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:
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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:
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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

[apleschu]

Originally Posted by ForceHSS

Why dont you pm him the new changes to see what he thinks

Because he specifically asks not to be PM'ed and I honor this wish.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by apleschu

Because he specifically asks not to be PM'ed and I honor this wish.

He allows for exceptions - we PM all the time.

[apleschu]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

Sounds trivial until you realize the x and y settings are different for every site.....

Why do we have to discuss this? Seriously, If *I* would be a spambot programmer I would make my input to look like a very slow user, say fill the form between 1.5 and 2 minutes. Done. You can never find out from the time any more if its a spambot or a (slow) user.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by apleschu

Why do we have to discuss this? Seriously, If *I* would be a spambot programmer I would make my input to look like a very slow user, say fill the form between 1.5 and 2 minutes. Done. You can never find out from the time any more if its a spambot or a (slow) user.

You would fail the max time check in this Mod, and be rejected.

Next.

[ozzy47]

Ant then you would not make as much money as someone else competing against you, cause they would get wayyy many more registrations than you.

[apleschu]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

You would fail the max time check in this Mod, and be rejected.

Next.

You are cutting off users shorter than 2 minutes? Your users must be way more intelligent and faster than the average user out there. Anyway, I am done discussing this particular issue.

[apleschu]

Originally Posted by ozzy47

Ant then you would not make as much money as someone else competing against you, cause they would get wayyy many more registrations than you.

Apparently you did not read the multithreaded comment.

[ozzy47]

Who in the heck takes longer than two minutes to register to a site, it this a senior citizen home? LMAO

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by apleschu

You are cutting off users shorter than 2 minutes? Your users must be way more intelligent and faster than the average user out there. Anyway, I am done discussing this particular issue.

That is the point, you have no way of knowing what the min/max settings are, in order to consistently program around them.

Do like I did, and actually BUY your copy of XRumer. Perchance to see what it is capable of, and what it is not capable of. Find out how it really works.

You are cutting off users shorter than 2 minutes?

The way this Mod works, if they fail the max time check they have to start over.

See? They are not cut off.

That max time check can be anything, and it is designed to stop the script kiddie stuff you are proposing.

[ForceHSS]

Originally Posted by apleschu

Because he specifically asks not to be PM'ed and I honor this wish.

You say you can better the coding of this, but when I said send the changes to the coder it sounds like all talk no action. If you can do it, then do it don't back down