Comment Spam

We're getting a lot of comment spam over the last couple of weeks from people who are taking the time to register as valid users, go through the e-mail validation, and posting spam comments on articles.

I think I'm going to have to turn on the CAPTCHA for comments again if this keeps up. 

Any other suggestions for how we can fight spam?

Oh lord - not Captcha!

It takes me about 5 tries to get those bloody words - dyslexia or what, I dont know.. But I usually give up on sites which use captcha..

So its one way to greatly reduce the number of posts I make!

;-)

ok ..

Not really sure about what I am saying here - my understanding of internut stuff (spamming, bots etc) is extremely limited.. so what I say could be crap..

If "valid users" are actually posting spam, wont they just enter the captcha and post the spam anyway?

If there is some automated process (they use bots or whatever) would this be stopped by requiring some means of authentication (other than captcha) - for example, if users must enter their login email address each time they submit a posting?

Fred.

Doesn't have to be Captcha - I have seen forums where you have to select a described image from a choice of images, or type in the answer to a question.

Also it could be applied to people only when they first join the site until they have made a specified number of postings.

"If "valid users" are actually posting spam, wont they just enter the captcha and post the spam anyway?"

It's automated spam.  Captcha is an attempt to differentiate humans from software - kind of a Turing test writ small.

dewster said: It's automated spam.  Captcha is an attempt to differentiate humans from software - kind of a Turing test writ small.

I can't read captcha either. If it is auto spam then when someone posts a new comment the password could be the day of the month (1-31) using GMT. Everyday it changes. Just explain this approach somewhere different than at registration, some place someone actually interested in theremins could find this password approach.

"True beauty is hidden in simplicity"

Christopher

True beauty is hidden in simplicity but that does not mean that all that is beautiful is necessarily simple.

I find that the quality that seems to define beauty, at least for me, is MYSTERY.

"I find that the quality that seems to define beauty, at least for me, is MYSTERY"

Well, that may be true - but every captcha I have ever seen has been a brain-bending mystery.. and to me, this particular mystery is utterly devoid of beauty!

"but that does not mean that all that is beautiful is necessarily simple"

I Certainly agree with that!

Fred.

What about, where the "Welcome FredM!" appears at the top of the page, an image is inserted containing a password for the day..

Or how about members getting a password specific to their account once they have proved themselves, and this being a 'skeleton key' which works for them instead of the captcha?

Or perhaps you could just charge new members a fee or deposit before they are allowed to post.. say $5.. that may stop a load of students from joining, which is sad ;-).. It would certainly stop spammers, but would not (I think) stop people seriously interested in theremins from joining.

You see, this is what I love about you, Fred. Finding Captcha's to be less than optimal, you immediately invent seventy eight different ways to do the same job.

Are you suggesting applying that unreadable graphics type captcha for every post? If so, then that's overkill and a bloody nuisance.

If the problem is the registration of bogus members, then put new members on automatic moderation (i.e.their posts are withheld for review) until they've proven through a number of posts to be genuine.