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.

[Admiral Cuddles]

I am running VB 3.6.8 and had it installed and a bot got past it in under 5 minutes, followed instructions and enabled, looked like it was working (I tested it as soon as I registered by creating a new user, it stopped me from registering). But we've had such a major problem with bots that we had to turn registration right off.

[Shaven_LTS]

Installed... and works! Thanks

[Gerald_D]

This mod is great, but I need an "inverse" version of it . . . . .

My registration already contains a couple of questions. For example, one of the questions is "Do you already have a CNC machine?", and that's where my regular spammers answer "1". In fact, they answer all questions as 1.

So, instead of having a system that recognises the right answer to random questions, how about a mod that recognises the (repeated) wrong answer to standard questions?

[Gleedo]

Just installed this and enabled it on v3.7.4 PL1 but the CAPTCHA thingy is still appearing instead. I did check to see if it was just a custom template problem, but its not appearing on the default template either.

Any help appreciated as im inundated with friggin spammers


EDIT : Ignore me, i just spotted the other thread for 3.7x - im an idiot lol.....DOH!

[manning]

Just installed this - will report back results in a few days ... sick and tired of all the bot registrations. I hope it works!

[manning]

Its been a couple weeks now and thus far (knock on wood) the spam has stopped!

THANKS!

[TheLastSuperman]

Thanks! 3.6.8

[csoroner]

The upgrade performed today from 3.7.4 (mod worked) to 3.8 broke it. No matter what the answer was entered your always wrong and can't register.

So I ran the uninstall and guess what? The random question box is still there?

Please tell me how to remove it so new members can register!

[Ncturnal]

If I'm not mistaken the random question that remains is part of vBulletin's built in version, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[csoroner]

Originally Posted by Ncturnal

If I'm not mistaken the random question that remains is part of vBulletin's built in version, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Your wright. My bad

I'm gonna keep looking for one that works. Just re-installed this one and it's borked!

bummer