INSTALL.txt in Spam 5
The spam module is a powerful collection of tools designed to help website
administrators to automatically deal with spam. Spam is any content that is
posted to a website that is unrelated to the subject at hand, usually in the
form of advertising and links back to the spammer's own website. This module
can automatically detect spam, instantly unpublish it, and send notification
to the site administrator. For more information, refer to README.txt.
------------
Requirements:
------------
- Drupal 5.x
------------
Installation:
------------
1) Create a 'spam/' subdirectory within your 'modules/' directory and add the
'spam.module', 'spam.install' and 'spam.info' files to this directory. Be
sure your web server has read permissions to this directory and the files
you have placed into it.
2) Now you need to log in to your site and enable the spam.module. This will
automatically create all database tables required by the module.
(Goto :: administer -> modules :: then check 'spam')
-------------
Configuration:
-------------
3) Optionally reconfigure the spam module. The default configuration will
protect you from many common spammer techniques.
(Goto :: administer -> settings -> spam)
- In the "Filter" section, check the boxes next to the types of content that
you want the spam filter to examine. If only trusted users can post some
type of content, there is no reason to filter that content. If anonymous
users are allowed to post certain types of content (such as comments), it
would be wise to filter that content.
- In the "Limits" section, select appropriate values in the drop down boxes.
The first to boxes will catch a large percentage of spam, as spammers tend
to include an abnormally high number of URLs in their content. It can
also be effective to catch duplicate content when it is posted. Finally,
blacklisting is helpful in that it will minimize the affect of repeat
offenders.
- In the "Actions" section, check the boxes next to the desired actions.
Automatically unpublishing spam is wise, as it will prevent probable
spam from showing up on your web pages. You will be able to manually
review content determined to be spam, giving you a chance to publish
anything that was wrongly filtered. The notify user action is a useful
way to prevent user confusion, as should content be filtered the user will
see a message explaining what has happened. Email notification is a
good way to let the site administrator know that there is spam in the
queue to be reviewed. The final option is a drop down menu, allowing you
to automatically delete spam content after a specified amount of time.
This is a useful way to prevent your databases from getting clogged with
spam content.
- In the "Advanced" section you should not need to make any changes, unless
you are trying to better understand how the spam filter works.
- Now click "Save configuration".
4) Setup spam module permissions.
(Goto :: administer -> access control -> permissions)
- Assign the "report spam" permission to users that should be able to report
content that they think is spam. It is recommended that you do not give
this ability to anonymous guests otherwise spambots could easily flood you
with false reports.
- Assign the "access spam" permission to users that should be able to see
whether content is considered to be spam or not.
- Assign the "administer spam" permission to users that should be able to
manually mark content as spam or not spam.
- Assign the "bypass filter" permission to trusted users who's content does
not need to be run through the filter because you are certain it will
never be spam.
5) Defining custom filters.
(Goto :: administer -> spam -> custom filters)
- In the 'custom filter' text area, enter a string. You can enter a
word, a phrase, a regular expression. For example, if a large number
of spam contents on your site contain the word 'Viagra', you can use
it as your custom filter.
- If the string you entered was formatted as a regular expression, you
need to check the "Regular expression" box to let the spam module know
it should treat your filter as a regular expression. (If your regular
expression is formatted incorrectly, you will get an error message when
you try to save it)
- You need to tell the filter what it should do if the filter
matches. Choices are 'always spam', 'usually spam', 'usually not spam',
and 'never spam'. The first option, 'always spam', allows you to
blacklist matching words, phrases and regular expressions. The last
option, 'never spam', allows you to whitelist matching words, phrases
and regular expressions. The middle two options allow you to greylist
matching words, phrases or regular expressions. When only one greylist
filter matches, the final choice of making new content spam or not spam
is left up to the Bayesian filter.
- If you normally receive email notification when content is marked as
spam, but you tend to be flooded with spam matching this filter, it can
be helpful to check "Disable email notification" to prevent the spam
module from sending you a notification email. It is better to use this
option and then to "auto expire" spam than it is to check the next
option.
- If you are 100% confident that your custom filter only matches spam,
and never accidently matches non-spam, you can check the "automatically
delete spam" box. If checked, any content that matches this filter and
is ultimately determined to be spam will be automatically, irrevocably and
silently deleted. Be warned that it consumes a lot of resources to
delete spam content, and that if you are under a flood of spam postings
this can lead to a DoS. Instead, it is suggested that you instead check
the earlier "Disable email notification" box and configure your spam
module to automatically delete spam after a certain amount of time.
- After defining custom filters, it is a good idea to regularly visit this
page and review how effective your custom filters are. Simple statistics
are provided to show you how often your filters matched new content, and
when was the last time each of them matched.
- Whitelisting words, phrases and regular expressions can be a bad idea.
If a spammer discovers items from your whitelist, they will be able to
consistently get spam through your filter.
- Spam is constantly evolving, thus you will probably find that you are
constantly having to update your spam filter.
6) Defining URL filters.
(Goto :: administer -> spam -> URL filters)
- If enabled, URL filters are automatically learned by the Bayesian
filter. Domains listed here are considered "spammer domains", and
any new comment or other content will containing references (ie links)
to these domains will be marked as spam.
- Domain names that were erroneously learned by the Bayesian filter
as spammer domain can be manually deleted here.
- Known spammer domains can also be manually entered.
File
INSTALL.txt
View source
- The spam module is a powerful collection of tools designed to help website
- administrators to automatically deal with spam. Spam is any content that is
- posted to a website that is unrelated to the subject at hand, usually in the
- form of advertising and links back to the spammer's own website. This module
- can automatically detect spam, instantly unpublish it, and send notification
- to the site administrator. For more information, refer to README.txt.
