Miscellaneous Hacks - NoSpam! - an alternative to CAPTCHA images

This hack is for vBulletin 3.6.x. For 3.5.x, please use the one provided in this thread. If you are using 3.7.x, you must use the one in this thread.

This simple hack is meant as a replacement for the default CAPTCHA system in vBulletin. There are two main reasons one might want to do this: firstly, new technology is constantly being developed to crack CAPTCHA images and make spam accounts anyway, and secondly, the more secure the CAPTCHA, the more difficult it is for genuine users to tell what the numbers in the image are. There is also the issue of visually impaired users, and the fact that not all servers are capable of generating CAPTCHA images.

So what does this hack do instead? It asks a question. Any question you want. That's the best part: YOU make up the questions, which means that every forum is unique, which means that it is impossible for spambots to be simply programmed to bypass it at all forums with the hack installed. You can make one or many questions - if you make many, the hack will pick one at random when a guest attempts to register, search, post or send mail through the Contact Us form. Their input is compared with your specified answer, and voil?, if they get it right they're pretty much guaranteed to be human. If they get it wrong, they're given an error message.

It doesn't have to be a complicated question. Heck, you can just make it "Please type 'blah' into this box." Or you can go with inserting a simple image with HTML and ask what is shown on the image. Or you can ask them to tell you two plus two. It's up to you. In fact, this can also be used as a means of forcing people to read the rules by asking for a certain password found there, or if your forum focuses on a specialized subject, ask a question concerning the subject that all your genuine users will be able to answer, but a random troll or "CAPTCHA-sweatshop-reader" will be scratching their head over.

It's simple to install, too: just one product to import, and that's it.


VERSION HISTORY:

3.0: Added functionality to allow users to specify which pages should use NoSpam!.
2.0: Extended the NoSpam! functionality to guest posts, guest searches and guest "Contact Us" in addition to registration.
1.1: Made template edit automatic (with thanks to Cole2026), added ability to have more than one answer to each question, and made answers case insensitive. To upgrade, I recommend undoing the template edit so you won't have to worry about it anymore (replace $nospamfield in the template register with $imagereg, or if you added $nospamfield above $imagereg, just remove $nospamfield altogether), and then reimport the product through the Admin CP (making sure that Allow Overwrite is set to On).
1.0: Initial release.


INSTALLATION:

Please download NoSpam!.zip, not product-nospam.xml, for the tested version. product.nospam.xml is NoSpam! 4.0 adapted blindly to 3.6, i.e. by editing the XML file for the 3.7 version without actually testing it on a 3.6 board. Theoretically it should work, but I cannot guarantee it at this time. If you download NoSpam!.zip and unzip it, it will contain another file called product.nospam.xml, which you should use.

1. Import product-nospam.xml through the Admin CP product manager.
2. Go to your vBulletin options in the Admin CP and select NoSpam! Settings. Once there, turn the system on and input your questions and answers according to the instructions there.

The system should now be functional and running.


UNINSTALLATION:

Just uninstall the product through the Admin CP.


SUPPORT:

Full support will be given here in this thread. All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you and please click "Mark as Installed" if you like it.


If NoSpam! is not working for you or you are looking for something a little different, you might want to check out Advanced Textual Confirmation.

[stejoh]

Works perfect on our forum 99nicu.org (vB 3.6.7 PL1)!
Thanks!

[SVTCobraLTD]

Originally Posted by SVTCobraLTD

I cannot do this step as I cannot find the quick_register template.

I have looked under the styles/template and cannot find it in 3.6.7. Got everything else done. But it is still not working on the site.

SVT

How did you do this part above?

SVT

[da420]

Read the instructions. You misread them, that's why you don't see that template.

[SVTCobraLTD]

Originally Posted by da420

Read the instructions. You misread them, that's why you don't see that template.

Ok I see that is for other hacks. But I have done everything that was said in the install file. Also did the manual stuff in the troubleshoot and still nothing. Just the regular registration and contact us screen. No new feature. Any ideas?

SVT

[pmkb]

Installed and working great. Thanks.

[SVTCobraLTD]

Originally Posted by SVTCobraLTD

Ok I see that is for other hacks. But I have done everything that was said in the install file. Also did the manual stuff in the troubleshoot and still nothing. Just the regular registration and contact us screen. No new feature. Any ideas?

SVT

Anyone got any ideas. Still cannot get it to show up on the registration yet I have it installed and the questions/answers are setup.

SVT

[eJM]

The author hasn't been on vB.org since July 1 and hasn't responded to this discussion since June 10.

Jim

[kayakbabe]

the instructions talk about installing another mod quickregister. I really don't wnat to do that becuase I've customized some stuff in the registration. So.. will this work without quickregister?

[eJM]

Yes.

[lazytown]

Originally Posted by mrgrimes

Hi. I followed the instructions in integration.txt but on testing the form I got this error: 'Fatal error: Cannot redeclare trim_array() (previously declared in /var/www/citfou_vbulletin/global.php(356) : eval()'d code:43) in /var/www/citfou_vbulletin/includes/functions_newpost.php(360) : eval()'d code on line 13'
Any ideas?

Originally Posted by antialiasis

Remove this bit from the code you added into the plugin on global_start, and you should be fine:

            function trim_array(&$answer)
            {
               $answer = trim($answer);
            }

I had the exact same error on integrating this with the Form mod. I followed the integration directions exactly. So I changed the mod as antialiasis notes above (by removing those lines) -- and it does let the form go through if they answer CORRECTLY. However, if they don't answer correctly they get a 404 error.

If the code above is NOT removed, if they answer correctly they get the server error mrgrimes mentioned, but if they answer INCORRETLY they get a warning page telling them to go back (which is what they should get when it's wrong).

So to make it simple, the 'fix' recommended above breaks the question for wrong answers, and not using the 'fix' breaks it for right ones!?!? Any idea why or any help on this? I'm using the latest Form 4.0 (and vb 3.6.5).

Thanks
-vissa