Comments on: A Simple Way To Deal With Web Form Spam http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/06/11/a-simple-way-to-deal-with-web-form-spam/ On Databases, Recovery, Tech Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:45:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Ian Eure http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/06/11/a-simple-way-to-deal-with-web-form-spam/#comment-482 Ian Eure Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:42:01 +0000 http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/06/11/a-simple-way-to-deal-with-web-form-spam/#comment-482 This isn't a new technique; this (http://www.modernblue.com/web-design-blog/fighting-spam-with-css/) dates back to at least June, 2007. I recall reading about it before, possibly as early as 2005. The problem is that it works great in isolation, but if you deploy it to a high-traffic site (or a lot of small ones, e.g. if it were to become the default behavior in WordPress), the spammers will work around it. But if you're a small site, the diminishing returns make you an unattractive target. I'm not saying it's not valid, just that it doesn't scale. This isn’t a new technique; this (http://www.modernblue.com/web-design-blog/fighting-spam-with-css/) dates back to at least June, 2007. I recall reading about it before, possibly as early as 2005.

The problem is that it works great in isolation, but if you deploy it to a high-traffic site (or a lot of small ones, e.g. if it were to become the default behavior in WordPress), the spammers will work around it. But if you’re a small site, the diminishing returns make you an unattractive target.

I’m not saying it’s not valid, just that it doesn’t scale.

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