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.

[a squared]

Is this working in 3.6.2?

[Sore Eyes]

Originally Posted by schanulleke

Thank you for this possibility. We were looking for this.

I noticed the questions are only asked if someone wants to register. Is it also possible to use this if you want to allow unregistered people to post on the forum?

So instead of image verification for unregistered posting using these question to verify if they are human.

If this is possible, could you tell us how we can make that work?
Thank you in advance!

I strongly support this suggestion.

Would be great!

And now I looked a bit further into it, I found a few more occasions where the CAPTCHA is used, like the search when someone is not logged in, and there might be more...

[farooqaaa]

wow!!!!! thanks alot.

My server didnt supports GD Library. it fixed my problem now, thanks!ss!!!!

*lets click Installlllll*

[antialiasis]

I am working on a version that works with all places where CAPTCHA is used in vBulletin - it's working fine for guest posts and contact forms, but I'm having problems with the guest search for some reason. I'm hoping to get it out soon.

There is a 3.5 plugin (and a note following it) on page three or four of this thread.

And yes, it works in 3.6.2 - well, my forum is having a problem with displaying the wrong version number, but I did replace the files and everything and it works fine.

[Sore Eyes]

AntiAlias,

sounds good

I hope you will be succesfull

[spgoldman]

Hi,
I get this error when trying to import xml:
Database error in vBulletin 3.5.2:

Invalid SQL:

### INSERT QUERY GENERATED BY fetch_query_sql() ###
INSERT INTO plugin
(`active`, `executionorder`, `title`, `hookname`, `phpcode`, `product`)
VALUES
('1', '5', 'Cache the NoSpam! template', 'cache_templates', 'if (THIS_SCRIPT == \'register\')\r\n{\r\n $globaltemplates[] = \'nospam\';\r\n}', 'nospam');

MySQL Error : Unknown column 'executionorder' in 'field list'
Error Number : 1054
Date : Wednesday, October 25th 2006 @ 10:22:53 AM
Script : http://www.westwoodvelo.com/admincp/plugin.php
Referrer : http://www.westwoodvelo.com/admincp/...?do=productadd

Any Idea????
Thx

[PoetJA-1975]

Very nice share = Jacquii clicks INSTALL
Thanx -

I do have a question though - http://JPiCForum.info - You'll see I am making use of the QuickRegister on the JPiC portal... How can I get this to work for that?

I'm also using image verification for non-members on the Contact Us page - It would be excellent if NoSpam! work for that page as well.

At anyrate - Thanx = wonderful modification - EASY install

Jacquii.

[ski diva]

Just wanted to post that since I installed this on October 17, I have had no spammers at all! A great add on. And thanks for adapting it for us 3.5.4 users.

[Top Nurse]

This hack kicks ass!

We ditched the captcha and went all the way with this product. Few outside our organization would be able to come up with the right answers and I can guarantee no bot will ever make it. :laugh:

Edit: Besides asking a straightforward question you can also set up fill in the blank questions. If you utilize sayings that are specific to your intended audience then you pretty much eliminate all the bots.

For example:

• Fill in the blank "Jails, Institutions, and ______"
• Fill in the blank "Nuclear _______ is a by-product of splitting atoms."

We made up a whole bunch of these types of questions and with the random display we can just about forget about bot spammers.

By the way, where is the Mod of the Month link! This hack gets my vote.

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

installed 3.6.0 !

working great..thanks!