Simple Machines Community Forum

Customizing SMF => Building Your Community and other Forum Advice => Topic started by: flashmind on March 07, 2009, 09:52:36 PM

Title: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: flashmind on March 07, 2009, 09:52:36 PM
Well so to speak of course, luckily it is just registration bots. I have the latest version of SMF, but I get about 15 registering a day and hard to keep up with deleting them. I did notice a mod called Bot Scout, but I am worried that it will accidentally block legitimate people. If anyone has any ideas on a specific mod, or maybe some sort of solution to help me it truly would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: clapter on March 07, 2009, 10:10:59 PM
Search the mod section for the

Are you Human mod
and
Anti bot Registration Puzzles
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: Jade Elizabeth on March 08, 2009, 01:38:29 AM
There are two settings inside a default SMF 1.1.8 install that you can edit to help prevent these bot sign-ups:

Here is a list of mods that may help you (all are compatible with your version):
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=544
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1134 *recommended*
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1078 *recommended*
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=999
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1558
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1516 *recommended*

There are many more :)
I highly recommend any mod by Karlbenson or Deprecated.
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: flashmind on March 09, 2009, 11:31:28 AM
thank you guys so much and thank you Jade :). The visual verification was set on low before.
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: Jade Elizabeth on March 09, 2009, 11:42:04 AM
I hope that helps you out then :D.

Enjoy your forum!
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: ~ RoSe ~ on March 11, 2009, 01:26:29 AM
Thanks a lot . . .

I am following the settings too.
Used to have medium settings now I have changed them to HIGH.

Thanks a lot . . .
~ RoSe ~
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: bangsanegara on June 13, 2010, 03:40:11 PM
does SMF 1.1.11 has a risk with this issue? almost all my forum is using smf 1.1.11

any info?
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: rd on June 13, 2010, 03:42:51 PM
Quote from: bangsanegara on June 13, 2010, 03:40:11 PM
does SMF 1.1.11 has a risk with this issue? almost all my forum is using smf 1.1.11

any info?

SMF 1.1.11 is very secure if you know how to secure it right anyways:


(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/Kenori_Merrik/Necro.jpg)
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: Jade Elizabeth on June 18, 2010, 04:44:30 PM
SMF 1.1 has a huge issue with bots because it's been out for quite a while, which is why installing mods to combat them is a good idea. All forum software has this issue after it's been out a while though :).

Quote from: Jade Elizabeth on March 08, 2009, 01:38:29 AM
There are two settings inside a default SMF 1.1.8 install that you can edit to help prevent these bot sign-ups:

  • Admin > Registration > Settings > Password AND Visual verification set to HIGH
  • Admin > Features and Options > Post count under which users must enter code when sending personal messages. (bottom) > Set to anything equal to or below 5.

Here is a list of mods that may help you (all are compatible with your version):
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=544
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1134 *recommended*
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1078 *recommended*
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=999
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1558
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1516 *recommended*

There are many more :)
I highly recommend any mod by Karlbenson or Deprecated.
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: Samker on June 26, 2010, 01:05:23 PM
Re-Captcha & Stop Forum Spam

excellent combination
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: wynnyelle on July 03, 2010, 10:09:16 AM
Isn't there also some kind of way to just block all proxies from accessing a board at all?

The spammers I've seen are always working behind a proxy. {So are banned members who try to return so this kills 2 birds.}
Title: Re: Pesky bots are eating my forum :(
Post by: aishaweb on July 03, 2010, 10:28:22 AM
Type "proxy" into the search on the mods section........
http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/