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

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by funkyirishman

Ok total noobie question

Have Spam o matic installed and was directed here also to install this but in what folder do I load the xml into

Thanks

/includes/xml/

Otherwise in product manager simply click to "Browse" and locate the product.xml file in the folder on your computer to upload that way.

Also nice mod kh99, added to the list https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=276547

[funkyirishman]

Thanks

[vb-forum]

Hello!

Good plugin.. thanks!

Now I'm using it with Spam-O-Matic (my first Bot filter).
Is it possibile to take action to "Spambot Stopper" after Spam-O-Matic and not before as default?

Thanks

[kh99]

Originally Posted by vb-forum

Hello!

Good plugin.. thanks!

Now I'm using it with Spam-O-Matic (my first Bot filter).
Is it possibile to take action to "Spambot Stopper" after Spam-O-Matic and not before as default?

Thanks

I think it might be possible to do that by adjusting the "execution order" fields of the plugins on one or the other of the mods, but unfortunately I don't have time to test it. If you do decide to try it, maybe increase all the plugins for this mod by a fixed amount (which will make them run later than other plugins on the same hooks), so that they stay the same order relative to each other (I hope that makes sense). It may or may not work depending on which hook locations are used by Spam-O-Matic.

[vb-forum]

Originally Posted by kh99

I think it might be possible to do that by adjusting the "execution order" fields of the plugins on one or the other of the mods, but unfortunately I don't have time to test it. If you do decide to try it, maybe increase all the plugins for this mod by a fixed amount (which will make them run later than other plugins on the same hooks), so that they stay the same order relative to each other (I hope that makes sense). It may or may not work depending on which hook locations are used by Spam-O-Matic.

Hello kh99,
thanks for the tip... but it did not solve the problem

I've also seen a possible bug (after the execution order change and after reset).
In case of "bad" captcha, the user will retry to reinsert it (+password).
For this operation he takes little time (<20 sec)
In this case here the result:

...a registration attempt was rejected because: 
- Form submission time less than 20 second(s) (12 seconds).

[kh99]

Originally Posted by vb-forum

Hello kh99,
thanks for the tip... but it did not solve the problem

The problem you're referring to is that if this mod catches someone registering too fast, it doesn't go through Spam-O-Matic?

I've also seen a possible bug (after the execution order change and after reset).
In case of "bad" captcha, the user will retry to reinsert it (+password).
For this operation he takes little time (<20 sec)
In this case here the result:

...a registration attempt was rejected because: 
- Form submission time less than 20 second(s) (12 seconds).

I could look in to that if I get a chance. It could be that no one's mentioned that yet because spambots are getting by captcha, so people aren't using it.

[vb-forum]

Originally Posted by kh99

The problem you're referring to is that if this mod catches someone registering too fast, it doesn't go through Spam-O-Matic?

I was referring to Spam-O-Matic priority (before this plugin).
No effect with your tip about "order".

Originally Posted by kh99

I could look in to that if I get a chance. It could be that no one's mentioned that yet because spambots are getting by captcha, so people aren't using it.

it could be a reason....

[CharlieDelta]

kh99 do you think there may be a problem with runnin this mod and yours?

I was using a similar mod to yours and was having a conflict.
See here. https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=515

[kh99]

Originally Posted by CharlieDelta

kh99 do you think there may be a problem with runnin this mod and yours?

It's quite possible, but I haven't tested them together. When it comes down to it, any other mod that deals with registrations has a chance of conflicting with this mod, but all I can really do is try to deal with issues people report (and I don't even have a lot of time for that these days).

Are you having a problem with this mod conflicting with the db tech mod, or did you just want to let me know about the possibility?

[CharlieDelta]

I wanted to let you know but even more importantly I would like to use your mod as it is a great weapon in keeping away spam registrations.