Anti-Bot: Are You Human/Bot?

[Diego Andrés]

Link to the mod

Free & Premium MODs for SMF

Are You Human
Adds a randomized verification question about the user's identity during the registration process.
Developed by Diego Andrés
Original Developer: karlbenson



📦 Installation
It is installed as a traditional SMF MOD for SMF 2.1.x, just grab the latest release of the package and go to: Admin > Main > Package Manager > Add Packages > Package to Upload > Select File > Upload.

You can find detailed instructions and/or more documentation about the process in Package Manager - Installing a Package.

🌐 Localization
English

🔨 Changelog
Review the changes and patches from the different releases/versions of the package in the Changelog

[RustyBarnacle]

Hehe, I have some smart asses that would say no 

[Minare]

Thanks good job bro

For Turkish Users you may want to add :

Code Select Expand

<file name="$themedir/languages/Modifications.turkish.php">
<operation>
<search position="end" />
<add><![CDATA[
$txt['are_you_human'] = 'Sen İnsan mısın? (Bot Kontrolu)';
$txt['are_you_human_no'] = 'Hayır';
$txt['are_you_human_yes'] = 'Evet';
$txt['are_you_human_unsure'] = 'Emin Değilim';
$txt['are_you_bot_unsure'] = 'Kayıt İçin Gereken Cevap Evet Olmalı.  Lütfen insan yada bot olduğunuzu belirtin.';
$txt['are_you_bot_yes'] = 'Botlar Kayıt Yapamaz. Kayıt Olmak İçin Eveti işaretlemeniz gerek.';
]]></add>
</operation>
</file>

<file name="$themedir/languages/Modifications.turkish-utf8.php">
<operation>
<search position="end" />
<add><![CDATA[
$txt['are_you_human'] = 'Sen İnsan mısın? (Bot Kontrolu)';
$txt['are_you_human_no'] = 'Hayır';
$txt['are_you_human_yes'] = 'Evet';
$txt['are_you_human_unsure'] = 'Emin Değilim';
$txt['are_you_bot_unsure'] = 'Kayıt İçin Gereken Cevap Evet Olmalı.  Lütfen insan yada bot olduğunuzu belirtin.';
$txt['are_you_bot_yes'] = 'Botlar Kayıt Yapamaz. Kayıt Olmak İçin Eveti işaretlemeniz gerek.';
]]></add>
</operation>
</file>


[karlbenson]

Thanks Minare.

Whilst usually I would include them, for this mod I'm NOT adding any non-english language strings.

This is because bots may try to detect the mod by matching the language strings.  So I'm recommending that everyone change the language strings (even if your using English).

Using generic/centralised anti-spam measures makes it viable for bot-creators to try to get past them.
If every forum employs completely different anti-bot measures it makes it almost impossible to create bots for mass-automated registration.

And different language strings will do the same.

I hope you all understand.

[!Hachi!]

ok that one stupid question i am going to ask.. ther emay be some smart bots actually i never searched on them how they works............which type of email they use?and all that stuff?any possible bot email address?i have some really badd asses from .cn and.ru domains...

[karlbenson]

they are programmed.

Bots can theoretically use ANY email address, most the time it won't be their real email address
but if you activate require Member Activation then it means they have ot use a real address.

The more that everyones registration page is the same, makes it easier to programme registration bots.

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

Hehe, I have some smart asses that would say no 

Hehe, I have too

[karlbenson]

Lol. I waiting to see what funny error messages people replace the 'Unsure' with.

eg Bots can **** off.  If your not a bot, they say you are human.

eg Are you retarded? Are you a bot or a human?

[MinasC]

once again great mod karlbenson !!! here's the greek translation :

Code Select Expand

$txt['are_you_human'] = 'Είστε Άνθρωπος? (Έλεγχος Ρομπότ)';
$txt['are_you_human_no'] = 'Όχι';
$txt['are_you_human_yes'] = 'Ναι';
$txt['are_you_human_unsure'] = 'Αβέβαιος';
$txt['are_you_bot_unsure'] = 'Η ελάχιστη προϋπόθεση για εγγραφή είναι να είστε άνθρωπος.  Παρακαλώ αποφασίστε αν είστε άνθρωπος ή ρομπότ.';
$txt['are_you_bot_yes'] = 'Τα ρομπότ δεν είναι ευπρόσδεκτα. Πρέπει να επιβεβαιώσετε ότι είστε άνθρωπος για να εγγραφείτε.';

[karlbenson]

Thanks Minas, however as above
Please don't waste your time by posting translations for this mod (ONLY).
As explained http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=203437.msg1293543#msg1293543

[MinasC]

sorry for that , though i am not sure i understand what different language strings will do ? what's the meaning of the quote in your message above ? sorry but i don't know anything about bots !

[karlbenson]

Bots may try to read the page, it is possible to write functions to match strings eg "Username" so that the bot knows to insert the username in that field.
etc

Having different language strings makes it harder to match.

It is inevitable in the long term that bots will be re-programming to identify the are you human question and bypass it.
These little things will help to maintain it a bit longer.

Then we will have to devise, the simple math mod.

[milly]

Super Mod!! Thanks.
Since my Forum is only available to members of a club, I use it to ask registering people (in Dutch) whether they already are a member.
Smart bot to figure that out!
Hope it saves me a lot of verifying emails to people who register at just any forum they come across.
Thanks again.
(Hope you don't mind this alternative use)

[MinasC]

Bots may try to read the page, it is possible to write functions to match strings eg "Username" so that the bot knows to insert the username in that field.
etc

Having different language strings makes it harder to match.

It is inevitable in the long term that bots will be re-programming to identify the are you human question and bypass it.
These little things will help to maintain it a bit longer.

Then we will have to devise, the simple math mod.

thnx for the info !

[TEOC2]

Could you replace the YES / NO / UNSURE buttons with images to click?
That would make it damn hard for a bot to trick.

[karlbenson]

Please see my signature.

Thanks

[Neol]

What's the point of this? Is the captcha not enough?

[TEOC2]

What's the point of this? Is the captcha not enough?

I would like to see this mod replace captcha as it is now, its just not good for elderly or poor sighted people.

[chrishoggy]

Not sure if I've done it right, but I've added a second Question "Are You Sure?".
It all seems to work OK, so I must have done something right 
All I did was add the following to  Register.template.php after // END OF ARE YOU HUMAN? MOD

Code Select Expand


// ARE YOU SURE?
echo '<tr valign="top">
<td width="40%" align="top">
<b>', $txt['are_you_sure'], ':</b>
</td>
<td>
<select name="human" id="human" tabindex="', $context['tabindex']++, '" class="select">
<option value="0">', $txt['are_you_human_no'], '</option>
<option value="1">', $txt['are_you_human_unsure'], '</option>
<option value="2">', $txt['are_you_human_yes'], '</option>
</select>
</td>
</tr>';
// END OF ARE YOU SURE? MOD
And this to Modifications.english after $txt['are_you_human'] = 'Are You Sure';

Code Select Expand

$txt['are_you_sure'] = 'Are You Sure? ';
My first ever real play around with a mod, so hope it's OK. I know it's only really duplicating the mod, but 2 questions may be better than one
PS: I was getting quite a few bot sign-ups, but not any more. THANKS for the work you put in to it.

[karlbenson]

This mod is not really an alternative to Captcha.  It is to make it harder.
In my opinion at the moment the minimum level recommended for Captcha is MEDIUM.  In future though, it will be recommended to be higher

What's the point of this? Is the captcha not enough?

I would like to see this mod replace captcha as it is now, its just not good for elderly or poor sighted people.