Isn't there some kind of spam blocker for the forum software? The wordpress blogs had spam on them, but I found a plug-in that was installed and blocks the spam comments in the blog posts, I don't know if something like this exists for the forum software too, it would be wise to install it to save the problem of manually deleting the posts...

Best defense is to install a human verification method with images bots can't interpret. There is such a module fo phpBB but last time I tried to install it a year or two ago it screwed up everything, so make sure you make a full backup of both files and database before you try it. Back then I had full access to the server so it was a piece of cake to restore things, but now that it's a shared hosting account it might be pretty difficult. Another possibility is to simply set the user verification from user verify to admin verify in the phpBB admin panel. It won't stop spambots from signing up, but at least they won't be able to post because you won't manually enable them in the admin panel. This means though that you need to check the admin panel daily so real people who sign up don't have to wait forever. Anyway, I don't think any measures are needed. Most spambots use a fake e-mail address and so never receive the confirmation link. And even if they do, it needs a human to click it so that the account is confirmed. Meaning no bots can post in this forum, only real human beings. And that's an infinitely small part of the spammer world. This was what, the first such post in how many years? Just delete it and move on.

The verification image is a standard feature in phpBB now and we have it on for quite a long time now. Maybe there's a security hole in phpBB, I should update to latest version ASAP.

I think so, it's more safe this way Janis.

I still has a nasty feeling that this spam comes here with me somehow (using my mail or whatever) <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? --> This may be a damn superstition, but that was the first spam from russia, and here's a sort of second one: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.vavoom-engine.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=760">http://www.vavoom-engine.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=760</a><!-- m -->

Not very likely - more possible would be that a human being who knows you follows you everywhere if anything.

Ugh, I still remember when my grandma, who's in her mid-70's, used to get all kinds of viagra spam. <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( --> I'd say if you really want to get a filter running up here, the most practical way to do it is to use that visual test RambOrc talked about earlier, only this time you gotta install it properly. <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->

[quote="RambOrc":3sd7f52a]Not very likely - more possible would be that a human being who knows you follows you everywhere if anything. That's even more frightening... maniac follows crimson wizard... aaaaaah!!! <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->

[quote="Crimson Wizard":10hoas22][quote="RambOrc":10hoas22]Not very likely - more possible would be that a human being who knows you follows you everywhere if anything. That's even more frightening... maniac follows crimson wizard... aaaaaah!!! <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P --> Haha! I don't think you have to be scaried about that, haha! What's the worst thing that could happen?? <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

I was thinking on this, why not reinstall the forum software from Fantastico? Is there any kind of problems on doing this (Ramborc or Janis)?

Make sure to have a complete and working backup of everything before you do that. If the DB structure didn't change in the versions between the current and the latest, you can just autoinstall phpBB, then change the config file to point to the current DB instead of the new empty one. At that point, you still need to install the special theme manually, I'm not sure but I think it was more than just copying it into the templates dir.

Janis, could you please give me some input on this??

Just to be on the safe side, I'm currently downloading a DB backup.

Did you got the DB backup from CPanel?? Please make a backup of the forum files from the server too, that way if something goes wrong we can have a double backup (my luck with computers hasn't been the best this week <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->).

OK, I made the reinstall, it took me a bit longer than what I expected, strangely, the software still reports the older version in the Admin panel <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? --> .

And the search feature is broken now too. But yes I made a DB backup, so keep on trying. <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->

Did you run the update script after uploading the new version?

I didn't uploaded any new version, I made a new installation using Fantastico from CPanel, so it's supposed to be the latest version (2.0.21). The database was imported as a normal backup from the fresh installation, as for the search feature, I'll check it out <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->.

LOL reinstalling a broken software on top of itself is something you do with Winblows. <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->

The database was imported as a normal backup from the fresh installation

That's it, you imported data from old database that has version number in it and overwrote it. You'll have to go in the database and manually fix it.

But it won't broke anything else, right?

It shouldn't break anything else. BTW I just tried search and it worked fine.

Yes, I fixed the DB missing fields <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->.

I just noticed that you managed to break the extra emoticons that were added.

Ooops! Sorry, I forgot to upload their images to the correct directory, it's fixed now <!-- s\:D/ --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/eusa_dance.gif" alt="\:D/" title="Dancing" /><!-- s\:D/ -->

I've now changed the new user confirmation from e-mail to e-mail + admin, meaning those with admin access should check every couple of days who everybody signed up and manually enable those that aren't clearly spam users.