Anti-Spam Options - [GlowHost] Spam-O-Matic - Spam Firewall stops forum spam

If you install this mod, please mark this as "Installed."

VERSION 2.1.2 RELEASED 5/28/2013!


About Spam-O-Matic 2.x:
Spam-O-Matic 2.x (SOM) is a spam firewall for your vBulletin Forums version 4.x and later. It prevents known spammers from registering on your forums. If they can't register, they can't spam!

Languages Packs Available
English
German - Courtesy of Alex@bulletin (included in zip)
Romanian - Courtesy of Teascu Dorin's (included in zip)
Spanish - Courtesy of vbluis (included in zip)

How it Works
This data responsible for blocking user registrations comes from the stopforumspam.com (SFS) spammer database. After the user who is trying to register passes the built-in vBulletin registration checks which you have configured in your vBulletin settings, SOM then checks the SFS database to see if the IP, username, or email address that the user is trying to register with has been recently tagged as a known spam source on other forums around the Internet. Also can be configured to check the Akismet service for known comment spam.

This is without a doubt, one of the most important mods that you will be using on your forum.

Other Notable Stuff
It also does a ton of other cool stuff like moderating posts automatically if the post is found in the Akismet database, or if it contains words on your "Bad Words" keyword list which can be configured within the mod itself.

The mod WORKS with vBulletin's new Facebook integration.
This module works with all of the Facebook functions that are built into the vB4 series.
Similar mods do not handle Facebook integration completely.

This module has the ability to submit new spammer details to the StopForumSpam or Akismet databases automatically, all without any new templates or manual template modifications! :up:

This means other forums that are running Spam-O-Matic will not have the same spammer on their forums if you have (automatically) reported the spammer to the SFS database.

Just install the product in the product manager, upload a few files, configure the system and you are done. (Estimated time: 5-10 minutes)

What's new in 2.1.0:

• Fixed a problem with MySQL engine selection to make mod more compatible with different types of servers.
• When SOM "Newbies Group" is activated + vB's native option to "Verify Email address in Registration" is activated at the same time, "Users Awaiting Email Confirmation" must click the verification link to become a newbie.
• Added remove user, post, ban to user profile options in admincp under "Quick User Links"
• Added German Language Pack
• Optimized default settings to work with the needs of most forums
• Added a new coupon for GlowHost (available after you submit a spammer)
• Several other performance tuning options

Feature List:

• Optional Public Statistics. Show off to the world how many bad guys you have automatically prevented from posting junk on your forum.
• Auto-Moderation moderates posts that have links, bad words, and other configurable settings.
• Auto-Moderation ignores your RSS posts.
• Registration / Denial Logs available from Admincp > Statistics and Logs
• Optional "Newbies" Manager! After registration, newly registered users can be placed in a "Newbies" group which has more limited permissions as compared to your regular "Registered Users" group. Newbies will graduate to your Registered Users group based on your required post count settings.
• Auto-Submit Spammers from the moderation tools menu on each postbit.
• Remove Posts, threads, PMs, Calendar Events from your spammer in one easy wizard. No double logins needed.
• Shows other users who signed up with the same IP. (Sleeping Spammers)
• Optional Affiliate System
• ~50 customizable settings to fine-tune Spam-O-Matic to your exact needs.

A) StopForumSpam:
The StopForumSpam Module lets you:

• Check a registrant's IP address.
• Check a registrant's email address.
• Check a registrants Username.
• Disable or enable any of the above checks.
• Block and log, or, allow and log known spammers.
• All registration attempts are logged for your viewing pleasure.
• Several other performance tuning options

If a user (or bot) tries to register on your forum and they pass the built-in vBulletin registration system. (Human verification, email verification, etc), their registration details are then passed to the Spam-O-Matic firewall for further checking.

NOTE: You should use some sort of human verification checking in vBulletin's built-in options to limit the number of requests to the already heavily-loaded StopForumSpam database servers. This will also prevent additional load because SOM will not have to do anything if the bot/spammer fails preliminary registration validation which is built-into vBulletin itself.

