New User Registration Closed?

[traktor]

Yup.

Some spammer out there has an automated script registering over a hundred bogus users a day. Ico has been moderating them and deleting them, so they cannot post the spam we've been seeing recently, sbut that means he has to come online and delete all these bogus users, one by one.

This means that the spammers aren't actually getting anything out of it.

But their automated robot doesn't care, and just keeps creating new users. We have all the safeguards we know already in place, but that's not stopping the spammer.

So it doesn't seem to make any sense to keep the door open.


So it's closed, and that means that new folk can't sign up as members here.

Bummer.

Fact is, we're under seige, thanks to this spammer.


If anybody has any ideas how to solve this, let us know. (We're already requiring a new and unique email address, and clicking on a confirmation link, and we've tried challenge questions and captcha pictures, and moderating the new users. I'm not finding any other screening procedures in the software, so it will have to be something 'outside the box.')

Any ideas?

[Noobie]

One guitar list I belonged to had an interesting requirement, meant to keep up the level of discourse: essay question.

Most people who are genuinely interested in something will know at least something about it. Ask them about it: when and where did they first hear it, do they currently play, and so on.

Most people are pretty consistent in terms of their birthdate and zip code. Asking for both at the time of registration makes sense. If the zip code doesn't come close to the POP where the registration is submitted, there's probably a problem.

Of course, most people are very happy to wait to make their first post, and don't expect instant gratification on that level. If there's a few days taken to cursorily read the essays, they're okay with that.

Plus, it will make it that much more likely that, when they get back the email with a confirmation link, and that link asks for their birthdate and zip code, only the genuine people will still remember the same ones from their initial submission. *laugh*

[rjgoos]

Does it seem that the spammers are 'bots, or are there actual people doing the logging on?

[variedstyles]

Does it seem that the spammers are 'bots, or are there actual people doing the logging on?
Do people actually do that? O_o If yes...this planet sure has some major dolts and ne'er-do-wells on its surface...

[traktor]

If they're bots, they're pretty smart bots, which can read a captcha (or answer a question) and then set up a new gmail account, register on tappistry, then click the confirmation link on gmail, and then post a spam post.

I'm guessing it's a spammer hiring folks in china or india for 2 cents a registration, but I don't know. The spammer likes to *tell* us stuff (be longer and harder now!) but the spammer doesn't bother with answers or requests.

It would be fun if we could catch him and beat him up in the parking lot, but I suspect that won't be happening.

-- Traktor

[variedstyles]

If they're bots, they're pretty smart bots, which can read a captcha (or answer a question) and then set up a new gmail account, register on tappistry, then click the confirmation link on gmail, and then post a spam post.
Ack.

I'm guessing it's a spammer hiring folks in china or india for 2 cents a registration, but I don't know. The spammer likes to *tell* us stuff (be longer and harder now!) but the spammer doesn't bother with answers or requests.
*sigh*

It would be fun if we could catch him and beat him up in the parking lot, but I suspect that won't be happening.

"Coffee just went up my nose!"

[traktor]

"Coffee just went up my nose!"

See?

It just goes to show.

Something good can come out of pretty-near anything!

-- TT

[arsacane]

I know this will bug a few of the members but one of the most effective ways to defeat these spammers is to disrupt their economic model; ask for 1$ fee for the registration of a new account (via paypal or google checkout). At least 95% of the members here are grown up men with a penchant for expensive toys; if you plan to buy and instrument that's over 1K $ (and maybe more in accompanying gear), 1$ will not keep you away ;-)
The money you get (if any) could contribute to pay the bandwidth or to buy a beer to thank the moderators for their work.

My 2 cents, Daniel.

[Tiptannick]

I had the same problem and I'll give you my secret.
I have a PhpBB and spambots know how this kind of forums work. I configured it to receive a notification when someone register, and I had to confirm them. Problem, I received to much notification every days!

So I changed the name of the php file used for registration (with a personal name), and replace it on other files who called it (search&replace with a text editor).

Since, no spam!

[traktor]

I ran across a novel bot-blocker today on a registration form.

Take a look at the part that says "Just to prove you are a human, please answer the following math challenge."

http://random.irb.hr/signup.php

Whadda ya think?

Would this work for us?

:)

-- TT

[arsacane]

It's just a matter of teaching the cheap 'captcha' crackers labor to use wolframalpha.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=x3+-+2x2+-+7x+-+4

Cheers, Daniel.