[geeklog-devtalk] spamx alternative

[Richard S. Westmoreland]

> Rick,

>

>

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

l

> >

> >Which discusses issues with the SpamX plugin that is prompting a new

release

> >of 1.3.11.

>

> Sorry, you must have misunderstood something there. The SpamX plugin is

> working just fine. The spam post mentioned in the above discussion was

> detected and discarded by the SpamX plugin.

>

> I read about the load problems that MovableType seems to be having under

> spam attacks, but that appears to be a problem unique to MT. As the

> server log shows, the attempted spam post used exactly 3 HTTP requests

> and did not follow the redirect to Geeklog's index page (which would have

> caused some unnecessary load).

>

> So everything appears to be fine for the moment. There aren't any changes

> planned for the SpamX plugin in 1.3.11.


Okay, sorry I did misunderstand.  I read it over and thought the database
change for 1.3.11 was related to the spamx plugin and jumped the gun.  This
is still a reactive rather than proactive filtering, correct?  Once the
spammers use a different URL, then the blacklists will have to be updated?


>

>

> >You would have to implement Code Verification.

>

> Personally, I hate these things. It's often hard enough for a human to

> figure out what the characters are supposed to be ...

>

> That shouldn't stop anyone from implementing it as an add-on for the

> SpamX plugin. The plugin's open architecture should make it possible to

> develop such an add-on.


That would be a nice synergy, blacklists combined with challenge/response.
I think code verification is a pain but for memberships it's just a one time
nuisance, and if visitors want to remain anonymous I think it's a necessary
pain.  Blaine has been contemplating a comment-via-forum option, and
something like this streamlined with geeklog and the forum would be
powerful.  Before I disabled anonymous comments I had people commenting but
now I don't.  It would be nice to give visitors that option without the fear
of getting spammed with links to beastiality sites.  That wasn't fun...

Richard S. Westmoreland
http://www.antisource.com