[geeklog-devtalk] spamx alternative

[Richard S. Westmoreland]

I have read the dev digest:

http://lists.geeklog.net/pipermail/geeklog-devtalk/2004-December/000733.html

Which discusses issues with the SpamX plugin that is prompting a new release
of 1.3.11.

I propose that instead of trying to make this plugin work, a different spam
filtering tactic be used and spamx be taken out of the next release.
Instead of blacklisting known links, the commenter has to prove he/she is
manually typing it in and not using an automated bot (as these spammers are
doing).  You would have to implement Code Verification.  Many forum packages
now use this for registrations and you see this with domain whois lookups to
prevent bulk lookups.

If you use Code Verification for anonymous comments, you might as well tie
this into member registrations too to add that extra security.

For example, on the page for entering in a comment or registering a new
user, I would be given an image "TR7EK" that isn't a real font and has lines
and scribbles running through it to prevent a bot from parsing it.  phpBB is
using this so you may be able to borrow their code.

Rick