Best thing next to washing machine!

[StantonWariorist]

I'd just like to tell u guys that this is the best thing next to washing machine.

<SPAM DELETED (Ghisler)>

[SanskritFritz]

I'm wondering how can I keep this forum spam-free.

[corny]

Maybe by not allowing guests posting messages and use the visual confirmation at the moment of user-registration. That's the way I have my forum and I never get any spam

[ghisler(Author)]

Guest postings aren't allowed anyway, but I haven't installed visual confirmation yet, because I need to find a good solution for blind people first...

[corny]

I didn't think of that! However, there is a line saying that if you are unable to read the characters which you have to type, you have to contact the admin. I don't know if a vocal aid for blinded will read that sentence, but if it does, I guess that they will contact you for help.

[SQUIRE]

Sorry to sound like an ignoramus about the finer points of forum management but I haven't a clue about what 'visual confirmation' is.

Are you referring to "capchas"? These usually only work (imperfectly) against bots, as I understand. If you have a machine-readable capcha for the visually-impaired then surely a malicious bot would be as capable of deciphering it?

Could someone explain what VC is, if different, and how that helps prevent forum spam?

[Sheepdog]

2squire

Please follow This Link, scroll down, click at the 'free' button and you'll finde beside the 'Download via blabla' button a little edit field and see a picture which displays some chars. YOu'll have to insert these chars to the edit field before you can download the file.

sheepdog

[SQUIRE]

Ah OK sheepdog, thanks. They're talking about what's commonly called "captcha"s then.

Blind people are going to have trouble with this as Ghisler says. Even I have problems reading some of these characters, and I'm NOT blind despite the ugly rumours!

[corny]

Ah, I didn't know the 'captcha'.

In phpBB, the forum admin can choose whether to enable visual confirmation for the registration of users. Using this, it is more difficult to have a bot making a registration. Of course, it would be possible to interpret these characters, but I think it is a possibility to keep a forum free of spam.

About the blind people: If they use a narrator for reading, they will surely be attented to the sentence 'if you are visually impaired....'. I don't think the captcha will be read by the narrator, but I'm not sure about it.

In phpBB, the visual confirmation at the stage of registration looks as follows:

Image: http://www.tweelingeiland.com/files/ScreenShot001.png

[Sheepdog]

I don't think the captcha will be read by the narrator, but I'm not sure about it.

THe captcha is a grahic - so there is no chance to simply read it. You need optical character recognition to get those text. And that must be pretty good - some of them could hardly be read by humans (as squire already stated).

sheepdog

[SQUIRE]

Looks like Ghisler will have no option but to introduce captchas because I just saw another spam post touting some silly gaming site.

It appears some scumbag spammer has TC's forum in his victim list.

Here's an interesting rundown on the strengths and weaknesses of various captcha techniques.

[XPEHOPE3KA]

Well, I see that this forum is spammed simultaneously with the Russian forum (nicks of spammers are the same). So, SQUIRE, you are totally right.

[majkinetor !]

LETS ALL MOVE TO SOME OTHER FORUM....We will redirect all messages here, for spamers to think we are active community, but we will acctually be on the Pluto, leaving in peace....

so, 2 spams after 6 months and you are already thinking about radical measures... nice.

[XPEHOPE3KA]

Not two but more than three. (Three at this forum and one in French)

[majkinetor !]

oh...