Suggestion for Filtering Bots and the Ignorant

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jrich</i>
<br />I suggest using CAPTCHA technology as part of the login and posting processes to ensure that actual humans are participating in the forums.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">That is a good suggestion, and we are considering it. However, CAPTCHA has already been defeated by advanced spambots, and in an ironic way. Because AI programs cannot read CAPTCHA text, they enlist unwitting humans to do it for them. Typically, they set up a free porn site. When someone shows up, the spambot shows them the CAPTCHA image it needs to decode "to ensure they are not underage" or some such pretense. The human decodes it and goes on to view porn. The spambot then takes the decoded text back to the site it is trying to register on, and the bot is in!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Perhaps people wishing to register should be required to demonstrate through a quiz a breadth of knowledge in theories and concepts other than their own pet ones.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">We are also considering that. But for any procedure to be effective, we might have to require everyone to re-register. Or we might just need to survey frequent posters.

Another approach we are considering is positive, verifiable ID (for registration only -- people can still use pseudonames on-line). Are there legitimate reasons why serious contributors might be unwilling to provide positive ID? I'm using the analog of a professional meeting, where participants always use thier real names, even when attending in an adversarial role. -|Tom|-

The only real Black Hole is messageboard moderation - it swallows up all the resources you can throw at it.

No great thing was ever created suddenly - Epictitus

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tvanflandern</i>
That is a good suggestion, and we are considering it. However, CAPTCHA has already been defeated by advanced spambots, and in an ironic way. Because AI programs cannot read CAPTCHA text, they enlist unwitting humans to do it for them. Typically, they set up a free porn site. When someone shows up, the spambot shows them the CAPTCHA image it needs to decode "to ensure they are not underage" or some such pretense. The human decodes it and goes on to view porn. The spambot then takes the decoded text back to the site it is trying to register on, and the bot is in!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
If you implement a CAPTCHA test when posting and provide an expiration of 30-60 seconds, they would have to have a VERY popular free porn site to generate a timely solution. Repeated failures could then lock the account.

Members, of course, would bypass the test, thus creating an additional incentive for people to contribute to your revenue stream (that darned Members Only forum may finally get me to part with my money).


JR

[jrich] " ... that darned Members Only forum may finally get me to part with my money ... "

You'll like it. It's where we keep the good stuff.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Larry Burford</i>
<br />You'll like it. It's where we keep the good stuff.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">I hasten to add that the section just opened, so it doesn't have a lot of content yet. But that will change. -|Tom|-

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jrich</i>
<br />If you implement a CAPTCHA test when posting and provide an expiration of 30-60 seconds, they would have to have a VERY popular free porn site to generate a timely solution.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Keeping ahead of spambots is challenging. To defeat your countermeasure, the spambot will simply wait until it has a "client" before attempting to register. [] -|Tom|-