Anti-Spam Options - vbStopForumSpam

vbStopForumSpam

Mod of the month winner October 2009.... That cant be bad :up:

Apologies in advance, this is a copy of the 3.6/3.7/3.8 mod that has been verified to work in 4.0 (its so that I dont get a billion PMs asking if it works in 4.0)

This provides access to a RBL type system for forum admins, listing known spam IP / email / usernames. The RBL database is provided by www.stopforumspam.com. You do NOT need an API key from the website in order to access the database. only to submit data if you should wish to do so.

At the point of user registration, the mod checks if the IP number / provided username / email addresses appear on a block list and can block the registration.

Whilst this isnt the most perfect way to stop all forum spam, its another step that spammers have to overcome.

What it does

It checks with a remote database of known forum spammers. Their IP number, email address and forum username are tested and based on your configuration, you can reject / log / accept user registrations based on what you get back.

This version doesnt have
- whitelisting or the ability to submit users to the database but it will within the next week.
- automatic user deletion / post / PM purging. There are good tools out there already, this does something else.

Instructions are included in the installation.txt file - PLEASE read it first and dont forget to actually upload the files in the upload folder, otherwise it WILL kill your registration progress and you wont see the log file options in admincp.

Changes to vB
- 3 new database tables
- 2 database table alternations
- No new templates.
- 2 Hook (register_addmember_process & register_addmember_complete)

Ive tested it but had feedback that it works with versions as old as 3.6.2... Support should go back to older versions, as long as they have hook support for register_addmember_process / register_addmember_complete

For code to submit spammers to the database, check this post for code changes
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=288

Reported to work
- 3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.6.9, 3.6.10, 3.7.0, 3.7.1, 3.7.2, 3.7.3, 3.74, 3.80, 3.81, 3.82, 3.83, 3.8.4, 4.0beta3, 4.0 Gold, 4.2pl1,2

Installers should remember to refresh their ACP navigation window when they first install it so they can see the new log file menu item.

REQUIRES MySQL 4.1.1+

There is a small mod, coded by Wired1 that will allow you to submit spammer details to the database from the admin control panel, here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=289 This relies 100% on javascript being enabled and makes no tests that it is enabled.

You need to have an API key from www.stopforumspam.com in order to submit data, its free and easy to get... You DONT need an API key in order to use this mod however, only to submit spammer data.

Issues are
- The usergroup permissions / view details etc DONT work. I jumped the gun and put the permissions controls in there before I put the code in. Please delete the includes/xml/bitfield_vbstopforumspam.xml file and rebuild your postbit

Installation
- Follow the instructions in the zip file, that includes the file upload the correct folders.

Please click Installed

The original thread is at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=176481 where there is a wealth of knowledge about the mod, please ask questions in there.

[x626xblack]

I just tried to register a test user name on my site with this installed and got this

Registration denied. We check new registrations against a database of known forum spammers. At this time, we are unable to contact this database to verify your registration. We are sorry for the inconvenience but please do try again later.

I disabled this product and STILL GOT IT!

I am registering from a corporate email address so I know it is GOOD.

My Log shows this reason

[REMOTEERR] Unverfied and rejected by policy

What the hell?

[KHALIK]

I am interested to hear that answer for the issues raised under post #81 / x626xblack

[skippybosco]

Check the discussion here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...28#post1974528

[HenryCell]

I had numerous [REMOTEERR] errors but that was from stopforumspam.com downtime. Once they got back up everything is running great.

GoDaddy, completed deleted our DNS settings, taking everything down with them.

http://www.stopforumspam.com/forum/t...about-downtime

[x626xblack]

For me and my boards that reason is a moot point. We are still young and growing. To have legitimate registrations rejected for any reason is unacceptable. If I had 5k members than maybe I would feel other wise.

This Feaux pas, rejected 5 new legitimate members. It is scrubbed for me. I would rather delete spammers than have good members rejected.

PS. If you knew GoDaddy is crap, you should have left them.

[skippybosco]

@x626xblack: There is an option in the SFS configuration regarding what to do when connection issues occur (ie. accept / reject)..

[KHALIK]

Originally Posted by skippybosco

@x626xblack: There is an option in the SFS configuration regarding what to do when connection issues occur (ie. accept / reject)..

Thanks for that, changed the settings to accept registeration when there is a connection problem.

[howard007]

This is an awesome mod, probably one of the best! It's amazing to look at the log file and see all the blocked attempts by the iditots and robots.
It works well with 4.01.

[imprezion]

great work! keep it up! Thank you

[MagiKelly]

Just in case anyone has not noticed on the left of the first post there is an option to Support the Developer. I know it is not compulsory or anything but I have a medium sized forum and this hack has saved me a few hours of work every week it has been installed. The least I could do was throw a few quid in the developer's hat as a thank you.