Updated website to SMF 2.0.15

[Viscount]

It's been years, I forget, what do I download so that I have some sort of verification question to help screen out the spam?

[br360]

Being able to create verification questions is part of the core so need to download anything. Take a look at this link- https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Security_and_Moderation

[Bob Perry of Web Presence Consulting]

No need to download anything, it's built into the base system, "admin button/security and moderation button/anti spam button" the section you want is at bottom of page, add as many question/answers as you like... I recommend adding a lot of them and then in section just above require them to answer at least two verification questions... as far as the questions themselves, consider the average spammer wannabe's mental IQ as compared to your own and use your imagination as to questions that will get their goat, the system shuffles these questions around for each session initiated so the more questions, the harder it is for the bots to memorize correct answers for all of them...
Good luck, but note this will not stop a smart determined spammer, my problem children are mostly russians...

[Viscount]

Thank you, I'll try it out.

[Bob Perry of Web Presence Consulting]

Thank you, I'll try it out.

My own preference to deal with these knuckleheads is to also set permissions so that all new users posts must be approved by staff before becoming visible to public, until they prove good intentions, nothing gets by me(you)...

[Bob Perry of Web Presence Consulting]

Also be warned, the determined ones will attempt to drive you crazy with a myriad of registrations under different names, email addresses, and IP's... don't let it get to ya, after you learn a few tricks, they will eventually give up, only to be replaced by another, or hundreds of em, makes no difference to me... after responding to your original post, this one guy is testing me lol, been doing this for so long it's kind of amusing to watch them register with a new account, only to realize very soon that the account is auto-magically assigned a partial ban where they can't post at all, been a one man operation for over 10 years, never been hacked, they make it too easy for an old guy with nothing but time on his hands and years of previous experience on the same platform...

[delta5]

I haven't had any spam bots get past registration since I installed the stopforumspam.com mod. I highly reccomend it.