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.

[antialiasis]

Originally Posted by haynesforum

I used the plugin manager to install NoSPam! and the following NoSPam! plug-ins were (and still are) activated:

Cache the NoSpam! template; cache_templates.
Check if NoSpam! question has been answered correctly; newpost_process; register_addmember_process; search_process_start; sendmessage_docontactus_process.
Generate and insert NoSpam! question; global_start.

Are any other plugins working? Do you have a line that says define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true); or something similar in your config.php file?

You may need to make a template edit to the style, depending on whether the style has changed the strings that the hack searches for in the templates to include the NoSpam! template. Just test it on the style, and if it doesn't work, make the template edit described in the troubleshooting.txt file.

[haynesforum]

There's no line similar to that in the config.php file.

I've added $nospamfield above $imagereg in the reg and contact page templates, as suggested in the troubleshooting doc.

[Gil427]

Here are some more questions:

What is 2 plus 3?:5:five
Please type "le m on s" without any spaces below.:lemons
Please type "c and y" without any spaces below.:candy
Please type "cho c ola t e" without any spaces below.:chocolate
What is 5 plus 4?:nine:9
Please type "ga m e s" without any spaces below.:games
Please type "m usi c" without any spaces below.:music
Please type "r em o te" without any spaces below.:remote
Please type "s p am" without any spaces below.:spam

[antialiasis]

Originally Posted by haynesforum

There's no line similar to that in the config.php file.

I've added $nospamfield above $imagereg in the reg and contact page templates, as suggested in the troubleshooting doc.

Those won't do anything if the plugins aren't running, which they clearly aren't if information submitted through the forms is getting through just fine even without a NoSpam! input. You did definitely define your questions correctly and everything, I hope?

[rolfw1]

Thanks, installed and working fine.

[mattyk72]

nice, clicks install

[haynesforum]

I've found the problem! At the top of the Plugin Settings page there's the setting "If you would like to disable the NoSpam! system, please select No here."

It's set to 'No' by default. I've set it to 'Yes' and it all works. Mind you the question appears twice but I guess that's something in the template code!

I would suggest that the option question is simplified to make it clearer:

Disable the NoSpam! system? Yes (Disable) No (Active)

[iHogwarts.com]

This is very useful, and I can see where it will come in handy. Glad I installed this before it becomes a problem.

/me click's install.

[Jamie1]

Just what i've been looking for

/Jamie1 installs

[MarcG]

Installed and Thank You!