Setting up a phpBB style message board on a website)

Choose carefully and choose the minimum you need. It's very tempting to just go mad and apply mod after mod after mod.

Sound advice in any regard.

Its not too tricky, but not trivial either (unless the installer has got a lot better!) www.phpbb.com/ has all you need.

Al - I just set one up myself using phpbb - was very easy. Had to create the database myself manually but once I did the installer was very easy. didn't check v3 - that might even create the db.

Well the new Shannonside message board is working out great but..
The spam has begun.
I've had to set 'Enable account activation' to 'Admin'
so now I get a few emails a day from the spammers looking for account activation.
Is there any way of getting more info from potential new users to make sure they are bona fide?

I had the same problem with the DAS Forum Frank.....

I am currently experimenting with banning certain IP Addresses and Email extensions of Known Spammers....

While a few still filter through(about 1 every 2 days or less!!), it is no where as bad as it was (about 10 - 15 per day).

Open up the Administration panel and go to Ban Control....


Copy and paste these into Banned IP addresses

65.55.208.88,
65.54.165.35,
59.26.188.0,
59.176.0.0,
59.177.0.0,
61.149.0.0,
61.17.213.0,
62.188.0.0,
64.69.39.0,
65.19.167.0,
66.232.109.0,
67.18.109.66,
67.19.100.0,
69.31.0.0,
70.84.176.0,
81.176.0.0,
81.177.0.0,
81.177.28.97,
81.199.0.0,
81.208.95.0,
82.179.172.0,
82.199.0.0,
83.229.0.0

Copy and paste these into Banned Email addresses

mlee_217@techemail.com,
*@lists.ru,
*@mail.ru,
*@vilip.info,
*@*.ru,
*@fromru.com,
*@163.com,
*@aichyna.com,
*@berahe.info,
*@bi-dating.info,
*@bk.ru,
*@bookee.com,
*@cashette.com,
*@ccxt.info,
*@chcb.info,
*@corsa-tuning.info,
*@deo-vindice.info,
*@domain141.com,
*@europe.com,
*@fanaticars.info,
*@faza.ru,
*@find-love.info,
*@for-fun.info,
*@foteret.info,
*@freefreemail.info,
*@gawab.com,
*@gold2world.biz,
*@grifon.info,
*@inbox.ru,
*@korsun.pp.ru,
*@list.ru,
*@mail333.com,
*@moyareklama.ru,
*@msk.su,
*@muuh.info,
*@myxost.com,
*@nil-admirari.info,
*@octivian.com,
*@pisem.net,
*@pochta.ru,
*@porn.com,
*@portsaid.cc,
*@prescrip.pl,
*@punkass.com,
*@qlfg.com,
*@rambler.ru,
*@sibmail.com,
*@skim.com,
*@smeh.info,
*@spambob.net,
*@tele-vision.info,
*@tut.by,
*@ukr.net,
*@vxaz.com,
*@yandex.ru,
*@yufz.com,
*@lvivs.com,
*@zinsco.cn,
*@bigmir.net,
*@macb-download.info,
*@email.com,
*@phreaker.net,
*@zenxengine.cn,
*@atlantmail.com,
*@toughguy.net,
*@hotpop.com

Hopefully these will help a bit..........

Well the new Shannonside message board is working out great but..
The spam has begun.
I've had to set 'Enable account activation' to 'Admin'
so now I get a few emails a day from the spammers looking for account activation.
Is there any way of getting more info from potential new users to make sure they are bona fide?

The IFAS boards are the same. We have not found a way to get more info. However, spammers tend to be quite easy to recognise.

The best approach would seem to be prevention. Here on the IFAS site we have three relevant mods installed

1) A mod that adds in a question "are you a human" - I'm not sure this is very effective
2) A Mod that replaces the default Captcha with one that is harder for the spammers to crack - this made a big difference in spam volume
3) A mod that stops accounts which have not been approved showing up on the list of users. - this was vital because some very un-savoury spam started showing up there before we had time to nuke the nasty accounts.

Hope that helps.

Bart.

Copy and paste these into Banned Email addresses

tbh I'd add google.com, yahoo.com, aol.com to that list. If people really want to sign up they can use a college/work/isp address.