Phpbb Spambot Deterrent

I've been using "Textual Confirmation", a phpBB 2.x mod on my LS forums for a while now, and it's been working great. Recently though, it's stopped working completely, I can't understand why.

The last time it kicked in was Jan 12th (it sends an email when it stops a registration).

Anyone have any ideas why it could've stopped working or what I could use in it's place?

{English} {Can I have it?}

For those of us, you know, who doesn't speak geek.

What is that, what does it do, and why do you need it?

(P.S. Please forgive my ignorance in this matter, I really have no clue in what you are talking about, but I can try to help if possible)

Maybe if its a file, just redownload it?

Textual con iirc is a mod that prevents the random postings of bots, etc on LS forum sites. There are various ways they do it, making you register entirely before being able to post/view posts etc. I don't have too much experience with phpBBs but ill talk to my ls-mates who run our forums and see if they have had similar problems or perhaps know a solution to the issue.

only problem is, i dont know when they'll be logging on today lol

phpBB is a piece of forum "software" that's freely available.

I downloaded an Add-On for it, that prevents automated bots from registering and spreading ghastly links around, and generally making my life more difficult.

(I'm sure you've seen them,

Username: DASgfkjhkfdg_2
Message: HI! Come buy discount Viagra now!)

To install the Add-on, you have to modify a series of files, or have an automated script to do it for you. So after they've been modified, nothing should be able to be corrupted without completely destroying something.

I installed the Add-on myself over a year ago now, and it had been working successfully, blocking registrations that couldn't answer a "Security question" that I set.

I can't find any logical reason for it to suddenly stop working.

Sidenote for people that are familiar with phpbb: I'm using an older version of phpbb, due to phpBB 3.x being complete and utter crap.

Thanks for the information that I still have no clue about, but at least I understood it better than Dinarii's post above yours.

I quoted this because I have a feeling that this might be a problem. See, if Programers have any sense at all, and can make money/increase their namesakes at all, there would be a timer for every program they ever made.

Say for example, xxx.exe program can do a job. The programer of xxx.exe knows that he will have a newer version of the program, and it will increase his sales/namesake if more people download the newer version, so he places a timer on the xxx.exe program to stop working if the computer's clock ever read February 1st, 2009 or later. That way, I give myself pleanty of time to make a newer update (even if the update just makes the timer go to February 1st, 2010) and still have to make people, or incourage them strongly, to update to the new version of xxx.exe file.

That might be the solution of your problem, which in this case, would mean you have to upgrade to the newer system.

At least, this is what I would do/done if I was a programer. That way, as long as people are satisfied with my product, they would have to keep downloading my product (regardless if I make money or not, which I believe the programer would have to make money, I mean, who would do all that work without any reward?).

There is one very quick remedy to your problem.

You're currently using PHPBB2, an outdated version of the PHPBB software. PHPBB3 has been up and running for almost three years now, and with the numerous updates has come numerous security changes. The problem you're encountering with those drug spam bots doesn't happen in PHPBB3, they implimented security means to prevent it. Not only will upgrading to PHPBB3 stop this problem from even occuring, thus eliminating your need to even worry about it, but it will also protect you against other things, like hackers and viruses.

I'm not a big fan of PHPBB3, IPB or VB is far superior, but is paid for. I would never use PHPBB3 unless I had to. But, even somebody of my obvious bias praises PHPBB3 for their security updates. PHPBB2 had many flaws and loopholes in that hackers could easily exploit. The moment they were found out, they released PHPBB3 and there's been minimal reports since.

If you're stalwartly resolute on keeping PHPBB2, for whatever reason, you have to seek out the author or forums of whoever designed the mod and get information there. Only they will know how best to fix it. If it's suddenly stopped working after X months, you can assume the bots have found a way around it, or your software is too outdated for the mod to function anymore.

PHPBB3 is a free, quick download and very easy even for the most inexperienced of web designers to install. I'd recommend upgrading right away, to not only prevent your problem even occuring, but to protect you from any future ones too.

Keep in mind if you do plan to update, any mods you have for phpBB2 WILL NOT work for phpBB3. You will have to check their forums for updated versions for phpBB3 as the entire forum code was rewritten for more security and better performance.

As for your mod no longer sending you emails (I assume thats the issue based on your post) that could be a simple issue with your email handler on the host you are using. They could have changed the SMTP information or location and you might not have noticed. (If you use SMTP that is.) If not, they could have blocked the email function in php.

If you use SMTP on your host, contact them about the issue to see if they have changed the servers information since you last modified it on your forums.

If the actual code has stopped showing in the sense that it doesn't even appear during registration, your host might have had server issues and rolled back to a last known good configuration and dump of the sites on the server and you might have been effected by it.

Either way, you should check with your host about the issue as in most cases, it is going to land up being something on their end if it happened suddenly and worked before and nothing has been changed.

http://www.turtleownage.com/forum/profile.php?mode=register&agreed=true

That's the register page for my LS forum, the actual question is under "Confirm Password". This is one of 4 random questions I've set.

One of the questions is:
What does FFXI stand for (full name please >.>)?

And the answers I set are:
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy 11
final fantasy XI
final fantasy xi
final fantasy 11

I can't get hold of the author of the mod because phpBB blew up and got broke >.> which sucks for now.. ><