Blocking Robots

[barnkin]

Has anyone changed thier submission forms to using random numbers to prevent robots from making submissions. I seem to be having problems with a gambling site bot trying to submit several times a day. IP banning is not working as they seem to be using proxys.

[esm]

I don't know if this would work but you could try the following:

in the ShowFormAddUrl function of add.php

  global $ran_number;
$ran_number = rand();

    DisplayTemplate($theme_path."add_form.html",
      "\$error_msg,\$ran_number,\$title,\$url,\$description,\$category,\$contact_name,\$email,\$add_cat1,\$add_cat2,\$keywords,\$custom_field_form".$custf);

in the ProcessFormAddUrl function of add.php

  global $r_number, $ran_number;
  if(empty($title)) $error_msg = $msg["10101"];
  elseif($r_number != $ran_number) $error_msg = "You must enter the confirmation number";
  elseif(empty($url) || $url == 'http://') $error_msg = $msg["10102"];
  elseif(empty($description)) $error_msg = $msg["10103"];
  elseif(empty($contact_name)) $error_msg = $msg["10104"];
  elseif(empty($email)) $error_msg = $msg["10105"];
  elseif (!IsEmailAddress($email)) $error_msg = $msg["10106"];
  elseif (!empty($bid) && !Ismoney($bid)) $error_msg = $msg["10107"];

in add_form.html

    <!-- remove <%custom_field_form%> if you want to generate field manualy -->
   	<!-- <%custom_field_form%> -->
        
    <tr class="tbl_normal">
      <td>Confirm</td>
      <td><input class=text3 type=text name=r_number size=10 value="">
	  <br> please enter the number to the right to confirm: <%ran_number%>
	  <input type="hidden" name="ran_number" value="<%ran_number%>">
	  </td>
    </tr>

    <tr class="tbl_caption">
      <td colspan="2">
        <center>
        <input type=submit name=submit value="Submit your website">
			  </center>
			</td>
    </tr>
    </table>

.

[barnkin]

Thanks ESM, I will give it a try, getting a little tired of blocking IP's

[esm]

I've seen it done with the crazy numbers/letters on a graphic image but the above only took about 10 minutes and I needed a break from the PAYPAL mod.

I would be interested in how it works for you.



.

[barnkin]

It's not displaying the numbers, but no errors.

[esm]

hmmm...it should work. I just copied it from my site.

in order to get something from the php pages (add.php, in this case), you have to (1) declare the variable as global: global $ran_number; then (2) assign a value to it $ran_number = rand(); then (3) add it to the DisplayTemplate function ,\$ran_number.

then in the template (4) create the tag code <%ran_number%> and then to get the data back to the PHP page (add.php), (5) use the variables in input statements: <input type="hidden" name="ran_number" value="<%ran_number%>"> and <input class=text3 type=text name=r_number size=10 value=""> and (6) then back in the PHP page, declare them to be global global $r_number, $ran_number;.


Finally, use the variables
elseif($r_number != $ran_number) $error_msg = "You must enter the confirmation number";

Check it again...




.

[barnkin]

Here is what I have:

function ShowFormAddUrl() {

// vars global configuration
global $dbServer, $dbHostname, $dbUsername, $dbPassword, $dbName,
$category_separator, $theme_path, $HTTP_POST_VARS;

// vars url & form
global $cat;

// vars messages
global $msg;

// validation
global $ran_number;
$ran_number = rand();

// vars template
global $error_msg, $title, $url, $description, $category, $contact_name, $email, $add_cat1, $add_cat2, $custom_field_form, $keywords;

$title = $HTTP_POST_VARS['title'];


if(empty($cat)) {
DisplayTemplate($theme_path."add_error.html",
"\$error_msg,\$ran_number,\$title,\$url,\$descript ion,\$category,\$contact_ name,\$email,\$add_cat1,\$add_cat2,\$keywords,\$cu stom_field_form".$custf);
}
else {

if(empty($url)) $url = "http://";

------------------------------------------------
// vars template
global $error_msg, $password, $link_id, $title, $url, $description, $contact_name, $email, $bid, $category, $add_cat1, $add_cat2, $keywords ;


$title = $HTTP_POST_VARS['title'];

// verify input
global $r_number, $ran_number;
if(empty($title)) $error_msg = $msg["10101"];
elseif($r_number != $ran_number) $error_msg = "You must enter the confirmation number";
elseif(empty($url) || $url == 'http://') $error_msg = $msg["10102"];
elseif(empty($description)) $error_msg = $msg["10103"];
elseif(empty($contact_name)) $error_msg = $msg["10104"];
elseif(empty($email)) $error_msg = $msg["10105"];
elseif (!IsEmailAddress($email)) $error_msg = $msg["10106"];
elseif (!empty($bid) && !Ismoney($bid)) $error_msg = $msg["10107"];

Maybe I have something in the wrong place.

Thanks

[esm]

in the ShowFormAddUrl function of add.php

  global $ran_number;
$ran_number = rand();

    DisplayTemplate($theme_path."add_form.html",
      "\$error_msg,\$ran_number,\$title,\$url,\$description,\$category,\$contact_name,\$email,\$add_cat1,\$add_cat2,\$keywords,\$custom_field_form".$custf);

OK, I see. You added ,\$ran_number, to the wrong DisplayTemplate. Instead of using DisplayTemplate($theme_path."add_error.html", use the add_form.html one.



.

[barnkin]

Working great, once again ESM IS THE MAN!!!!

Thanks Again

[esm]

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is KING.

thanks for the comments but I'm still just a hacker and only a so-so hacker at that.

let us know how it works. I guess I could do the "picture" thing if needed. but after the PAYPAL mod.



.

[barnkin]

No robots submissions for the first time in days, it works great

Cheers

[inspireme]

i had 120 sites submitted and 340 posts on my forum all garbage. No idea what that was, but if it happens again i will give this ago.

[esm]

No robots submissions for the first time in days, it works great

Cheers

Now the question would be if it has hindered regular submissions...

you can reduce the number of digits by using something like (I think):

$ran_number = rand(10000,99999);

or

$ran_number = rand(100000,999999);

.

[barnkin]

Now the question would be if it has hindered regular submissions...

you can reduce the number of digits by using something like (I think):

$ran_number = rand(10000,99999);

or

$ran_number = rand(100000,999999);

.

I planned on trying that later today. I did a couple of test submissions and everything worked fine....if they want the site listed they will enter the number.

[sweepsmaster]

This works awesome. I implemented it on the register.php page too.

Thanks!