Running a forum

[stender]

Need some advice on running a forum. Have started a couple of phpbb in the past but given up fighting spam.
Is there any decent ways to stop spam now? Anything like akismet? Can I stop link posting for certain users? I dont want to have to pre approve posts like wp comments.

I'm looking to start a community forum, not for profit, not going to be able to put the hours in to police it. Ideally wanted to do phpbb to start as it's free but if vbulletin is the only way to go would buy that.

Is it possible?

 

[Edwin]

Can't help directly on phpbb (no experience) but there are things you can do to improve the situation somewhat if you're going to use vBulletin.

For example, you can use one of the plugins that connects to http://www.stopforumspam.com/ - you can find them at http://www.stopforumspam.com/contributions (there's one for phpbb there too actually)

This looked promising - I've not installed it yet, but I'm thinking about it http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=183917 or http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=244746 depending on the version of vBulletin.

For older vBulletin installs, NoSpam! is good too
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124828

 

[nick-harper]

Vbulleting with glow host spam o matic works a treat

 

[stender]

Thanks will check those out.
Alan, you never see spam on here. Is that due to any wizardry or do you just not leave the forum?

 

[Ashton]

Having a good question in the registration field cuts a lot of spam, as does having a good captcha.

 

[Systreg]

Having a good question in the registration field cuts a lot of spam

Used to have questions to answer on a forum I was an admin on, I got an email from a woman saying the registration form said she was banned and she couldn't register, checked her IP address and it wasn't on the bannnd list, I asked her to try again, she got the same result I asked what the registration question was and the answer she was giving, she said:

Question: What colour is the sky

Answer: Grey

I Pointed out that typically the sky is blue and that would be the correct answer to type, she said it was grey at the time she was registering, so she put grey, ffs

 

[Ashton]

Haha, its either good that it filters out people who wouldn't try that - Or perhaps a even more basic question (who'd have thought!) would be needed?

I think I had something like 'What animal does bacon come from P**S' some people probably still made mistakes.

 

[tifosi]

I asked what the registration question was and the answer she was giving, she said:

Question: What colour is the sky

Answer: Grey

I Pointed out that typically the sky is blue and that would be the correct answer to type, she said it was grey at the time she was registering, so she put grey, ffs

I was asked that one a couple of days ago, and being from lancashire, as normal it was dark overcast grey & wet.... I was tempted just to see if if would accept it!

 

[philipp]

Yes but is it grey or gray

P.

 

[Systreg]

Yes but is it grey or gray

Don't start

 

[mally]

My only site doing well after the google changes is a forum site, once you've got traffic you will succeed, mine uses vbulletin, and in registration you need to write your personal bio which has a minimum character setting which so far has stopped alot of spam registrations