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.

[imageconstrux]

Wow, installed fast and appears to work perfectly (and works alongside captcha image verification).

Loving it - I'll give it a few more days, then maybe I can actually stop moderating all new members! Yahoo!

[xtumen]

Originally Posted by imageconstrux

(and works alongside captcha image verification)

Why do you use both? Has captcha image verification ever stopped a spam bot?

[class101]

just to add a comment about 3.7 , I have disabled NoSpam to check if the vbuletin human verification builtin is enough and for now, 4 days open and not a spam bot so I think in 3.7 "NoSpam" addon will be useless

[xtumen]

Originally Posted by class101

just to add a comment about 3.7 , I have disabled NoSpam to check if the vbuletin human verification builtin is enough and for now, 4 days open and not a spam bot so I think in 3.7 "NoSpam" addon will be useless

How does "vbuletin human verification" work? Is it as friendly (simple) to users as this mod? Captcha is a horrible thing as far as user-friendliness is concerned, hope that is not something similar to captcha.

[class101]

it works exactly like this mod, you can setup any number of question and answers and I can see with the "Track guest addon" spambots attempts to register but they do not pass the verification

[imageconstrux]

Hmmm.... Why was captcha created in the first place?

Originally Posted by xtumen

Why do you use both? Has captcha image verification ever stopped a spam bot?

[AntonLargiader]

I have an identical mod installed on several phpBB installations and it reduced the spambot registrations to zero. I am SO glad to finally find it for vBulletin. Thank you.

Installation could not have been easier.

[sapper6fd]

I've been using this hack now for a while and I must say this is by far one of, if not the best hack I've ever installed.

Prior to using it, I was getting anywhere from 10 - 30 spam bots registering on my forum a day, and around 15 or so spam posts per day. After installing this hack its been reduced to around 1 spam post per day, some times none.

At first the results were minimul (My recomendation - DO NOT use a mathmatical question). My question was "What is 10 + 10". The spam bots go by that no problem. When I changed my questions to "What Company makes the PlayStation 3?" the Spam bots stopped registering almost immediatly. Now the spam posts are all done manualy by kids trying to advertise their own forums, and I'll take that spam any day over porn and pharmacuticals.

Great job!

[eJM]

I think some people don't fully understand how to keep bots out and let real people register or post. I have no idea what company makes Playstations. I know it's a game, but beyond that, it's obviously something that would keep me and many others from being able to participate on your forums and maybe learning more about a technology and product I might want to use.

I have a flooring forum. TheFloorPro.com. My question is an easy one that has reduced my spammers to zero and my registrations easy. The question? "What is this site about, Floors, or Ceilings?" Not only that, but you can misspell floors from here to the end of the ether and still get it right (okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you can make all the common misspellings of floors).

But you're right, this is one great modification. Prob'ly the best and most trouble free mods I have. Thanks to the author.

Jim

[sapper6fd]

Originally Posted by eJM

I think some people don't fully understand how to keep bots out and let real people register or post. I have no idea what company makes Playstations. I know it's a game, but beyond that, it's obviously something that would keep me and many others from being able to participate on your forums and maybe learning more about a technology and product I might want to use.

I have a flooring forum. TheFloorPro.com. My question is an easy one that has reduced my spammers to zero and my registrations easy. The question? "What is this site about, Floors, or Ceilings?" Not only that, but you can misspell floors from here to the end of the ether and still get it right (okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you can make all the common misspellings of floors).

But you're right, this is one great modification. Prob'ly the best and most trouble free mods I have. Thanks to the author.

Jim

I'm fully aware of how to let the real people in, and like your question, if you have stubled upon my site you know who makes the PlayStation 3 - its Sony.... I get what your saying and have to admit, I think I'll be changing my question to something similar to yours. Its idiot proof as it is, but doing what you have done makes it hillbilly proof.