The QRPer Board

Hi All,

Spam Bots are still trying to create accounts on the QRPer Discussion Board multiple times per day. If left unchecked, they would flood us with unwanted and objectionable posts. To keep these pests at bay, they must correctly answer a challenge question before they can complete the creation of a new account. Eventually, they crack the question and new Spam accounts begin showing up.

Challenge questions must be simple for Radio Amateurs and Short Wave Listeners to answer, but obscure enough to baffle Spam Bots. Usually, I wrack my brain for a bit when a new question is needed. Of late, coming up with a good question takes me longer and longer.

If you have a question with a short answer (or even a small number of acceptable short answers), that I could use for this purpose, your help would be greatly appreciated. Just respond to this post. Thanks in advance, and keep the questions coming!

73,

Admin


Examples of past questions include:

Question: What is the Q-Code for low power operation? Answer: QRP

Question: What are Yagis, Dipoles, and Rhombics? Answer: Antennas or Antennae

Question: What is the three-letter designation of a CW signal report? Answer: RST

Question: What does SDR stand for? Answer: Software Defined Radio

How many "real" signups do you get in a day (or week)? Could it be a manual process where someone who wants to sign up must email you with his/her callsign and gridsquare?

KL7MJ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 05, 2025 8:34 pm How many "real" signups do you get in a day (or week)? Could it be a manual process where someone who wants to sign up must email you with his/her callsign and gridsquare?

Real signups vary. Normally, between 2 and 10 per week, but with increased numbers after the Discussion Board is highlighted over on QRPer.com. Spam accounts are about 10 to 15 per week at the moment. You can sign up without outside assistance (provided you can answer the challenge question), but your account is not activated without authentication. Ideally, that happens via an email providing information to confirm legitimate account ownership.

Spam accounts are not activated, but must be weeded out. When the numbers of spam accounts start to increase, I change the challenge questions.

Admin

Stump the spambot... This sounds like fun! Try this question...

Question: Older radio circuits used vacuum tubes, what do today's radios use to perform their function? Answer: transistors, or diodes, or semiconductors or semi-conductors.

Best 73 de Brian - K3ES