Code to prevent spamming

PeteS · 22 Aug 2007 at 06:03

Hi,

Everybody is using programs when you need to send an email a form comes up with a unique code to enter beform sending. I know this is to prevent spam, where can I locate this type of code?

Regards

PeteS

unwashed potato! · 22 Aug 2007 at 10:17

here you go sexy: http://www.captcha.net/

Boov · 22 Aug 2007 at 11:59

input

while captcha is a good method, iv also heard of another method, using some clever CSS.

the concept is that you make your form, with all the fields you need, but you ADD an extra field to the form.

the purpose of this extra field is to trick automated spam filters into filling it in, but to the normal user browing the site, it is hidden through CSS.

Code:

input.Verify {display:hidden}

so whenever the contents of the form get run, if the form contains data in the hidden field, you know its been filled in by a computer, if it is blank however, you know its been filled in by a user.

*EDIT*

i have since found the article in which i read about this technique

http://www.modernbluedesign.com/web-design-blog/fighting-spam-with-css/

psyr33n · 22 Aug 2007 at 12:03

Yeah, an anti-CAPTCHA. It's a novel idea, but not 100% foolproof (there's no certainty that the bot will fill it in, especially if the field is named nonstandardly).

unwashed potato! · 22 Aug 2007 at 13:01

this is good too, and as it adds no more field for the real users to fill in should also be used.

Also other good ones are just adding simply random questions like:

1 + 3 =

or

type 1-9, e.g. 1234...

anything you do to stop spam is good as long as it doesn't increse the amount of typing the user has to do by too much and isn't too difficult. I think captcha forms are good idea but some can really take a while to type out so get annoying after a while

Sic · 22 Aug 2007 at 14:06

Mammalian said:
this is good too, and as it adds no more field for the real users to fill in should also be used.

Also other good ones are just adding simply random questions like:

1 + 3 =

or

type 1-9, e.g. 1234...

anything you do to stop spam is good as long as it doesn't increse the amount of typing the user has to do by too much and isn't too difficult. I think captcha forms are good idea but some can really take a while to type out so get annoying after a while

i create a little image with a sum on it. haven't tested if it works yet, but it is pretty!