XF 2.1 Approval Queue questions

[ZeroG]

Approval Queue has new members where it shows their email and says:
StopForumSpam matched (email: 402, ip: 499)

So if I do not want to approve them, so I click spam clean ...and then check the member name and they are shown as a registered member. No restrictions.

so my options are:

• 
  Do nothing
• Approve
• Spam clean
• Reject with reason:

So ...assuming do nothing just leaves them in the approval queue so they cannot post but it fills up the queue.
Approve would allow this new member into the forum
Spam clean also appears to let them into the forum ..since they have not been approved I don't understand why clicking spam clean would do anything ..this member could not have posted any spam since they are not approved.
Reject would be to deny this member. Seems self explanatory

Am I missing something on Spam Clean ... I spam cleaned a new member and then checked and they are in the registered users group and it appears they could post as any other user.

I like the idea of the approval queue and read the manual on this but still not clear on best use.
I really miss the 'new registrations' option that was built into VB3. Is there something like that in XF? If so I have not come across it. .

 

[Ozzy47]

Using the spam cleaner should ban them, have a read through the manual, https://xenforo.com/xf2-docs/manual/spam/#the-spam-cleaner

 

[djbaxter]

It does ban them. The user page in ACP still says Registered and Valid but they are banned and cannot access the site.

Banned overrides their other permissions apparently.

 

[CanadianRodder]

I must admit that I'm confused also. I'm on day two after going live and have had:

• One new SPAM registration that appeared in the Approval Queue but did NOT have a SFS match yet, after checking SFS using the email address, there were over 400 occurrences the same day. I deleted the user.
• A second that appeared in the Approval Queue with a SFS match (see image below).
• A third that did not appear in the Approve Queue at all (I spotted the new name in the members online widget). The user record shows as Registerd and a "state" of Rejected. Again, using the email address, I checked at SFS and there were over 500 occurrences.

I am using the default ReCAPTCHA.

I just left a VB 3.8 environment where I used a SPAM question and answer for years and literally never had a SPAM registration.

Am I missing something @Ozzy47 / @djbaxter ?

Thanks guys.

Frank

 

[djbaxter]

What you describe is the way it is supposed to work, except for the one with no SFS entries at first - I've never had that happen but it may have been a time out at the SFS site.

The Rejected ones don't go to the approval queue because the system has already rejected them. Usually that means they are an exact match for IP, email, and name in the SFS database, so no action on your part is needed - it's a confirmed spammer.

 

[Ozzy47]

You can use Q&A in XF as well.

 

[djbaxter]

Or just add a require custom field to be filled out at registration. Something like, "What is your favorite color?". Bots will fill in garbage so it's an extra flag.

 

[ZeroG]

Or just add a require custom field to be filled out at registration. Something like, "What is your favorite color?". Bots will fill in garbage so it's an extra flag.

Good idea. I like it. Thanks to all who replied. I appreciate the tips.

 

[CanadianRodder]

Thanks guys (@djbaxter @Ozzy47 ). Will experiment with a few things.

 

[CanadianRodder]

@djbaxter @Ozzy47 , if you guys don't mind, I have a followup question. Is there a reason why, if I determine that a registration is SPAM, that the user shouldn't be totally deleted rather than sitting as "rejected"?

 

[djbaxter]

Yes. Helps to stop him trying to register again using slightly different credentials.

 

[CanadianRodder]

Of course. Thanks for the quick reply @djbaxter .