Brax wrote:
SPAM/BOT attacks for the last couple of days. Wish there was a way to directly tell them where to take a flying leap, but alas, all one can typically do is keep banning the accounts and hope they get they eventually message.
Honeypot trap is still the most effective trap against any bot. I outlined the number 1 method on a previous page. Its quick and easy to implement and 100% more effective than any capcha and is 100% invisible to any human user.
I implement honeypots even on our static websites to redirect bots to keep my bandwidth clean and lower server impact. There's not that many ways to write a spam bot that is efficient without opening it up to the traps of honeypots.
The only real way to get around a honeypot with a bot is to write one that is site specific - which is rarely done. 99% of them follow a general set of instructions. Its typical to how I write AI for our game based on enemy type. There's a general set of instructions every enemy inherits from and the rest is a per-enemy basis of specifics and then I go a step further by adding another layer of complexity to work in surrounding level geometry for wherever that enemy is to help the AI with execution and navigation. This takes a lot of time - something botters won't be doing.
I program so my mind just has to go to those places. I can't help it