Anti-Spam Options - Spambot Stopper - Prevent Spambots from Registering

What is it?
----------------------------
This mod rejects registrations where the form is filled out in less than a minimum time. You can configure one of the following actions to be taken when an automated registration is detected:

- Show a "No Permissions" page
- Display the "Successful Registration" message but without creating an account
- Redirect the user to any URL you choose
- Reload the registration page with an error message of your choosing

You can also provide a list of email addresses to be notified each time a registration is blocked.

Added for version 1.1.1: Time delay enforcer, maximum time option, time limits to cut down on email notifications, posting to a thread.

In the future, I'd like to add some simple logging and statistics, and a summary type of email notification (because people seem to quickly get tired of the single emails).

Note: I coded this myself from scratch, but I would like to acknowledge a couple of previous mods that used this same idea, by users Calorie and noppid, and maybe others. In any case, I believe this one adds some features that the others don't have.

Other advantages: no ads or links, no abuse of update notifications, no disappearing features, no threats to delete the mod (it will never be deleted, at least by me). Also, translations are allowed.

Installation:
----------------------------
1) If you have "Is Bot", "Stop the Registration Bots", "Spammers Suck!", or another mod that works on registration time, note any admincp settings for that mod then uninstall it.

2) Import the product XML file from the Product Manager.

3) Go to Settings > Options > Spambot Stopper Options and configure the desired settings.

4) IMPORTANT: try to register a new user to make sure that there are no problems with humans registering. If you want, you can also temporarily set the minimum time to a higher value (like 60 seconds) and test to see if the spammer rejection is working.



History:
----------------------------
1.1.1 (Feb 16, 2013)

• Added timer for enforcing minimum time
• Added maximum registration time limit
• Added time limits for email notifications
• Added posting notificatiosn to a thread

1.0.1 (Feb 01, 2013)

• Fixed bug
• Added check for fake timestamps

1.0 (Jan 31, 2013)

• Initial Release

[Bluemax712]

Originally Posted by kh99

Edit again: I believe the problem is in the spam-o-matic product, and that is should not apply the rules if the post 'is_automated' is set at all. As it is, it only skips the rules if 'is_auotmated' is set to 'rss', but I see places in the vbulletin code that just set it to true. This probably doesn't cause a problem normally because it's rare for one of those situations to occur when the current user has fewer than 6 posts (or isn't an admin or mod). I've sent a PM to the spam-o-matic author, so hopefully we'll get it worked out one way or another.

Anyway, if you want to try a temporary fix, you could try going to Plugins & Products > Plugin Manager, and find the section "Product: Spambot Stopper", and edit the "Post to Thread" plugin. Find this line:

      $dm->set_info('is_automated', 'sbs');

and change 'sbs' to 'rss'.

So I made the temporary fix changing above from 'sbs' to 'rss'
then Re-enabled posting notices to the thread..

Now have to wait for a new RSS post
will update as soon as one arrives
-Unfortunately this may not happen for at least another day or so.


Thanks for looking into this!

[kh99]

Oh, I thought you said it was working. But I'm not sure I understand - it shouldn't have any affect on any RSS feeds, if that's what you mean.

[Bluemax712]

Originally Posted by kh99

Oh, I thought you said it was working. But I'm not sure I understand - it shouldn't have any affect on any RSS feeds, if that's what you mean.

Yea sorry about that ,my initial reaction of success of temp fix - which I deleted - was concerning only having new Rejection posts added to a thread - but this always worked.

The problem of having RSS posts flagged for Moderation is still waiting to see if it has been fixed. Won't know until the RSS finds another post to add

Does this make sense?

On second thought- I'm getting my forum problems mixed up - I think you did fix it with the temp change.
Sorry about the confusion. lol

[kh99]

It's OK, and you can test whatever you want of course. But I would have been really surprised if this mod was causing problems with an RSS feed.

[Bluemax712]

Originally Posted by kh99

It's OK, and you can test whatever you want of course. But I would have been really surprised if this mod was causing problems with an RSS feed.