It is completely invisible to humans who are registering that this process is taking place. Bots are stopped dead in their tracks.

If a spammer is able to sneak past the first line of defense, and manages to post, then there are secondary, tertiary, and, uh...4th level protections too!

B) Auto-Moderation:
Auto Moderation lets you:

• Define how many URLs a new member can post before being sent to moderation.
• Define keywords that will send a post to Auto-moderation (viagra, porn, more here)
• Define minimum post count to avoid Auto-moderation.
• Excludes admin and moderators from Auto-moderation.
• Completely disable Auto-moderation if you don't want it.

C) Akismet Service
Spammers that make it past the StopForumSpam and Auto-Moderation will be checked against the Akismet service. If they manage to make a post, and then are found on Akismet, they can be auto-moderated.

The Akismet settings let you:

• Set the number of posts that Akismet will check from each user. After this number is exceeded, Akismet checking will be disabled for that user.
• Auto-Submit spammers that post on your boards back to the Akismet service so that other forums and blogs do not do not receive the same spam.
• Completely disable the Akismet service.

D) Newbies Manager
Should you decide to enable this option, you can create a new usergroup and then tell Spam-O-Matic about it. Once SOM knows about this usergroup, and once enabled, all new users will be part of the Newbies group. The idea here is that you make a Newbies group that has limited forum permissions. For example, no signatures, no BB code, no images, and etc. This group is created completely in the vB admincp. Spam-O-Matic simply makes it the graduation process to the normal Registered Users group, automatic.
Learn More and Discuss the Newbies Manager here.

Punitive Actions:
If you find a spammer has made it past your 4 front-lines of defense, and has managed to post on your forum, then you can help the community...

The spammer's details can be sent to the Stop Forum Spam and Akismet databases automatically, preventing them from registering or posting on other forums. When other forums do the same, the protection is reciprocated.

Simply moderate a post and choose the option to "Delete Posts As Spam..." an then choose the option to "Ban User." Banning the user sends their details to either Akismet, StopForumSpam, (or both) depending on how you set it up.

API Keys:
API Keys are not required for this system to stop spammers on your forums. But you should obtain them so that your forum can contribute to the real-time block lists.

A StopForumSpam API key is required if you want to contribute to the StopForumSpam blacklists by adding your spammers to their database. By submitting spammers you help keep other forums and blogs clean.

An Akismet API key is required if you want to enable any Akismet auto-moderation features in this module. Akismet API key is not required for all Auto-Moderation functions.

You can obtain a Stop Forum Spam API key which is free from stopforumspam.com.

Get your StopForumSpam API Key Here

You can obtain an Akismet API key from Akismet.com.
Akismet offers free and paid API keys so choose your version based on your situation.

Get your Akismet API Key Here

Why it is better than the other anti-spam solutions on vBulletin.org:

• Works with all of vBulletin 4 functions including Facebook automatic registration.
• Report spammers that you find to the Stop Forum Spam Database.
• Report spammers that you find to the Akismet Database.
• Built-in Auto-moderation.
• Auto-moderation rules based on post count.
• Auto-moderation rules based keywords.
• Auto-moderation rules based Akismet results.
• Enable or disable any actions that you do not want.
• Customizable "Registration Rejected" message.
• Consolidates 4 popular methods of spam prevention into one product.
• No Manual Template Modifications!
• Lots of community support!

======================
Compatibility:
vBulletin 4.0.x

Server Requirements:
Curl or allow_url_fopen must be compiled/enabled into PHP. Ask your web host to enable curl or allow_url_fopen if it is not already available on your server's PHP configuration. (Or just host with GlowHost.com, where it already is

=====================
Donations:

If you like this mod, sure, you can donate!

Donations can be all sorts of things:
1) The "Give Thanks" option in your settings is an optional link back to GlowHost Web Hosting.
2) Tell your friends and others about this mod.
3) If you are in need of web hosting, please consider ordering it from the hosting and development professionals at GlowHost.com who were able to develop this mod to you.
4) Help others who are having trouble with this mod by posting tips and suggestions in this forum thread.
5) Cash! Use the "Support Developer" option on the top right of this page.

