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.

[jalmz]

Originally Posted by benpaul10

Hi, This is a great idea! I run a forum with a narrow topic and can invent a bunch of questions that a non member would not be able to answer easily.

Unfortunately when I try to install I get:

Database error in vBulletin 3.5.4:

Invalid SQL:

### INSERT QUERY GENERATED BY fetch_query_sql() ###
INSERT INTO plugin
	(`active`, `executionorder`, `title`, `hookname`, `phpcode`, `product`)
VALUES
	('1', '5', 'Cache the NoSpam! template', 'cache_templates', 'if (THIS_SCRIPT == \'register\')\r\n{\r\n   $globaltemplates[] = \'nospam\';\r\n}', 'nospam');

MySQL Error  : Unknown column 'executionorder' in 'field list'
Error Number : 1054
Date         : Tuesday, November 21st 2006 @ 01:55:50 PM
Script       : http://fencingforum.com/forum/admincp/plugin.php
Referrer     : http://fencingforum.com/forum/admincp/plugin.php?do=productadd
IP Address   : 85.189.97.228
Username     : wingnutLP
Classname    : vb_database

Any suggestions? Sorry I am no forum guru and my understanding of PHP is slim to nil!

try this one
For ver 3.5.4
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showp...6&postcount=36

template modification
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showp...6&postcount=40

[benpaul10]

OOPS, I didn't see the version number on the mod. Thanks!

Unfortunately the two links you posted take me to here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/portal.php

were you linking to a similar mod for earlier versions of VB?

[benpaul10]

Ah I see you were refering to the posts earlier in this thread

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....3&postcount=53

Thanks for pointing this out...

Unfortunately I am still a bit lost still

"There in may lay the problem - there is no "$imagereg" See template code below:

I added in a $nospamfield just above this, and it all came togther - thanks!"

I have found the template I need to alter can someone please clarify whet I need to add and where I need to put it in the template please?

Sorry to be so ignorant!

[TLove]

/bump

Yeah, any chance on clarification on this? What is the exact code for the template mod?

[kanadian]

thank you for this simple and excellent mod!

[Panzer Max]

Originally Posted by benpaul10

Ah I see you were refering to the posts earlier in this thread

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....3&postcount=53

Thanks for pointing this out...

Unfortunately I am still a bit lost still

"There in may lay the problem - there is no "$imagereg" See template code below:

I added in a $nospamfield just above this, and it all came togther - thanks!"

I have found the template I need to alter can someone please clarify whet I need to add and where I need to put it in the template please?

Sorry to be so ignorant!

I think what you do is, go into the Edit template, Register templates, open the one called simply "register".

Then do a search for regimagecheck and you will see:

<if condition="$show['regimagecheck']">
			<fieldset class="fieldset">

I just added $nospamfield above the line like this:

$nospamfield
<if condition="$show['regimagecheck']">
			<fieldset class="fieldset">

Seems to work for me with 3.5.4
I updated both of my templates that way.

[mutus123]

I was starting to get about 5 spam registrations a day. Even though most of them never made it beyond "Awaiting Email Confirmation" status... It was still annoying to delete them all the time.

Since I installed this plug-in... not even one spam reg..... nothing.

I have to say a big thank you for this one. :up:

[farooqaaa]

Ahh it will help me alot .

In my server GD isnt enabled, and CAPTCHA images aren't working. Using this will solve my problem.

thanks.s.s.s.!

[somedevil]

Installed

Thanks for this, it should be a big help!

[Basscat]

<font color="SeaGreen">*Basscat installs mod</font>

Great mod! Thanks!