Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Post*]

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John T. Folden
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by John T. Folden »

Ashley.G. wrote:On my forum I have it to where users are moderated on x amount of posts before they can post on their own. While it's annoying, and I hate having to do it or having my staff do it, I also feel it's necessary, especially with all the spam/hacking attempts that are currently about.
I've just recently installed http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=2096637 and it has blocked 100% of spammers in forums where guest users can post. It can also be configured for new accounts and should eliminate you having to manually approve every new member's post.
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Martin Truckenbrodt
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Martin Truckenbrodt »

Hello John,
it's a good advice and idea. But what are good users thinking then their posts are blocked?
I'm not a friend of guest posting. But I will keep this point to add a DNS domain name RBL check to the ABM in future. This can be used for other things, too.

@Ger: You gave the next example. You are implying me that I'm crazy. :roll: Thanks a lot!

Bye Martin
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Ger
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Ger »

Martin Truckenbrodt wrote:@Ger: You gave the next example. You are implying me that I'm crazy. :roll: Thanks a lot!
I don't. I'm simply pointing out you are fighting a battle that doesn't exist in my opinion. That's called tilting at windmills and that's why I was referring to Don Quixote as oppossed to David and Goliath.
I guess you rather are a hero than a knight? ;)

The point I'm trying to make for the 3rd post in a row: don't enfore your own opinion to others. You have your opinion wich is fine, the majority has another opinion wich is also fine. Those opinions shouldn't conflict since there is a default package wich can be modded or in the future hooked. Everybody happy. :)
The only thing that bothers me is that you seem to think all this is personal against you. Your last post is just another example of what I mean.

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Martin Truckenbrodt
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Martin Truckenbrodt »

Hello ger,
I'm not enforcing my MODs and my opinions to others! And I don't want to be a hero. :lol: I just have had a vision for all phpBB webmasters whom don't like CAPTCHAs and Q&As or whom can't use it or whom are not allowed to use it. And I'm thinking that a solution which doesn't need to fill out hardly readable CAPTCHAs or to answer silly or annoying questions for new registering users always is a much more user friendly solution. And a solution which reduces the needed time to verify or to observe newly registered to the minimum for administrators makes it a perfect solution at least for me. Why not for others, too?
My problem is that these points and arguments are not accepted by devs really and not been realized by phpBB using webmasters. A big problem is that a lot of phpBB using webmasters don't understand what I'm talking about. And here I think it's a part of the responsibility of the devs. As I wrote above I'm still waiting for a usefull feedback based on usefull tests from them. I think that the spam thing is the most important thing for bulletin boards at the moment. The second important thing is that every board user has to learn to write his own opinion but not to set the own opinion higher as the opinion of others. I'm happy that you and me are not doing a really muddy discussion here. Now I will end discussion (again). ;) Enough of off-topic!
Bye Martin
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John T. Folden
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by John T. Folden »

Martin Truckenbrodt wrote:Hello John,
it's a good advice and idea. But what are good users thinking then their posts are blocked?
I'm not a friend of guest posting. But I will keep this point to add a DNS domain name RBL check to the ABM in future. This can be used for other things, too.
I think the number of legitimate new members who want to sign up and leave a link in their very first post is extremely small but they would have no trouble understanding that their might be restrictions on a brand new account. In fact, in my experience over the last 6 years or so of running a forum, just about all members trying to do that are the ones attempting to spam the forum with links, etc... Since this mod would be inactive for them after the person posts a couple of messages, they are likely not to realize it even exists.

However, currently I'm not using it to monitor people who've actually registered. I do allow guest posting in certain forums and this has been entirely effective.
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onehundredandtwo
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by onehundredandtwo »

Martin Truckenbrodt wrote:IMO this topic here is not the right place for technical discussions. But here a Arsia (phpBB3.2 ! ) feature request discussion: http://area51.phpbb.com/phpBB/viewtopic ... 05&t=33531 . That's the way how the phpBB community is discussing with me. It's like David against Goliath. And I have been implyed to be a spamming MOD advertiser again. I just wanted to talk about improving a phpBB3 default feature and gave an example. That's all! If you are interested I can give you more examples like these via PM.
Couldn't you post the features that you want requested rather than simply posting a link to your MOD? And explain how you would want phpBB to work?
I don't really see how a link is absolutely necessary for your feature suggestion.
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Martin Truckenbrodt »

Hello onehundredandtwo,
why I'm writing MODs?
Why I'm sending through validation process to the phpbb.com MODDB?
Why I'm using the absolutely great features of the new Customizations database called Titania?

Just to write the same things again and again?
My answer: No!
Please use MOD description and MOD FAQs or MOD discussion. Or try the MOD. You will be surprised!

