Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

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admin
Site Admin
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:33 pm

Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by admin »

OpenUru.org recently changed its registration spambot protection from various Q&A to a single invitation code. Instructions ("How To Register And Post To The Forums Or Edit The Wiki") can be found at the top of the main board index. New registrants and those with more than three failed logon attempts need to read the instructions to find the invitation code.

We had registration Q&A such as:
  • What color is green?
  • Correct this sentence: He went their to through there ball over they're.
  • What equals 1 + 1?
  • And other such highly intellectual tests...
This worked for many years to eliminate all automated spam registrations to the point where we saw only a few human spammer registrations per year. More recently, and suddenly, we were bombarded by four to five spambot registrations per hour. The Q&A was changed but registrations resumed almost immediately. This typically means humans in poor nations were being paid meager wages to solve our Q&A and put them in a database for automated software to use.

For this reason, the Q&A was changed to a single invitation code that cannot be answered simply by reading the question at registration. The invitation code is publicly published in the instructions mentioned at the top of this post. It is not different for each person. Anyone may share it and publish it anywhere. It can be quickly changed if learned by spambots.

We empathize and apologize for the inconvenience. Security comes at the expense of freedom. That's how it has always been and how it always will be until there is no such thing as criminal behavior. We feel this change is the minimum possible restriction that removes the threat but still leaves our members in control of their accounts without any admin interference.
Chiro
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:30 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Chiro »

Shorah!!
If the question at this place is not appropriate, I apologize. :oops:

My nephew wants to become the member of this forum.
After inputting a necessary matter for member registration, he got such a message.

You have provided an invalid answer to the question.
Please note that you will need to enter a valid email address before your account is activated. You will receive an email at the address you provide that contains an account activation link.

Please enter your invitation code (email your request to Webmaster@OpenUru.org):
This question is a means of preventing automated form submissions by spambots.


How has this invitation cord been sent?
Because an invitation cord has not been sent, he cannot complete member registration.
Does he get a wrong method?

Thanks,
Chiro
Christian Walther
Member
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:54 am

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Christian Walther »

Have you tried following the instructions in the first post on this page, right above yours? If not, is it a language issue? If so, how can it be improved?

The instructions do seem very convoluted, requiring one to understand and follow three or four redirections. Here’s the simple answer (I don’t know if it is still true though): The invitation code is Shorah.
Chiro
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:30 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Chiro »

Christian Walther wrote:The invitation code is Shorah.
Thank you very much, Christian!! :D
You helped me. :)
I misunderstood it. :oops:
(I thought that the invitation cord had been sent later.)

Thanks to you, my nephew succeeded in member registration. :)

However, it has not been yet recognized.
The email from an administrator does not arrive.
The post to a forum is not permitted. :?

Thanks,
Chiro
Christian Walther
Member
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:54 am

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Christian Walther »

Have you followed the rest of the instructions (about joining the Members usergroup)?

I’m not familiar with the process, so I don’t know what the “email from an administrator” you are referring to is.
Chiro
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:30 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Chiro »

Hello Christian :)
Thank you for helping me again.
After registration was completed, he (my nephew) received such a message.

Information
Your account has been created. However, this board requires account activation, an activation key has been sent to the email address you provided. Please check your email for further information.

Is this not the meaning that an E-mail reaches from the administrator?
I am sorry that I bother you repeatedly.

Thanks,
Chiro
Christian Walther
Member
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:54 am

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Christian Walther »

Okay. I assume you’ve done the usual things like checking spam filters. Try contacting JWPlatt (Webmaster at OpenUru.org), maybe he can check in his server logs whether that email was actually sent, if you tell him the approximate time and email address.
Chiro
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:30 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by Chiro »

Hello Christian!!

Thank you for a reply. :D
I intend to send PM to him.

Thanks,
Chiro
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JWPlatt
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Location: Everywhere, all at once

Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by JWPlatt »

I have activated the account. Please post here with any other issues.

I was away for a week with absolutely no technology and no chance for contact of any sort - the way I prefer it. ;) I do this once a year. I'm sorry for the wait.

Thanks for the assistance, Christian.
Perfect speed is being there.
User avatar
JWPlatt
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Re: Forum Account Registration And Spambot Countermeasures

Post by JWPlatt »

Christian Walther wrote:The invitation code is Shorah.
Just in case there's any question, it is okay and encouraged to post the invite code anywhere you want, though it may change if bots start using it. So far, so good.
Perfect speed is being there.
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