spam apps can answer questions you set. This is one of the best ways to stop spam apps. Change the question once a week, they will sharp get sick.
                  Also try out what Aussie Al wrote, make your posts be approved by a mod or admin. This will for sure stop them spam posts from hitting the board, you can change it back at a later date.
                  Don't drop phpBB its a very good board and its FREE.

                  Don't get mad, think of it as a challenge.
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  • Profile picture of the author vivadesign
    Originally Posted by Tris View Post

    YOYO!

    I have a forum that is now inundated with Spam.. It is using phpbb3.

    Most people tell me I MUST update to vbulletin but I know of many other sites using phpbb3 without all the spam issues I seem to get (about 30 spam topics an hour). I would update, but others tell me that vbulletin will have the same problem. So maybe it is something else I am missing?

    Does anybody know of a way to fix this? How do all the other phpbb3 sites do this? I am at the point were I am happy to pay someone to fix my phpbb3 site. Can anybody please help me?
    You need to enable spambot countermeasures for registrations in your ACP.
    also make sure captcha is on. Also in user registration settings make sure account activation is by user or admin. Apply the settings and you will have no trouble.
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  • Profile picture of the author mmrumii
    At first you should switch the captcha image on.
    and also enable spambot countermeasures for registrations your ACP.
    Also have to make sure about activation by user of admin by email or security code.
    hope it'll help you out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tris
      Originally Posted by mmrumii View Post

      and also enable spambot countermeasures for registrations your ACP.Also have to make sure about activation by user of admin by email or security code.
      hope it'll help you out.
      I will try this. Thanks buddy.

      CAPTHA was always on but isn't CAPTHCA "oppose to" Q&A? Instead of "as well as" Q&A? It's one or the other right? You can't have both... Can you?
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  • Profile picture of the author webcosmo
    vbulletin also has its own issues with spam, its not spam free. the main idea of having a spam free forum is proper management; you need to look at posts and delete the spam ones.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aussie_Al
    You can also have something like the first 10 posts or so must be approved by a mod

    most spammers are not prepared to contribute useful posts before they spam
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  • Profile picture of the author lindidiv
    Banned
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