Captcha!? Really?

[Virgil]

There were a couple of threads yesterday, started by a bot. I think it's fine this way, as long as the website registers the IP/Cookies of our browsers we only have to type in the Captcha once per day. So it's no biggie. Whatever keeps the site clean.

We get sporadic, but increasing bot activity. Right now we see a lot more of it in the registration section and the contact forms, so we're taking some preemptive action. The problem is that once a bot knows how to post on the forums, the controller can set it to do it whenever, and however much, they want. Like, for example, on a holiday or weekend when there's a lot fewer moderators and staff around.

Unfortunately, I can't just do it once per day, because a bot owner could do the captcha once manually and then let loose the bot right after. Most spammers wouldn't, but I can't discount the more malicious asshats out there (that may instead be posting shock porn, for example). So there are spot checks to limit how much damage an individual bot could do.

Technically, having a captcha on every post would be the "best" solution, but that's way too annoying. Hopefully what I've put in is a good balance between the two.

 

[Something Amyss]

I wish they were more legible; had to try one four times before I got it right.

This is supposedly protection from bots recognising them. Personally, I think it's a way to annoy dyslexics.

Speaking of, this is try three.

 

[Irridium]

Unless you have a great solution, in which case I'm sure the guys in the Tech Team group would love to hear it.

It's either this or we start limiting signups.

I still like the idea of nuking the dudes who send the bots.

I'll go get... I forgot, who is it with an unholy amount of posts, has that .gif with the nuke exploding and whales flying everywhere that says "Nuke The Whales" and his title says "The Noble Nuker"?

I feel like I am the biggest dip for forgetting...

...Neonbob?

Can't we somehow implement this?

Spoiler

If we could, that would be awesome.

 

[Boneasse]

There were a couple of threads yesterday, started by a bot. I think it's fine this way, as long as the website registers the IP/Cookies of our browsers we only have to type in the Captcha once per day. So it's no biggie. Whatever keeps the site clean.

We get sporadic, but increasing bot activity. Right now we see a lot more of it in the registration section and the contact forms, so we're taking some pre-emptie action. The problem is that once a bot knows how to post on the forums, the controller can set it to do it whenever, and however much, they want. Like, for example, on a holiday or weekend when there's a lot fewer moderators and staff around.

Unfortunately, I can't just do it once per day, because a bot owner could do the captcha once manually and then let loose the bot right after. Most spammers wouldn't, but I can't discount the more malicious asshats out there (that may instead be posting shock porn, for example). So there are spot checks to limit how much damage an individual bot could do.

Technically, having a captcha on every post would be the "best" solution, but that's way too annoying. Hopefully what I've put in is a good balance between the two.

Well that's true. Another solution, I suppose, could be to ban IP's from which threads with spam are started? But that would, of course, require those threads to show up, which would be an annoyance.

OT: I have only had to enter captcha 2 times in 7 posts, so it seems fine like that.

 

[DustyDrB]

I'd rather deal with bots, of whom I don't see that much of around here.

 

[zidine100]

... if they can get round a captcha when registering, throwing more at them is not going to work..... At best it might catch a few of them of guard, if of course if there poorly coded (if they can code a way around the captcha i dont think checking if a captcha is required before posting is going to be much of an issue for them eh?) but that's about it, oh and did i mention its going to annoy the hell out of people.

just put a common sence knowledge problem in registration.... Artificial (bleh its bad that i type with a lisp as well, edit out mistake.) intelligence isn't that good so it will keep all but the most determined of bots out, dont waste your and our time with a stupid captcha per post. Do i really need to give an example of a common knowledge problem that will work here?

you know what i think i will

bot threw a brick at a window. It broke.

what broke?

*insert text box here*

sure it would be better if you came up with a much longer example which would use the common sence knowledge problem and have a few more options to prevent guessing being a factor, but honestly i cant be arsed right now, just think of a story along those lines with a question at the end.

thats a simple solution to your solution in a nutshell which should have a greater effect...... if it can get past that it has solved one of the main problems with artifical intelligence to date, and bet many researchers just to post a advert on the escapist, you see my point here?.

and if theres a person registering for it by hand, boom your captcha is a waste of time and they will just post here by hand.

 

[Swaki]

yeah its really annoying, do members of the publisher club have to deal with them as well? if not that would definitely be enough for me to join, i really find them annoying and not that i think my words of wisdom could have changed the world but so far it has stopped me from posting, the reason i do it now is that i hope i can get an answer^^.

and not that i know of any better way to keep bots away, since i dont own a forum, but this does seem to be the worst way to go about it, its like putting GFWL in your game, yeah it might keep piracy down, but it will also annoy the legitimate users and even turn some people away.

btw so far it has taken me three tries and four "get a new challenge"s to post this, i do like that they are aware that reading upside down, obscure fonts and letters that are melted into each other is a challenge.

 

[Swaki]

I'd rather deal with bots, of whom I don't see that much of around here.

me neither, in the almost two years i have been here i have only seen 2 bots, and heck they may not even have been bots, maybe someone just took their time and copypasted it every time.