Thanks can you re-explain how the fix worked though - in really basic terms

[kh99]

Originally Posted by apsrfvb4

Thanks can you re-explain how the fix worked though - in really basic terms

Yeah, I realize what I posted didn't make a lot of sense except to someone familiar with the vbulletin code. I really posted that because I was going to point the spam-o-matic author there, then I ended up repeating it in a PM.

Anyway, when looking at some code to make sure I was explaining it right, I now think it might not be a good idea to make that change. It looks like if you do that, the vbulletin code tries to update the current user's info to reflect that notification, which it shouldn't be doing.

So I won't bother explaining it (I'm not sure I can do a good job anyway), but I also think it might be a good idea to change that line back to 'sbs' and wait until I hear from the spam-o-matic author.

[Bluemax712]

Originally Posted by kh99

Yeah, I realize what I posted didn't make a lot of sense except to someone familiar with the vbulletin code. I really posted that because I was going to point the spam-o-matic author there, then I ended up repeating it in a PM.

Anyway, when looking at some code to make sure I was explaining it right, I now think it might not be a good idea to make that change. It looks like if you do that, the vbulletin code tries to update the current user's info to reflect that notification, which it shouldn't be doing.

So I won't bother explaining it (I'm not sure I can do a good job anyway), but I also think it might be a good idea to change that line back to 'sbs' and wait until I hear from the spam-o-matic author.

ok will change it back to " sbs" - whatever that means - which is what I was hoping you would explain

I did notice another problem though not sure if related
I received emails of both "Registration Rejected" and "Registration Successfull"
but the thread only show the "Rejected" ones - not the "Successful" ones

PS: I have had the built-in Vbulletin email notify of "Successful Registrations" disabled
since it duplicates the Emails from your Mod

[kh99]

Originally Posted by apsrfvb4

ok will change it back to " sbs" - whatever that means - which is what I was hoping you would explain

Well, 'sbs' is just a string that I made up that stands for Spambot Stopper. It's hard to explain (at least for me, without going on for paragraphs), but the only way for spam-o-matic to not moderate those posts would be to set that value to 'rss', because it checks for that value. But the vbulletin code also checks for the value 'rss' because it has a special way of handling posts that come from the rss feed poster. But I don't think we want the notifications to be handled that same way (edit: or maybe we do - I'll have to study it more when I get a chance). So we're stuck unless there's a change to the spam-o-matic mod (I hope that makes some sense).

I did notice another problem though not sure if related
I received emails of both "Registration Rejected" and "Registration Successfull"
but the thread only show the "Rejected" ones - not the "Successful" ones

PS: I have had the built-in Vbulletin email notify of "Successful Registrations" disabled
since it duplicates the Emails from your Mod

Sorry to say, it's been so long now that I don't remember, but I think we decided that the posts don't use the time limits the way the emails do, so I think right now you only ever get posts for failures. That fix is going to have to wait for the next update.

[Bluemax712]

Originally Posted by kh99

Well, 'sbs' is just a string that I made up that stands for Spambot Stopper. It's hard to explain (at least for me, without going on for paragraphs), but the only way for spam-o-matic to not moderate those posts would be to set that value to 'rss', because it checks for that value. But the vbulletin code also checks for the value 'rss' because it has a special way of handling posts that come from the rss feed poster. But I don't think we want the notifications to be handled that same way (edit: or maybe we do - I'll have to study it more when I get a chance). So we're stuck unless there's a change to the spam-o-matic mod (I hope that makes some sense).





Sorry to say, it's been so long now that I don't remember, but I think we decided that the posts don't use the time limits the way the emails do, so I think right now you only ever get posts for failures. That fix is going to have to wait for the next update.

ok- set it all back to email notify only vs. thread notices until further updates

Thanks

PS...have 987 Rejection notices since installed @month ago
and no new real users affected

[Bluemax712]

One bad thing about having the notices sent via email vs. a thread

This Mod stopped so many over the weekend that my server was listed by google
as a suspected bulk-email-spammer so I've had to disable them

I hope this is part of the upcoming Spam-O-Matic bugfix update
so I can get back to posting the notices in a thread.