The number of spammers joining the forum has been increasing lately. Is there any way at all to prevent this? Does this forum software support the use of Capcha or anything like that? These spammers need to be stopped at the source.
My thoughts exactely, just didn’t want to start a thread, but you are absolutely right. Something has to be done.
+1
They’re undoubtedly increasing in numbers.
There was a lengthy discussion on spam and what to do about it awhile back:
http://www.moogmusic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6971
I still say ASIRRA is the way to go: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/asirra/
I would argue in favour of some additional moderators to prune these sorts of things.
Perhaps it’s as simple as not allowing any new members to post until they’ve gone through an approval process by the moderator. It’ll be inconvenient, but unless we do something, we’ll eventually be inundated with spam! I just happened to notice a new spam posting when I went to post this message!
Sheesh!! 
Perhaps a “report this user” function would be beneficial.
It seems the most practical.
I reread that thread, thanks. At the beginning of last June spam didn’t seem to be that much of an issue. We discussed using captchas as well as the ASIRRA method (BTW, it looks like ASIRRA may still be in beta test…), but many felt it better to allow first timers to continue to post and start threads with little checking by the moderator.
I think we may now be seeing more of an influx of spambot generated posts, unlike 6 months ago, and we may really need to do something now or else face getting run off by spam as more and more bots get the URL for this forum. We’re an easy target right now!
V*agra (sugar babies…) spam, anyone?? 
I just say, spam the spammers with whatever message YOU want to convey. It’ll all get deleted eventually.
Too much spam?
Heres a solution…
By real meat.
I would say leave it be…spamming the spammers doesn’t do any more good then bad.
It should be better moderated and Capcha should be used also…but that’s my idea.
I’m all for CAPCHA. 
Our lovely Administrator or Moderator should look at this post when they have time:
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=427852
php boards allow the use of “MODs” to improve the forum. These include the addition of more robust c.a.p.t.c.h.a.s or secret questions.
It would solve a few of the problems we’ve been having.
Now, where’s my Taurus already?
I don’t see any harm in spamming the spammers, the threads get deleted so who cares what goes on?
They don’t see any harm in posting their crap all over anywhere they can get their crap registered, virii laden links and all.
+1 for the “Report this” button.
Thank You, Latigon!!
There is a whole lot of good information in the thread you posted. I believe that it would be in the best interests of the board for the admins to read through that thread with an eye towards immediately implementing some or all of the mods presented in it.
If the forum software already provides anti-spam protections, then, IMO, it is rather unwise for us to delay putting them into effect.
My $0.02, humbly submitted.
Bob
Like I said in the other thread, Captcha has been defeated for years now. Simply google ‘Captcha defeated’.
With Captcha, spambot programs only have to recognize 10 numbers and 26 letters, regardless of how warped, they’re still just 10 numbers and 26 letters. The only real way to defeat a program like that is with unknown random images.
ASIRRA uses millions of random cat and dog photos. I’ve seen it implemented on a few sites, and it can be tricky sometimes even for a human because certain photos are of dark furry puppies and kittens that look very similar.
But that will only work against spambots, so your typical human spammer will still get through. The implementation of ASIRRA, moderator approval, more moderators and ‘report post’ tabs will vigorously combat this problem.
Agreed. However, I submit that the admins should start with mods that are already available in phpBB that haven’t been implemented. These involve more than just “plain vanilla” captcha. Doing this will go far towards thwarting a great number of spambot attacks. Only after these mods have been implemented, should we then look at implementing solutions that are outside of phpBB.
Humbly submitted.
I tell you what I really hate…
Im trying to register for a site, or make a post on youtube and the captcha that comes up I can’t even read. If the internet is supposed to be for humans, then make one that someone can read, otherwise a human spammer can read it too.
I mean theres no real solution to human spammers, theres no really good method to prevent them from getting in but once they reveal themselves to be smappers we just have to vaccum up after them.
Agreed. Thwarting human spammers may always be nothing more than cleaning up after them. However, captcha not withstanding, we should do everything we can to thwart the spambots before they inundate the forum.
The thing is that i saw more then one forum die due to spam overloads…and i just hope that somebody at Moog will work on this before it gets out of hand.