While not logged into TUG BBS, search gives error

I apologize if this is already discussed. I did a search and couldn't find any relevant threads on this, so I am posting it for the information of our administrators.

When I am not logged into TUG and if I do a keyword search, I get the following error:

You answered the NoSpam! question incorrectly. Please reevaluate your answer or, if you found yourself unable to answer it, you can refresh for another question if the administrator has enabled multiple questions. If you find yourself repeatedly unable to answer the NoSpam! questions, please contact the forum administration.

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The anti-spam filters / system are kicking in when you try to do the search without logging in first. Simple solution is to log in and then search.
There are so many attempts to hack systems and dump spam on them at present that what may seem like excessive measures to prevent it, have to be taken.

We installed a NoSpam! modification to the bbs as a reaction to all those bogus registrations we were suffering a month or so ago, of spambots that automatically registered and posted spam. NoSpam! kicks in when you try to do any of several things while not logged in:

• register a new account
• send a message via the Contact BBS Admin link
• run a search

This modification adds a NoSpam! question to the form which you must answer correctly to proceed. You probably didn't notice the question and failed to answer it. If you don't answer correctly, your form won't be processed. This is to weed out 'bots' that register automatically and otherwise do things that bog down our server. NoSpam! runs in place of the graphical image matching ('CAPTCHA') system that vBulletin uses by default, as this has been compromised by spammers' bot systems.

Thanks!

Thanks. I just started seeing the new and improved search page. Until this morning, when I click on the "Search" link at top, it just opened up a small text box where I could enter my keyword. In that search window there was no prompt nor space asking me for the "no spam" question.

Now I see the search page as well as the "no spam" questions! link

kapish said:

Thanks. I just started seeing the new and improved search page. Until this morning, when I click on the "Search" link at top, it just opened up a small text box where I could enter my keyword. In that search window there was no prompt nor space asking me for the "no spam" question.

Now I see the search page as well as the "no spam" questions! link

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I'd have to say that, until this morning, you were logged in.

The "new and improved search page" is just the advanced search page that has always been there as a link from the bottom of the small simple search dropdown. Looks like, if not logged in, it now takes you directly to the advanced search page so that the NoSpam! question can be answered.

NoSpam! was installed in our previous vB version on Nov 26, 2006, which added the NoSpam! question to the registration form. This completely stopped the spambots in their tracks.

When we updated to vB 3.6.4 on Dec 25, 2006, we included the latest update to NoSpam! which extended its functionality to Contact BBS Admin and searches. There have been no changes made on this front since we went 'live' with vB 3.6.4 on Christmas Day.