So you might have noticed yesterday that I had some spam commented on my blog. I just deleted it all, but it would be a real hassle if it kept happening. It's a 'growing problem.' The reason its happening is that so many people have MovableType blogs that it's easy to generate a script that automatically fills spam into comment forms. What's even worse is that is that if people place links in the comments, they end up as part of your webpage which search engines (i.e. Google) use to rank pages. It's a real nuisance.
Luckily since there's such a large MT user base, solutions to these problems appear pretty quickly. Jay Allen's MT-Blacklist has a bunch of features which should pretty much eliminate any spam you get. It's an MT plugin which looks for certain phrases, checks comment IPs vs a blacklist, and does a few other handy things. Another solution suggested by Kevin Donahue was to add a CAPTCHA test to the comment posting. A CAPTCHA test is very simple for humans, but very complex for computers, at least at this time. So in essence computer scripts shouldn't be able to post spam comments, but live people can. I think it's a pretty neat 'security' feature. James Seng implemented a CAPTCHA test as an MT plugin/hack, so that was what I installed. All you have to do is read the 6 digit security code and type it in the box below the picture. It looks like it's working, so feel free to leave comments...as long as they aren't spam.
Here are two pages with tips and links on the matter.
(Just to clarify I mean i.e. not e.g. when I was talking about Google. It is the search engine as most people know.)
Posted by ramk at November 12, 2003 12:11 AMI'm throwing this one in just to prove that it works...
Posted by: Ram at November 12, 2003 12:12 AMneato. I feel like some sort of secret agent by having to punch in a code but the fact that it's readily visible on my screen without having to wear some sort of special eyewear kinda deflates the effect.
damn it. I wanna be like Bond.
Posted by: Dan at November 12, 2003 02:00 AMDoes the code have to be 6 digits long? Understand that I'm by nature a lazy man. Wouldn't a couple of digits work as well as 6?
Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2003 04:27 PMSeriously, can the code be shorter in length?
Posted by: Andrew at November 17, 2003 06:03 PMIs that better? If some spammer writes a script to go through all 10000 possibilities, I'm holding you accountable, Andrew. I'd be 100 times safer with 6 digits. But we'll give in to your laziness for the time being.
Posted by: Ram at November 17, 2003 11:14 PMIt is much better. I figured a one digit code would be too easy to get past in a script. That's why I asked for a compromised reduction of two digits. You should be thankful because my fellow commenters and I could have taken a two digit reduction off the table and demanded the use of only one digit. This change allows you to save face and prevent most, if not all spam.
Posted by: Andrew at November 17, 2003 11:59 PMI don't have many comments to make but I did want to use the new, shorter security code. It was so much easier, I may be commenting all the time now. I have been following Andrew's comments on the various websites. They are what keeps me coming back for more. His dry wit is very entertaining. Keep it up, Andrew!!!
Hey, why doesn't Andrew have a website?
Oh, never mind, probably too much trouble.
After having to put in the security code every time I preview it, I may not be commenting that much after all. I'm too old for all this...
Posted by: vw at November 21, 2003 01:04 PMIn reply to the comment above, the code isn't required for previewing posts so feel free to preview all you like. You're only required to enter the code when you're ready to actually post.
Posted by: Dab at March 25, 2004 10:29 AMHa. I was wondering who the hell Dab was, and how this random person might have dug up this post on a random website and then replied to it. Then I noticed that B and N are next to each other on the keyboard. Thanks Dab.
Posted by: Ram at March 26, 2004 10:30 AMyea. I'm an idiot. scuse I.
If you need me I'll be at home practicing my typing with "Typing Tutor".
That word game is so much fun!
Posted by: Dan at March 28, 2004 09:02 PM