Topic: Is it Just Me, Or...

[kr9q]

Then what do you think would be a good way to keep the spambots off of PKMN?

[Kona]

If the IPs for the bots are the same (which I admit is unlikely), blocking that IP from making an account could help.

Also I don't know if one's in place, but a system where you have to enter a valid e-mail address and verfiy your accoumt before you can post's a good idea.

[Joeno]

Just had that confirmed... the questions don't work, the bots still manage to register.

The bots enter valid email addresses, that wouldn't work, plus it would be incredibly likely to get us listed as spam senders, which meant nobody would get them.

IPs aren't the same, so no IP blocking either.

[Kona]

The bots enter valid email addresses, that wouldn't work, plus it would be incredibly likely to get us listed as spam senders, which meant nobody would get them.

I think I worded it wrong a bit. I think you read it as for every post, whereas I meant for the first time you post. I find it hard to believe that that'd get you listed as spam senders, as loads of big sites have something similar.

[Joeno]

Lots of big sites get reported as spam for it and tell you to check your spam folders for the verification message, as it might not have gotten through to your usual inbox. Most big sites warn for that.

[Trainer Dave]

Joeno is absolutely correct. These bots are a pain to disrupt. It'll be interesting to see if the question works.

As an alternative if people can't answer that, you could try "What is the missing letter in the following word?: Pokém_n" or something similar.

With blacklist filters things rarely work, although this SMF mod has done a decent job for people I know in the past. Usually the only bots that still get through are on newly infected computers, which can cut numbers a lot compared to using a captcha.

[Joeno]

We used a similar system before... it broke registration when the site it checks didn't answer our queries anymore, so nobody could register. I don't think it was that exact mod, but a similar one that required payment after you checked too often. That makes me a bit weary relying on an external service.

[Aggron is awesome]

well there was a topic where the guy who posted it just put hi and then linked some add

[Liam]

^Yeah, if you see any posts like that just report them and it'll be sorted out.

[Aggron is awesome]

http://pkmn.net/forums/index.php?topic=102859.0 here's the topic where the guy just said hi then posted a link

[Kona]

Don't go posting the link around, instead click the report to moderator button in the bottom right of the post.

[EvilJolteonOfDoom]

Don't go posting the link around, instead click the report to moderator button in the bottom right of the post.

I don't think it matters to much, it said it was off-limits to me.