New user authentication

[Brad R. Torgersen]

So I've changed (again) how new users are able to authenticate, because it's clear that several new users over the last month weren't able to get in. I am hoping the spam gets blocked, but if the spam starts to come back, I'll have to change the process yet again. Fingers crossed.

[MJNL]

And...they're back. The first new user is a bot. Sorry, Brad.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Yeah, that bot wasted no time!

Hey, Brad, I'm watching Analog. Sometime soon I expect to read "Brad vs. the Spambots from Mars" in there!

[Brad R. Torgersen]

Grrrrr, OK, thanks.

[test3]

Okay, I installed a new, very different plugin for authentication. I will be shocked if the spambots can figure this new system out.

Test drive worked very well. I like the new plugin a lot. It makes new users think about things a little bit -- something a spam program shouldn't be able to do.

[MJNL]

Found another bot... but I'm not sure if it got in before or after you changed the system again.

[Grayson Morris]

The one I see now signed up at 4:21 am (Amsterdam time, which is 8 hours later than Utah time), though it didn't post until a few minutes ago.

[Brad R. Torgersen]

That one appears to have gotten in before I installed the new authentication plug-in.

We'll see how the weekend goes.

Again, if people have any writing friends they could encourage to test-drive the new system, I'd appreciate it.