how to turn off new registrations?

rantbot · Post by **rantbot** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:17 pm

I get a couple of new member signups a week. But I get about three dozen spambot attempts for every legitimate one. I have had the "configuration" page set for admin approval of new accounts. I inspect each application, reject most, and then investigate a few. It takes a lot of time. I have just posted notification on my forum that I have turned off this automated sign-up, and that prospective members should e-mail me with a preferred forum name and I would set up their accounts with temporary passwords. I removed the "register" link on the forum index page.

However the spambots can still send in registration attempts. I have just been ignoring those e-mails, since I know they can't be ligitimate as the link to the sign-up page is gone. But the spam applications are still added to the member list. I have installed the mod which prevents un-approved members from showing up when the list is viewed. But I would prefer that they not be on there at all, without having to examine and delete each one manually.

Is there some way to turn off new registrations entirely?

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:18 pm

Instead of shutting off registrations, why don't you have a look at this thread.

rantbot · Post by **rantbot** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:00 pm

iWisdom wrote:Instead of shutting off registrations, why don't you have a look at this thread.

I did. How do you think I got the spambot attempts down to a mere three dozen per? Still not good enough. Turning off automatic registrations seems to have been the perfect solution, except for having to clean out the member list, and that's not all that important; mere neat bookkeeping.

Post by **KevC** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:06 pm

The RAC MOD is exceptionally effective and easy to install. As is the Security Question MOD.

However, if you want to stop registrations completely just put a * in the disallow names section of the admin panl (bottom of the menu).

ric323 · Post by **ric323** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:45 pm

rantbot wrote:
iWisdom wrote:Instead of shutting off registrations, why don't you have a look at this thread.
I did. How do you think I got the spambot attempts down to a mere three dozen per?

Which MOD did you use? RAC, Textual Confirmation, etc should have brought them down to zero.

except for having to clean out the member list, and that's not all that important; mere neat bookkeeping.

The Admin Toolkit (link in my sig) is a great way to bulk remove spammers.

rantbot · Post by **rantbot** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:25 pm

Kevin Clark wrote:The RAC MOD is exceptionally effective and easy to install. As is the Security Question MOD.

However, if you want to stop registrations completely just put a * in the disallow names section of the admin panl (bottom of the menu).

If I disallow all names it seems that I won't be able to register any new members, manually or automatically.

But no matter, I have put in the RAC mod and will see how that goes before doing anything more drastic.

Thanks.

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