Question migrating from fireboard/spam registrations etc.

I must say that it was with some relief that I was introduced to kunena on the joomla forum while trying to fix a Fireboard problem. (Thanks frboulli and johnnydement)

I now plan to migrate my board to kunena but wonder if I should wait until a final release? Would it be feasable to install kunena and hook it up to the database to test it? I guess I could copy the database contents to a new database and play with it?

There is very little traffic on the board at the moment, partly because of the season (it deals with livestock), and to some extent, because the users of the original Phorum board did not like the change to fireboard. Hopefully, with this change, they will only notice the improvement!

One big problem for me with fireboard was the number of spam registrations it attracted. 2 arrived within 20 minutes of going live. Then I was deleting 30 a day, with only 2-3 real registrations happening a week. I turned off auto registration and made my own form, registering new users manually.

The old register link remains and gives an error message and I cant find a way to either remove it, change the message or redirect the link to my new registration form. So if anyone can help with the above fireboard problem, that would help until I go live with kunena.

Also, has the spam registration thing improved with kunena?

You can install Kunena right now, but our stable is almost ready. I would expect final release in two days, maybe tomorrow if we get enough time to prepare the release.

Kunena uses Fb tables, so you should uninstall FB and all third party components hooked to it. Then just install Kunena (and extra components for it) and change the menu item. That's all.

Kunena does not contain any improvements for spam problem, mostly because of it just gives a link which points to Joomla user component. Look at Joomla Extensions Directory for solution to your problem. If you want to change the link to point your own form, I can help you with that. But I would try to find a better registration form.

Kunena has many improvements from Fireboard, mostly because it was first intended to be FB 1.0.5. We will publish release notes together with Kunena, so that you can your own conclusions whether to migrate or not.

Spam problems are not of forum soft, but of joomla itself, you maybe did not notice before because you may be CB user, but default registration does not has any filter...

There are several options to add captcha/recaptcha, I myself use a paraphrase solution before getting to the registration page...

Thanks guys, I will wait for final and install and test it.

I tried several captcha options but could not get any of them to work. An integrated captcha system which can be turned on from the back end if needed would be be a big bonus.

I will give feedback on kunena when it is up and running..........

johnnydement wrote:

There are several options to add captcha/recaptcha, I myself use a paraphrase solution before getting to the registration page...

How does that work?

I'd be keen to find out what paraphrase means too

Miks, I've used security images in the past, but it involves hacks....
extensions.joomla.org/extensions/access-...captcha/1211/details

I've changed to a forum components that has captcha inbuilt and can trigger a Joomla registration...
www.chronoengine.com/

It means that I don't have to hack any files (except one to redirect standard logins to a page I use) and can use a standard page as the registration page.

Phil

paraphrase is a password to allow registration, so that way you can control only people knowing it to be able to register, or make some kind of expression, not usual for spam bots, as advising answer is "honolulu", and they must write honolulu to be able to register.

You can check it on my site registration

johnnydement wrote:

You can check it on my site registration

Have you got a link?

Edit: OK I found your site and tried the passphrase. I have found a few plugins for doing this, can you recommend one?

On my site where using JRPassphrase, with good result, i did not like hte captcha solutions as they required hacking core files, and thus, died after joomla upgrades...

That's why I use Chronofrms...no hacking, but one line in one file (ok, that's hacking, but minimal) to redirect to a content page. I added the same line into one file of JomSocial to avoid using JS's registration system.

Phil