 

[dalek sec]

This sucks I admit but atleast it's not for every single damn post we have to make there I can deal with that. Is there any way we can just send kill teams of Escapist members to the homes or offices of those who use these spambots?

 

[manaman]

It's only every few posts, to help catch bots off guard.

Although I haven't seen any spam here to warrant the Captcha. so whatever, I guess.

*whips out the paddle ball*

You just don't see it because of the mods quick actions.

There is quite a bit of spam, advertising, and occasionally porn flooding the forums.

Edit: Gezz, I need to actually click post on these things right after I type them. Virgil responded and his word should be enough on why for anyone.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

This is supposedly protection from bots recognising them. Personally, I think it's a way to annoy dyslexics.

Speaking of, this is try three.

This was actually the first thing I thought of when I saw the Captcha; the Escapist has a really high concentration of people with neurological disorders -- I'm one of them, actually -- an a significant portion of those users have dyslexia (I'm not one of those users). This captcha, though necessary, is going to be hell for those users. Although, this is one of the milder captchas I've seen in a while -- some of them look like those old pictures that came with a pair of glasses to block out the background noise.

As for the OP's question, yes, I think the Captcha is necessary, at least as a temporary measure -- we've been hit by a lot of spambots in the last couple of weeks, more than usual anyway.

2nd attempt, and I said this thing was mild?

 

[Mydnyght]

Meh. I've come to live with Captcha. As long as it prints out English words. I've seen Captcha display foreign words, extra marks and all. Stuff I can't type.

Of course, the other thing about Captcha is.... sometimes you get stuff like THIS:
http://failblog.org/2009/11/05/epic-fail-captcha-fail/

 

[manaman]

Speaking of, this is try three.

2nd attempt, and I said this thing was mild?

Ha, I'm absolutely sure I typed it in correctly the first time, it still rejected it.

It often does the same thing on youtube. (Why do I keep posting there?)

 

[wasalp]

Unless you have a great solution, in which case I'm sure the guys in the Tech Team group would love to hear it.

It's either this or we start limiting signups.

I still like the idea of nuking the dudes who send the bots.

I'll go get... I forgot, who is it with an unholy amount of posts, has that .gif with the nuke exploding and whales flying everywhere that says "Nuke The Whales" and his title says "The Noble Nuker"?

I feel like I am the biggest dip for forgetting...

...Neonbob?

Can't we somehow implement this?

Spoiler

If we could, that would be awesome.

you can train bots to rate comments and posts.

 

[L4hlborg]

Well I honestly haven't seen any spam during the 1,5 years I've been here (on and off). And I do hate writing that bullshit, since I always read it wrong for the first couple of times. annoys the crap out of me.

 

[lacktheknack]

EDIT: Currently only seeing it on about half of the threads that I view. I assume this is being implemented even still.

The Escapist did warn us about this... the captcha will only be implemented on random threads (except the Pub Club, which get no captchas because no spambot would pay money). I haven't seen a single captcha yet, myself.

 

[Virgil]

yeah its really annoying, do members of the publisher club have to deal with them as well?

Not on the forums, though they do in other places.

i do like that they are aware that reading upside down, obscure fonts and letters that are melted into each other is a challenge.

I started with recaptcha because it's the system I know the most about, and it's very widely used. I'll be looking for alternate options that might have clearer text though.

... if they can get round a captcha when registering, throwing more at them is not going to work.....

Like I mentioned, it's not just spammers that automate posting, but malicious people as well. And they have no problem registering an account by hand to use to cause trouble. I'm sure you can find some people on the forums that remember certain incidents where we had an account post hundreds of threads full of pornography across multiple forums. We try to clean up problems like that quickly, but it has happened many times before.

When I have to implement things like this, I have to take into account how someone can cause the most damage possible, and limit that. Unfortunately, just gating registration alone, or just new threads, doesn't cover the "worst case" that I need to try to prevent.

It sucks, I know, but until there's a better solution, this is the best I can come up with.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

There were a couple of threads yesterday, started by a bot. I think it's fine this way, as long as the website registers the IP/Cookies of our browsers we only have to type in the Captcha once per day. So it's no biggie. Whatever keeps the site clean.

We get sporadic, but increasing bot activity. Right now we see a lot more of it in the registration section and the contact forms, so we're taking some preemptive action. The problem is that once a bot knows how to post on the forums, the controller can set it to do it whenever, and however much, they want. Like, for example, on a holiday or weekend when there's a lot fewer moderators and staff around.

Unfortunately, I can't just do it once per day, because a bot owner could do the captcha once manually and then let loose the bot right after. Most spammers wouldn't, but I can't discount the more malicious asshats out there (that may instead be posting shock porn, for example). So there are spot checks to limit how much damage an individual bot could do.

Technically, having a captcha on every post would be the "best" solution, but that's way too annoying. Hopefully what I've put in is a good balance between the two.

Well, if it does keep the forums clean (I've been noticing a few bots here or there as well) I suppose I can deal with the minor annoyance. My only real complaint about it is that "ninja" incidents will now skyrocket in number.

My one question is will this apply to Pub-club members as well?