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

[X-or]

awesome, thank you very much :-)

[X-or]

sorry to ask again, but are we going to see an update anytime soon

the logs would be most useful to evaluate if banned users really are illegitimate
hesitating to install this without logs

thank you

[kh99]

Sorry again. I'll try to take a quick look at what I was given and post that.

[kh99]

Originally Posted by X-or

sorry to ask again, but are we going to see an update anytime soon

the logs would be most useful to evaluate if banned users really are illegitimate
hesitating to install this without logs

thank you

I have to apologize again. I looked for this and couldn't find it. apleschu, if you're reading this, can you just go ahead and post you version here?

[Flipfloptrader]

Just thought I'd add this works fine on 4.2.5.

[mdawg]

Would love to see something like this, or some kind of spam stopper, for vb5.

[mdawg]

Originally Posted by Flipfloptrader

Just thought I'd add this works fine on 4.2.5.

By the way, yes the mod seems to work on 4.2.5 but when I go to the Plugins & Products / Manage Products and then click to Edit this Spambot Stopper, on the resulting page I get a Database Error,

Database error in vBulletin 4.2.5:

Invalid SQL:

SELECT *
FROM productdependency
WHERE productid = 'kh99_spambot_stopper'
ORDER BY dependencytype, parentproductid, minversion;

MySQL Error : Out of sort memory, consider increasing server sort buffer size

I tried doubling memory_limit in MultiPHP Manager via WHM, and even after restarting mySQL, same error.

This all may be due to some settings/changed someone I hired to help with database errors made on my forums, checking now.

[mdawg]

Okay so this Database Error had to do with in my.cnf my tech guy had adjusted the sort_buffer_size parameter down low versus the default. Upon reversion to default limit issue resolved.

It's a tricky matter because we're trying to avoid database errors that kill mySQL, and hence trying to allocate server resources to where they are needed most.

[gsk8]

I agree, great mod. Hope we can see this for VB5!