PunBB Resource

seesaw · 2007-05-27 09:30:24

Code:

##        Mod title:  Simple Antispambot-code Mod  
##
##      Mod version:  0.8 
##   Works on PunBB:  1.2.15 
##     Release date:  28 May 2007 
##           Author:  sirena (on http://punbb.org/forums)
##
##      Description:  This is a *very* simple mod to help prevent forum 
##                    spambots from registering on a punBB forum. 
##
##       Affects DB:  No 
##
##   Affected files:  register.php 
##
##            Notes:  This mod simply adds an extra free-text form field into 
##                    the registration page for punBB (register.php) that 
##                    prospective users need to complete, and which the forum 
##                    administrator can easily customize. 
##                    
##                    Forum administrators can specify any sort of question 
##                    and the required (numeric or text) response.  
##                    
##                    Administrators are encouraged to: 
##                    (a) customize the question posed by this mod to suit their needs, and 
##                    (b) change their question periodically. 
##                    
##                    The more variation there is in the deployment of this mod, the more 
##                    effective it will be, particularly against automated spambots. 
##                    
##                    Questions can be simple - like "What year did Columbus discover America?"
##                     - or perhaps more complicated - like "What is the sum of 1000+100". 
##                    
##                    Questions may even be very specific if you are confident that the 
##                    people who you want to join your forum should know the answer. 
##                    
##                    For example if you have a forum about the Beatles the question may be 
##                    "What year did the Beatles break up?"  
##                    
##                    Or if you have a forum about Beverly Hills Calif., a good question may be 
##                    "What is the postcode of Beverly Hills?"  Etc. 
##                    
##                    Specific questions such as these will help prevent automated registrations 
##                    and may even cause difficulties for some human spammers too, 
##                    if local or esoteric knowledge is required.
##                    
##                    Questions may also be framed to require some exploration of the site. 
##                    Eg "Please enter the 4 digit VIP code visible at the top of the Support page". 
##                    
##                    This sort of question will block automated bots and slow down 
##                    and perhaps even deter human spammers too. 
##                    
##
##     Generated By:  Auto Read-Me(by Caleb Champlin) - http://www.rscheatnet.com/Auto_Readme.zip
##
##       DISCLAIMER:  Please note that 'mods' are not officially supported by
##                    PunBB. Installation of this modification is done at your
##                    own risk. Backup your forum database and any and all
##                    applicable files before proceeding.
##

Download here

seesaw · 2007-05-27 09:39:42

This should work - let us know if it does or not, or if I have missed something important.

It is based on the timezone anti-spam mod of Iota, only slightly tweaked, and the 'VIP code' idea used in some mods for other forum packages.

MindlessOath · 2007-05-27 12:45:19

thanks! i will try this out soon!

a good tip would be to have a reminder for the admins once they login, to remind them to change the phrase after a certain amount of time, say 10 days, or have the option for a reminder in the admin section and then have them select the time perioud to remind an admin.

EDIT: i installed it and i like it, its simple, BUT, i think an admin control panel section would be best to change the files. i dont give out FTP access for other admins, i would assum others might not either.

i think its great tho! but if im encuraged to change it, i need an easier way!

Last edited by MindlessOath (2007-05-27 12:51:40)

kostis12345 · 2007-05-27 14:42:19

demo ?

MindlessOath · 2007-05-27 16:52:37

http://www.tacticalcenter.net/register.php?agree=Agree
scroll down to
"Spambot prevention"

seesaw · 2007-05-27 17:03:50

MindlessOath wrote:
a good tip would be to have a reminder for the admins once they login, to remind them to change the phrase after a certain amount of time, say 10 days, or have the option for a reminder in the admin section and then have them select the time perioud to remind an admin.

EDIT: i installed it and i like it, its simple, BUT, i think an admin control panel section would be best to change the files. i dont give out FTP access for other admins, i would assum others might not either.

i think its great tho! but if im encuraged to change it, i need an easier way!

These are good ideas!

If I had the skill, I would make this into an admin control panel section so admins/mods could alter the variables more easily, but this is the best I could do.

If someone else wanted to extend and enhance this, that would be fine, of course.

MattF · 2007-05-27 17:26:25

seesaw wrote:
If I had the skill, I would make this into an admin control panel section so admins/mods could alter the variables more easily, but this is the best I could do.

If someone else wanted to extend and enhance this, that would be fine, of course.

There are those who prefer the old fashioned methods of editing configs over UI's. I always think visual control panels are an unnecessary amount of extra work for most needs.

seesaw · 2007-05-27 17:44:53

Another way administrators may manually alter the variables hard-coded into register.php by this mod could be to install the AP_Punbb_text_editor plugin:

http://www.punres.org/desc.php?pid=269

That mod should let admins edit the code of any text file on the server from within punBB (not via FTP, SSH etc).

A handy option perhaps, although it also has its risks if you aren't sure of the competence of your admin team.

