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Peoplesign is costing me members

Started by Woraphat, May 25, 2016, 11:27:22 AM

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Woraphat

If this is in the wrong board, please move it.

I added Peoplesign to my forum recently.  Had tried other CAPTCHA mods and questions and answers in the registration process to try to keep the spammer bots from signing up.  With the previous methods, the bots had finally got it all figured out and were getting through and registering every day.  Finally went to Peoplesign and WOW!, end of that problem.  Thank you Peoplesign.  Then I began to notice more and more legitimate users, local IP's from my town, going through the registration process and later trying to sign in but couldn't because they weren't members.  It became obvious that as people tried to sign up, they were doing something wrong or not doing something they were supposed to do.  So, I tried signing up, again and again and I am certain I see what the issue is.  As people almost complete the process, the second-to-last thing they do is the Peoplesign block.  Once they do it correctly, they get a great big 'Thank You! from Peoplesign flashing on the screen.  What they don't notice is there is still one more button under that and it has to be clicked.  They aren't clicking it because the big PeopleSign "Thank You" is leading them to stop being further engaged in the page.  They think they are finished.  I have been watching this happen again and again recently and it has so far cost me quite a few members who I am sure get irritated that I don't approve their accounts and they probably aren't coming back to try again.  I wouldn't.

So, is there another good picture CAPTCHA out there that doesn't mislead folks who are signing up.

Arantor

Use the Q&A feature, works much better.

Woraphat

As I said previously, I have employed the question and answer feature and multiple questions and answers, both in conjunction with the various script CAPTHA methods.  For a long time, that worked okay.  Now I think the bot programmers have some new tricks.  The last couple of months I used it, the bots were running through it no matter how many time I changed the Q & A and I was constantly rejecting members that showed up in spammer lists.  Unfortunately, because my forum engages people from various language and culture backgrounds, the questions and answers themselves caused some of the prospective members grief and failure.  The pics work in any language.  Since I went to the pics, not one spammer bot has made it through.

In searching around, I do not find another compatible picture CAPTHA.  So, I would really like suggestions for one that others have tried and like.

Arantor

You can get a mod for Q&A that works in different languages so users see questions in their language.

No one here has recommended an image mod for a while especially because it's becoming easier to do searches on images. Even Google's NoCAPTCHA isn't immune to this...

As for your Q&A being beaten, can you take the question and put it into Google and get the result in the first 2-3 answers? The spammers do this too...

Woraphat

Thanks.

No, I haven't tried Googling my questions and answers but most would not come up with the right answer anyway.  And if they did, it would be the same for all languages.

I can see there isn't much new about the picture solution.  That is why I am asking for suggestions.  Maybe I am going to have to pursue building a picture add-on that doesn't thwart new members.

I think it is safe to say that if I am losing prospective members this way, lots of forums are.

Illori


Woraphat

Thanks.  I can try that on a backup forum and see how it goes if I don't find another picture version.  In your opinion, will various languages be an issue?  The thing is, my forum is an English language forum.  But users from all over the world are my members so the nuances of the written English language are lost to some of my member's.  Will the instructions be easily understood by most people working in a second language?   I can't count on Google translate because as good as it is, it isn't that good. :)

Illori

the mod can easily be translated to other languages just like SMF can be. really the pictures in captcha are not going to work and will be cracked at some point. you need to find some valid/good questions to use.

Woraphat

Okay.  Thanks.  I will think on it.  But I think I am up the creek.  I really have been through a lot of questions that are questions pretty much everyone can answer with a little thought.

I have used things like
"How many letters in the word calendar?"  Answer "8" or sometimes, "eight".
"What town is this forum based in?"  Answer is the name if this town and province.
What country is this forum based in"  Answer is the country name.

New questions work for not even a full day any more.  I am thinking that real people go through this process and then key the answers in to the bot programs.  All of the question stuff worked so well for so long.  But now, it doesn't work at all. 

Illori

those questions are too easy. you can google those and get the answer.

Woraphat



Illori

and if you plugin the forums name in there i bet you will easily find the answer ;) those bots are not dumb.

Kindred

Plus, you need a pool of at least 10 to 20 questions, asking 2-3 at a time.

If you have a fixed or small set of questions, the spammers will catalogue them and add the into the spam answers database.

Additionally, you need to change questions every 6 months or so.

The multi lingual, multi answer mod (part of 2.1, btw) is an excellent addition, if your forum has mulilingual users.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Woraphat

Thanks.

I'm off to bed.  Late here.

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