Bye Martin
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onehundredandtwo
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by onehundredandtwo »

But from what I've seen, the phpBB developers don't often use the code from other MODs - for example, when Quick Reply was implemented they wrote it themselves. I imagine it might be the same case for DNSBLs as well.

And you can't pretend that they haven't seen your MOD before, because it sounds like they already have. ;)
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Martin Truckenbrodt »

Hello 102,
for me it doesn't matter if they would add the MOD as it is or in a different way. I'm just talking about the features and about improving phpBB core package and existing phpBB core features!
Is it so difficult to see or to understand? :roll: We are a communiy, or not? ;)
Bye Martin
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Phil »

Please note that this topic is not a pedestal for one to engage in their personal crusade for/against different anti-spam solutions; likewise, it is not the place for one to highlight their own personal struggles ;) If you wish to provide detailed, meaningful insight as to the merits of a solution, please do so. Otherwise, please leave the debates for another topic (you may create one in phpBB Discussion if you wish)—this topic is simply meant to provide a comprehensive list of available solutions and assist users in any trivial questions they may have regarding them.

Thanks.
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Pops-46
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Pops-46 »

I don't think I'm even using a 3.0 or higher version of phpbb, but I own and run a website which is for people who suffer from a fairly rare medical condition. Anyway, I get about 30-40 registrants per day that are just spammers. Once I'm going through the process of seeing who they are (looking up their profile), when I see that they have an ICQ number, that's my queue that they're just spammers and I delete them.

But, I'd really love to be able to keep them from making me having to do this. Is there any way to prevent them from registering because they have an ICQ number? If I could do this, it would prevent me from having to deal with about 95% of my so-called "registrants".

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Greg
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Pony99CA »

Pops-46 wrote:Is there any way to prevent them from registering because they have an ICQ number? If I could do this, it would prevent me from having to deal with about 95% of my so-called "registrants".
If they're supplying an ICQ number at registration, you're either using phpBB 2.x (more likely) or a modified version of 3.x (less likely).

If you're using 2.x, you won't get any help here because support for phpBB 2.x has ended (except for helping you to convert to 3.x). phpBB 3.x has some excellent spam controlling features (required custom profile fields, user-defined CAPTCHAS, moderator queues, etc.), so you might want to consider upgrading.

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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Pops-46 »

Steve,

Thank you for responding to my question.

When the 3.0 version first came out, I wasn't a part of the admin of this site, and all I was told was that they weren't able to do the upgrade to the newer version. When I heard of this, I asked the guy who I pay my yearly bill to (we use his server) if he knew how to upgrade and he tried but couldn't help. Do you know how I can upgrade to a newer version (does it cost to do this??), like where do I go, who do I call, or what do I have to do to accomplish this? If all I have to do is to upgrade to a newer version to eliminate the ICQ people, that would be great.

Can you help me in any way? I'm not a dumbass, but I'm not an IT guy. I'm an accountant, so I've been around computer since college (25 years ago). I should be able to do the upgrade, just need a little shove to show me how to do it and maybe someone to call if I'm in a bind.

Do you think I should go to one of the other sections of phpbb and ask these questions?

Thanks again.

Greg
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by Martin Truckenbrodt »

Hello Greg,
http://www.phpbb.com/downloads/olympus. ... u&update=1
http://www.phpbb.com/support/documents. ... &version=3

Have you set Account Activation to User or Admin? I think these settings should stop the ICQs, too.
If Email is not running well at the board you can find some help here: http://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/mod/m ... 85#details

Bye Martin
Free tutorial: Installing MODs in phpBB 3.0
Advanced Block MOD - Prevent spam on your phpBB 3.0 board with Stop Forum Spam, BotScout, Akismet, Project Honey Pot and several IP-RBL and Domain-RBL DNS blacklists!
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Re: Preventing Spam in phpBB 3.0.6 and Above [*Read First Po

Post by dartiss »

Most of the advise in this thread appears to concentrate on the automated spam. However, my board is being plagued by spam created by apparently legitimate sign ups. They are not automated bots, so captcha's don't help, but real people signing up and then posting spam posts en masse.

I've looked into setting up new users so that their initial posts have to be authorised, but the administrator of the board says, because emails for these aren't generated, it's taking up too much of his time to keep his eye on the board for any being posted (he only pops on every day or say - the board isn't *that* busy).

Unfortunately, he took upon himself to add all gmail and hotmail to the ban list, as this resolved the spamming issue. Obviously, that's not a good solution as it meant a lot of legitimate users couldn't sign up.

Does anybody have any other solutions to preventing this kind of spamming?

David.
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