spam

[ozm8ey]

How is it im getting spam bots even though I have a question you must answer at registration called: what game does our server run on' answer: minecraft

[Steve]

Because one question isn't near enough to stop them. You need a good 10 (20 or more is better) questions with 3 or 4 having to be answered at registration ... this is absolutely the most effective way to put an end to it. It can be things like 'what are the capital letters in the word gEneRouS?', etc.

[WillyP]

What worked exceedingly well for me was to ask for an invitation code, and put the answer in a post, with a link to the post in the question. On other sites that are less public, for example a game clan site, I've shared the invitation code with only those people I want registering.

I've not had a single spam registration since, yet I've asked many of the new members if they thought it was to difficult, and they all said it was easy.

Human spammers work on piece work, and if the answer isn't obvious, they just move on.

[Bruce the Shark]

Because one question isn't near enough to stop them.

I dont think this is the case.
Its because the security question thats been placed is quiet ridiculous.
Since Minecraft is the worlds most popular online interactive game i would gather the forum is based around this, so its only logical the spammer has put 2 and 2 together and gotten through.
Logic sense would have prevailed that you could had at least tried a little bit harder.
Like
From which animals does milk come from = cow
or
write the upper case letters only  eS1H4cP379D = SHPD
or ten minus three will equal in words = seven
anyhow good luck with your forum

[Kindred]

Bruce - I guarantee you that ONE question is not going to stop spammers for more than a few days.
They have buckets of actual humans checking sites and documenting the answers into a spam database.

that was what happened back in November when everyone was hit with a rush of spam registrations...   the had documented sites with even 3 and 4 questions (asked (but not a big enough pool) and so were able to program the answers into the bots.

You should have AT LEAST 10 questions in your pool and ask no less than 2 -- IMO, of course.
I have a pool of 20 and ask 3, randomized, each registration.

[EzequielM]

I've had the same problem, I remember I was using SMF 2.0.4. my forum became a zombie-like forum filled with both, spambots, and human spammers, everybody was connected at the same time, and were also abusing the server. I gave SMF a try once again this year, and I never had a problem like this when using a forum software (Excluding phpBB) I recommend having than 2 questions to stop bots, at least three, that's how it works on my new SMF forum.

[Bruce the Shark]

My forum has always had 10 random question but i only ask the user to answer 2
I think having three might be asking to much for a new member and i would think this would become annoying to some.
I was pointing out that a forum should not have question relating to it.
So it your site is a fishing forum use a question that is completely different, Like how many wheels does a car have?
With Minecraft its is a popular site so using this as an answer would not be in the best interest, to stop spambots from entering.

[Kindred]

nope... exactly the opposite.   Your forum should have questions RELATED to the topics - since those are likely the questions that your users can answer easily.