When you choose to donate, you are contributing to the product development, bug fixes and new releases for SOM and are helping to feed our hungry developers and their families! In other words, your donations helps to cover the time and money spent to develop this system.

The entire team at GlowHost thanks you for your help and support!

We hope you enjoy the mod! :up:

=====================
Installation:

1) Download the attached file
2) Mark As Installed
3) SOM 2.x does not support updates from the v1.x series.
When upgrading to version 2.x, please, be sure to remove any other existing version of SOM 1.x from the product manager before installing v2.x series. Also make sure to remove /forum/includes/xml/bitfield_glowhostspamomatic.xml from version 1 if you had it installed.

4) Extract the zip file, and view the readme file for the rest of the instructions.

=====================

Original concept credits go to the authors of vBStopForumSpam, MonkeyStop.

[GlowHost.com]

I do not have any addons enabled on our boards except Spam-O-Matic.

I have disabled the vB built-in Spam settings.
I used the built-in RSS feed manager.

I then made a test as the default "admin" user as the RSS user.
I posted to both public and private boards.

My "Auto-Moderation: Minimum Post Count" is set to 6
My "Auto-Moderation: URL Count" is set to 0
(no URLs alowed if you do not have at least 6 posts, unless you are mod or admin in which case these settings are ignored)

Nothing was auto-moderated.

If you are still being auto-moderated perhaps it is based on keywords. I can't duplicate the problem.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by GlowHost.com

Actually, if you want know the truth, I didn't even realize vB4 had any sort of Anti-Spam settings. Those controls are nice, but they lack a lot of important things...

I will investigate and see if they conflict or cause problems however.

In the meantime, if you would like to have the features of this mod, you should pretend the built-in vB spam options never existed, and just disable it....or, use the following defaults:

If you forgot what those were:
Anti-Spam Service: Disabled
vBulletin Anti-Spam Key: Blank
Spam Scanning Post Threshold: 0
Anti-Spam Data Storage Length (Days): 7

Whatever settings you have there are probably fine, even if enabled, but they are not tested with this mod so the straight answer is to keep the defaults or disable that section, and configure this mod as you see fit for your forums.

When you have more details that explain how to use it easily for everyone including what to disable and leave enabled that is vB default I might be back , I can understand how to make it work and know how to install but look at your three pages, perhaps clean up the first mod post and include known or common bugs and or what to disable etc so people will not need to scroll thorugh several pages to find or you say "That is covered in post #5" etc etc.

Long story short I cannot believe that you developed this mod without even looking into the pre-built functions... Now I've made an honest mistake before but imo you should have shown a way to increase the capabilities of the default functionality in vBulletin 4 or simply made an add-on that enhanced it all, not to be rude but that is IF you actually did your homework.

Just my 2 cents you can give me a refund later but for now keep it in case the next person needs a penny.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by GlowHost.com

My "Auto-Moderation: Minimum Post Count" is set to 6
My "Auto-Moderation: URL Count" is set to 0
(no URLs alowed if you do not have at least 6 posts, unless you are mod or admin in which case these settings are ignored)

I'm not using ANY keywords ...

Now I'm confused again ....

So, based upon what you just posted, I did this ...

Auto-Moderation: URL Count (Set to 50)
The maximum number of URLs a user can post in a new thread or reply.

Auto-Moderation: Minimum Post Count (set to 0)
Minimum postcount required to avoid keyword and URL moderation. If user has a higher postcount than this number, their post will never be auto-moderated. This does not effect moderators and admins.

The mission is simple for me.. I just want the darn auto-moderation turned OFF, so there's no possibility for it to affect Admin usergroup RSS auto posters or any other auto poster.

I also want it to check Akismet for spammer's posts for the very first post only (any user group), just as it does now with the standard default vBulletin Akismet function. I assume this mod still does that, even with auto-moderation turned OFF?

Thanks for your help ...

Regards,
Badger

[GlowHost.com]

OK Superman, here it is so you do not have to read 3 pages:

Disable the built in spam settings in vBulletin and use Spam-O-Matic instead.

