Feature Request: Capatcha/ReCaptcha for Private Message system

[Arun Kumar]

With the recent PM spam issue, it would be better to have an option for enabling/disabling a Captcha system for sending PM which should solve such issues. Can Invision look into implementing this feature?

Sorry if this is a re-post but I couldn't find a similar request. Please close topic if there is an existing topic.

[Ryan H.]

There are much better alternatives for preventing PM flooding and spam than forcing every user to complete a captcha image every time they send a message.


I added a couple checks to my own board to such an end... they're rudimentary, but they've work perfectly thus far. Our members are only allowed to send so many messages in a given time frame, and if they try to send more than two messages with the same title within three days, it'll just throw an error at them. IPS could get even more advanced by incorporating message hashes [to the same effect], escalating flood control or even public spam records and block lists.

[Arun Kumar]

Alternatives like? I do not want time based flood control restriction.

[chasz]

put it on a points system lol

but he might mean limit to 2 pm per day

[TrixieTang]

I wouldn't like something like this, and I bet your users wouldn't like it that much either. As No1 1000 said, there are better options than slapping a CAPTCHA onto the PM system.

And what exactly are your problems with the flood control option?

[Arun Kumar]

Why do you want the member to wait for several minutes before sending another PM? The PM spam script will still send the spam after the time interval.

What other alternative can you suggest?

[Carl M]

My take on this soon as MySpace decided to start using Capatcha on its messaging system i really couldnt be bothered with it anymore and stopped using it.

[Mark H.]

Something that's worked very well for us, even before the latest spam problem:

All new users are put into the default "Member" group, which we've altered so that it may NOT start any new post (though they can "reply" to existing ones) or send any PMs.

Once they make a single "post" (remember that a "reply" counts as a "post" for promoting), they are auto-promoted to our "Full Member" group with fewer restrictions.

I don't know for sure whether we ARE or AREN'T getting any new registrants that intend to spam later.

But if we *ARE*... they NEVER seem to read the rules where it states what new users have to do to get access to posting and PMs. So if a new account is turned over to a bot, that bot doesn't get to send anything in PM or start any post. And for some reason, they don't (accidentally or otherwise) make that single REPLY which would let them start spamming.

You can make that number higher as you see fit. Personally, I'd like to see our forum go to a 5-post restriction, but I got outvoted. :D