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.

[ETDC]

Originally Posted by Traxdata

Most effective and important hack since ever.

Couldn't agree more. I could live without the rest but not this one.

Sticky!

[hjmaier]

Some of my members reported, that they don't get the No-Spam input fields during registration using Firefox (actual version). With IE it works for them. They say, that they have no plug in installed. Strangely, only some of the users get this error. For example, if i try to register using firefox it works fine.

Does anyone have similiar experiences?

Best regards
hj

[tedp]

Great mod on 3.6.8

Thank you

Ted

[caliman]

I love this mod.
I have an old version.
The new version says it will work on other pages, would that include my phpportal's feedback page? That would be awesome.

Also, please note, spammers have figured out math questions like the one shown in the example. Use something else. Trust me. I had to change mine. Since then, no spam.

[class101]

Originally Posted by caliman

Also, please note, spammers have figured out math questions like the one shown in the example. Use something else. Trust me. I had to change mine. Since then, no spam.

Interesting doctor, looks like theses specimens have a brain

[caliman]

Indeed!

[SOL-R]

Hi, I installed this on my test board but I am getting two questions. It is the same question but a duplicate right below the first one.

Did I install it wrong or ??? Thoughts?

Thanks

R.

[guptadogg]

it shows the ? on the quick register mod, on my homepage, but even If I put in the correct answer to quick register takes me to regular register where i have to put in all the info back again

[class101]

I have allowed anonymous posting in my blog and would like to add te nospam question in addition to the visual captcha already present, adding $nospamfield in the blog_comment_editor template worked fine, I see the nospam field , however no check is made inside, I do not anwser the question and the post is still allowed, any idea what is wrong ?

[class101]

Ok here is how I got it working on my custom page , here its blog_post

all is made in the plugin manager, no template edit required finally because from the plugin wich is caching the templates ,it's positioning the Nospam box just up the visual captcha.

1) Edit the Nospam plugin called "Generate and insert NoSpam! question"

FIND

PHP Code:

     default:
           $nospamdo = false; 


ADD BEFORE

PHP Code:

      case 'blog_post':
         if ($vbulletin->options['nospam_onoff']) {
            $thetemplate =& $vbulletin->templatecache['blog_comment_editor'];
            $nospamdo = true;
         }
         break; 


2) Edit the Nospam plugin called "Cache the NoSpam! template"

FIND

PHP Code:

      case 'sendmessage':
         if ($vbulletin->options['nospam_use_contactus']) {
            $actiontemplates['contactus'][] = 'nospam';
         }
      break; 


ADD AFTER

PHP Code:

      case 'blog_post':
         if ($vbulletin->options['nospam_onoff']) {
            $actiontemplates['blog_comment_editor'][] = 'nospam';
         }
      break; 


3) And finally create the new plugin that will check response validity, name it as you wish, select the hook location called "blog_post_updatecomment_start" and enter this new code

PHP Code:

$vbulletin->input->clean_array_gpc('p', array(
      'nospamnumber' => TYPE_UINT,
      'nospam' => TYPE_STR,
));

if ($vbulletin->options['nospam_onoff'] AND !$vbulletin->userinfo['userid'])
{
   $nospamnumber = $vbulletin->GPC['nospamnumber'];
   $questions = explode("\n", $vbulletin->options['nospam_questions']);
   $qanda = explode(":", strtolower($questions["$nospamnumber"]));
   unset($qanda[0]);

   function trim_array(&$answer)
   {
      $answer = trim($answer);
   }

   array_walk($qanda, 'trim_array');

   if (!in_array(strtolower(trim($vbulletin->GPC['nospam'])), $qanda))
   {
      eval(standard_error(fetch_error('nospam_wrong_answer')));
   }
} 


There is just the visual option settings not implemented in the admincp vboption, it will just check if nospam is on or off and if the user is guest like Nospam does on other pages but does the job very well hehe now I can allow guest blog comments without caring if the vb visual captcha gets break , hope that helps