There is not enough feedback yet to list "common" bugs or known issues, that is why I have reserved the first post for FAQ. This thread is here to find known issues, take feedback for enhancements, and bugs so they can be added to the main page.

[GlowHost.com]

Badger,

To turn off auto-moderation, set Auto-Moderation: Minimum Post Count to 0. Nothing should be auto-moderated in this case.

I also want it to check Akismet for spammer's posts for the very first post only (any user group), just as it does now with the standard default vBulletin Akismet function. I assume this mod still does that, even with auto-moderation turned OFF?

Spam-O-Matic runs every post from every user through Akismet for every post always every time.

A future version may have an option to only check the first "x" posts that a user makes using the Akismet service.

You might be able to do what you want to do by disabling Akismet (remove your API key and/or set Akismet: Auto-submit from Moderation Tools to "No" in Spam-O-Matic and then using the vB Akismet services which better do what you are trying to accomplish.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by GlowHost.com

Spam-O-Matic runs every post from every user through Akismet for every post always every time.

A future version may have an option to only check the first "x" posts that a user makes using the Akismet service.

You might be able to do what you want to do by disabling Akismet (remove your API key and/or set Akismet: Auto-submit from Moderation Tools to "No" in Spam-O-Matic and then using the vB Akismet services which better do what you are trying to accomplish.

Thanks ...

I think that's what's happening and why our registered member with 18 posts got stuck in moderation. Spam-O-Matic is checking every post through Akismet, instead of only checking the first post (that's when you nail spammers), which is the way we had the VBulletin Akismet set (stop checking after first post).

I'll turn OFF your Akismet and leave ON vBulletin's until you are able to add that option. I'll also continue testing for you ...

Regards,
Badger

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by GlowHost.com

OK Superman, here it is so you do not have to read 3 pages:

Disable the built in spam settings in vBulletin and use Spam-O-Matic instead.

There is not enough feedback yet to list "common" bugs or known issues, that is why I have reserved the first post for FAQ. This thread is here to find known issues, take feedback for enhancements, and bugs so they can be added to the main page.

There's enough confusion on the first three pages that need to be made very clear, you might think I'm being rude I just want everyone to actually benefit from your mod, if they can't understand something or become confused because it's not made clear in the actual Modification post then they will quit and not even try to install you should know this from being on here so long "Join Date: 22 Nov 2005".

Also, posting on page three will not save others from searching up until page three or backtracking if this ever reaches let's say page 40 etc so simply modify the modification info and put that bold text up there .

Ok back to work for me, you handle your mod, like I said I like the concept but was simply taken back reading your post about being unaware of the default settings especially since your a "Host" that most likely releases free mods to get more vBulletin clients.

[GlowHost.com]

@Badger
Thanks for the feedback and testing

@Superman
Changed first page (again) the mod is only a few days old to for release to the public so yes the description being constantly updated. Hopefully the first page says everything there is to know now. FAQ also added.

Still waiting to here if there are other users that have RSS issues, I can't duplicate them. If you find a way to duplicate the problem with specific examples, let us know.

[sas forum]

Quick question. I installed the mod and ran into users getting tagged by akismet checking every post. I will disable that feature after reading the previous posts.

I was looking at the logs and it lists like 116 entries. I just installed the mod today and I know I have never had 116 new registrations in one day. Where are all these log entries pulled from? I am just curious since I see a lot of usernames that say "Allowed registration" and I don't see them in my member list.
I did notice that some of the usernames are linked, which leads me to believe that those specific usernames are legit new registrations for my site.

Thanks for this mod. We are hoping it catches the spammers trying to register so we don't have to worry about them

[GlowHost.com]

Yes, the linked users are the ones that were really allowed registration. There is a known issue with the logs making duplicate entries and sometimes saying "allowed registration" for users who were really not allowed.

It will be fixed in a later release, it is a cosmetic bug and not a functionality bug.

As for the high number of log entries, that is normal even without the dupes. There are lots of bots running around out there that get denied on the default human verification settings or just give up or die in the registration process. Spam-O-Matic tries to tag them all.