MindlessOath · 2007-05-29 08:24:17

someone please make an admin function for this mod please! i think its great in its current form, but i would like to change the phrase in the admin panel - which it doesnt currently do.

or better yet, mabe you can have a text file with the phrase and answer in it... but have many of them, and randomly select one each time the page loads so it will be differnt each time. that way all you will have to do is edit the text file, and it will be much more simple than searching through code (for newbs).

that could all be handeled in the database too, but then you would have to have an admin panel too! anyone please impliment this to this kind of script.

Last edited by MindlessOath (2007-05-29 08:26:31)

MattF · 2007-05-29 09:20:18

MindlessOath wrote:
or better yet, mabe you can have a text file with the phrase and answer in it... but have many of them, and randomly select one each time the page loads so it will be differnt each time. that way all you will have to do is edit the text file, and it will be much more simple than searching through code (for newbs).

that could all be handeled in the database too, but then you would have to have an admin panel too! anyone please impliment this to this kind of script.

I'm actually trying to do that at the moment, but things aren't quite going to plan yet.

Taco · 2007-05-30 04:20:48

Nice! I've seen this on other forums like, what's the square root of 16 and such... that's just kinda annoying though (who want's to do math?).

MindlessOath · 2007-05-30 07:06:51

well, who wants spam?

elbekko · 2007-05-30 07:07:50

I'd rather delete spam than do maths

seesaw · 2007-05-30 09:14:38

But no one would make the maths too hard.

It would indeed be foolish to require MENSA brainpower just to sign up to a stupid forum.

Although something like:

'If a train left Berlin and was travelling to Moscow at 30 kmh, and the distance between Berlin and Moscow was 500km, how long (in minutes) would it take to get half-way to Moscow'

would be kind of a cool question to encounter.

I'd sure like to see a bot figure that one out.

Last edited by seesaw (2007-05-30 09:15:11)

MattF · 2007-05-30 11:19:47

It'd be informative to note just how many people would fail that question too.

MindlessOath · 2007-05-30 13:58:11

mabe long the failures and what the failure answers were. this would be intresting but better for the admin to make his question either easier or harder (depending on if its a bot, or a human).

no64 · 2007-10-26 12:36:20

MattF wrote:
MindlessOath wrote:
or better yet, mabe you can have a text file with the phrase and answer in it... but have many of them, and randomly select one each time the page loads so it will be differnt each time. that way all you will have to do is edit the text file, and it will be much more simple than searching through code (for newbs).

that could all be handeled in the database too, but then you would have to have an admin panel too! anyone please impliment this to this kind of script.
I'm actually trying to do that at the moment, but things aren't quite going to plan yet.

..just found this mod - have it been modified yet with that random question thing?

MattF · 2007-10-26 12:45:59

Yup. Can't remember where the thread is though, so you'll have to do a search for it. It could be on here or PunBB.org.

no64 · 2007-10-26 12:48:40

oha, who did the mod - you? ..... then I "just" have to search all your posts

MattF · 2007-10-26 12:54:50

This is the one. I've just added an update to that thread too.

http://punbb.org/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=102602

seesaw · 2007-10-26 12:57:29

I think the thread is on punbb.org - http://punbb.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=16076 specifically.

And no, the mod hasn't been updated to incorporate the randomiser. It's easy enough though to add in yourself if you want it though.

no64 · 2007-10-26 12:59:12

Thank's Matt, I appreciate your help

MattF · 2007-10-26 13:03:22

It's seesaw and sirena's mod. I merely altered it slightly, (with guidance from Smarty's).

no64 · 2007-10-26 13:03:42

seesaw, thank you also for this mod idea - I will have a look at the thread, but it seems both links are the same thread....

MattF · 2007-10-26 13:05:58

no64 wrote:
seesaw, thank you also for this mod idea - I will have a look at the thread, but it seems both links are the same thread....

They are both the same thread. It's just one gives a post id and the other the thread id.

PunBB Resource

#1 2007-05-27 09:30:24

Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

Code:

#2 2007-05-27 09:39:42

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#3 2007-05-27 12:45:19

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#4 2007-05-27 14:42:19

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#5 2007-05-27 16:52:37

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#6 2007-05-27 17:03:50

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

MindlessOath wrote:

#7 2007-05-27 17:26:25

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

seesaw wrote:

#8 2007-05-27 17:44:53

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#9 2007-05-29 08:24:17

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#10 2007-05-29 09:20:18

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

MindlessOath wrote:

#11 2007-05-30 04:20:48

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#12 2007-05-30 07:06:51

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#13 2007-05-30 07:07:50

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#14 2007-05-30 09:14:38

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#15 2007-05-30 11:19:47

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#16 2007-05-30 13:58:11

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#17 2007-10-26 12:36:20

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

MattF wrote:

MindlessOath wrote:

#18 2007-10-26 12:45:59

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#19 2007-10-26 12:48:40

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#20 2007-10-26 12:54:50

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#21 2007-10-26 12:57:29

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#22 2007-10-26 12:59:12

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#23 2007-10-26 13:03:22

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#24 2007-10-26 13:03:42

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

#25 2007-10-26 13:05:58

Re: Simple Antispambot-code Mod v0.8 0.8

no64 wrote:

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