* * * * *
Testing a reverse captcha
Back when you could sign up to get email notifications of updates around
here, I noticed some spammers were attempting to abuse the script [1], and
after playing [2] around [3] with it, I decided to scrap that feature [4],
but later mused on using a reverse captcha to keep spammers at bay [5].
But while I dont' have comments, I do invite comments [6] on another website
I control [7]. And that form is now getting spammed (and like my former
Obligatory Email Notification, the only one who sees anything is me).
Heavily.
And when they're not hawking 3″ mortgage extensions, I get incomprehensible
stuff like:
> Name: embohette
> Email:
[email protected]
> Comment: <a href="
http://salihome.info/show/index.html">Three hip-hop
> artists have key parts in American Gangster.</a><br> <a
> href="
http://oscines.cn/myspace-layout/index.html">Andre 3000 takes
> a turn with Charlize Theron in Battle in Seattle.</a><br> <a
> href="
http://myspace-layout.tripod.com/">Robert De Niro and Al
> Pacino reunite next year in the crime drama…</a><br> <a
> href="
http://rigolu.cn/sex-portal/main.html">MORE big screen… </a>
> Submit: Panic
>
So I decided to put my “reverse captcha” theory to the test. I added a non-
displaying <TEXTAREA> to the form, and if it's changed in any way, I ignore
the submission. I'm curious to see how long it takes the spammers to adapt,
if any bother.
[1]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2007/05/08.1
[2]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2007/05/10.2
[3]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2007/05/15.2
[4]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2007/07/29.1
[5]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2007/08/05.1
[6]
http://www.hhgproject.org/contact.cgi
[7]
http://www.hhgproject.org/
Email author at
[email protected]
