Spam Management Instructions?

[sweeps78]

I just now found the Spam Management feature of vBulletin. When did this feature get added?

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/vboptions_group_spam_management

Regardless, I can't find any better documentation on it. Is there anything available that tells us what it is about, how to use it, better instructions on how to obtain an API Key, etc.? If not, could someone please answer these questions?

[Steve Machol]

That page actually tells you where to get a key:

You can get an anti-spam key here: http://www.akismet.com

And there is a bit more info if you click on the Admin Help (?) link.

[sweeps78]

Yes, and then I follow the link to the Personal Use API Key page:

http://akismet.com/personal/

And then follow the links to the Development page

http://akismet.com/development/

Unfortunately though, there is no vBulletin plugin. There's a plugin for pretty much every single vBulletin competitor listed, but no vBulletin plugin. I'd love to use Akismet with vBulletin, but there doesn't appear to be hardly any docs for it. I use Akismet with my Wordpress blog and it absolutely rocks.

I've looked through the Admin Help link, but nothing that I read really defines what this service is about, how to use it, etc.

"The Anti-Spam API key is used to enable the scanning service for user generated data. The data will sent to the specified service for identification.

If the data is identified as spam, it will be marked for moderation to allow for verification by moderators. You should give your moderators the 'Can Moderate' permission to allow for this."

If a non moderator usergroup has less than this number of posts then all content will be scanned by the Anti-Spam service for possible signs of spam. A value of 0 will scan all posts.

[Steve Machol]

You don't need a plugin, only the key. And once enbled it works automatically. You do not have to do anything.

[sweeps78]

Then could you tell me exactly how I get a key from Akismet:

http://akismet.com/

When I click on the link on the homepage in the sentence:

From We have free API keys available for your personal blog.

I takes me to the Personal use API Keys page, but that page talks about Wordpress, and tells me that I need to sign up for a Wordpress account to get an API key.

[Steve Machol]

That's correct. Follow those instructions.

[sweeps78]

Sorry, but this just doesn't make any sense.

Why should I be required to sign up for a "blog account" at Wordpress to get an API to use on my vBulletin forum? This sounds like a really clunky and half-assed integration process to me. It's really surprising to me coming from vBulletin. Why doesn't vBulletin do a thorough integration with Akismet and be listed with all of their MAJOR competitors on the development page as having a plugin?

[Steve Machol]

We provide integration with this - nothing more. We do not have any control over the Akismet process. You are not forced to use it, but if you want to use it then they set the rules and procedure, not us.

I do not know what the 'plugin' process involves but I'm sure the Devs have looked into it. I will ask them about it though.

[Steve Machol]

Update: That page you looked at is specifically for installing plugins for other products. That is not needed for vB because we have already incorporated this and no plugin is needed.

[petdoctorforum]

http://faq.wordpress.com/2005/10/19/api-key/

see above to find your key