-
- ------------
- Requirements:
- ------------
-
- - Drupal 5.x
-
-
- ------------
- Installation:
- ------------
-
- 1) Create a 'spam/' subdirectory within your 'modules/' directory and add the
- 'spam.module', 'spam.install' and 'spam.info' files to this directory. Be
- sure your web server has read permissions to this directory and the files
- you have placed into it.
-
- 2) Now you need to log in to your site and enable the spam.module. This will
- automatically create all database tables required by the module.
- (Goto :: administer -> modules :: then check 'spam')
-
-
- -------------
- Configuration:
- -------------
-
- 3) Optionally reconfigure the spam module. The default configuration will
- protect you from many common spammer techniques.
- (Goto :: administer -> settings -> spam)
- - In the "Filter" section, check the boxes next to the types of content that
- you want the spam filter to examine. If only trusted users can post some
- type of content, there is no reason to filter that content. If anonymous
- users are allowed to post certain types of content (such as comments), it
- would be wise to filter that content.
- - In the "Limits" section, select appropriate values in the drop down boxes.
- The first to boxes will catch a large percentage of spam, as spammers tend
- to include an abnormally high number of URLs in their content. It can
- also be effective to catch duplicate content when it is posted. Finally,
- blacklisting is helpful in that it will minimize the affect of repeat
- offenders.
- - In the "Actions" section, check the boxes next to the desired actions.
- Automatically unpublishing spam is wise, as it will prevent probable
- spam from showing up on your web pages. You will be able to manually
- review content determined to be spam, giving you a chance to publish
- anything that was wrongly filtered. The notify user action is a useful
- way to prevent user confusion, as should content be filtered the user will
- see a message explaining what has happened. Email notification is a
- good way to let the site administrator know that there is spam in the
- queue to be reviewed. The final option is a drop down menu, allowing you
- to automatically delete spam content after a specified amount of time.
- This is a useful way to prevent your databases from getting clogged with
- spam content.
- - In the "Advanced" section you should not need to make any changes, unless
- you are trying to better understand how the spam filter works.
- - Now click "Save configuration".
-
- 4) Setup spam module permissions.
- (Goto :: administer -> access control -> permissions)
- - Assign the "report spam" permission to users that should be able to report
- content that they think is spam. It is recommended that you do not give
- this ability to anonymous guests otherwise spambots could easily flood you
- with false reports.
- - Assign the "access spam" permission to users that should be able to see
- whether content is considered to be spam or not.
- - Assign the "administer spam" permission to users that should be able to
- manually mark content as spam or not spam.
- - Assign the "bypass filter" permission to trusted users who's content does
- not need to be run through the filter because you are certain it will
- never be spam.
-
- 5) Defining custom filters.
- (Goto :: administer -> spam -> custom filters)
- - In the 'custom filter' text area, enter a string. You can enter a
- word, a phrase, a regular expression. For example, if a large number
- of spam contents on your site contain the word 'Viagra', you can use
- it as your custom filter.
- - If the string you entered was formatted as a regular expression, you
- need to check the "Regular expression" box to let the spam module know
- it should treat your filter as a regular expression. (If your regular
- expression is formatted incorrectly, you will get an error message when
- you try to save it)
- - You need to tell the filter what it should do if the filter
- matches. Choices are 'always spam', 'usually spam', 'usually not spam',
- and 'never spam'. The first option, 'always spam', allows you to
- blacklist matching words, phrases and regular expressions. The last
- option, 'never spam', allows you to whitelist matching words, phrases
- and regular expressions. The middle two options allow you to greylist
- matching words, phrases or regular expressions. When only one greylist
- filter matches, the final choice of making new content spam or not spam
- is left up to the Bayesian filter.
- - If you normally receive email notification when content is marked as
- spam, but you tend to be flooded with spam matching this filter, it can
- be helpful to check "Disable email notification" to prevent the spam
- module from sending you a notification email. It is better to use this
- option and then to "auto expire" spam than it is to check the next
- option.
- - If you are 100% confident that your custom filter only matches spam,
- and never accidently matches non-spam, you can check the "automatically
- delete spam" box. If checked, any content that matches this filter and
- is ultimately determined to be spam will be automatically, irrevocably and
- silently deleted. Be warned that it consumes a lot of resources to
- delete spam content, and that if you are under a flood of spam postings
- this can lead to a DoS. Instead, it is suggested that you instead check
- the earlier "Disable email notification" box and configure your spam
- module to automatically delete spam after a certain amount of time.
- - After defining custom filters, it is a good idea to regularly visit this
- page and review how effective your custom filters are. Simple statistics
- are provided to show you how often your filters matched new content, and
- when was the last time each of them matched.
- - Whitelisting words, phrases and regular expressions can be a bad idea.
- If a spammer discovers items from your whitelist, they will be able to
- consistently get spam through your filter.
- - Spam is constantly evolving, thus you will probably find that you are
- constantly having to update your spam filter.
-
- 6) Defining URL filters.
- (Goto :: administer -> spam -> URL filters)
- - If enabled, URL filters are automatically learned by the Bayesian
- filter. Domains listed here are considered "spammer domains", and
- any new comment or other content will containing references (ie links)
- to these domains will be marked as spam.
- - Domain names that were erroneously learned by the Bayesian filter
- as spammer domain can be manually deleted here.
- - Known spammer domains can also be manually entered.
-