Feature req: Alternative to (Google) Recapta

I’m using an S2Member custom registration form and note that the only supported form of verification is to use Google’s Recaptcha service.

Quite aside from the fact that any form of support for Google is dubious, given that they are allegedly in cahoots with the spying US government and consistently fail to refute this evil (sorry, I work in security, what can I say?), their two word Capcha images are nothing like as usable as that from, say Si-Capcha. Otherwise, the Recaptcha service is unreliable, often throwing 404’s.

So might an alternative option be added please?

Personally, I’d like simply to use the “Math required” option which is dead simple and probably least likely to stop people from registering … might this be hacked for templates somehow?

Otherwise, and for those also searching for alternatives, the Stop Spammers plugin doesn’t natively work with s2 but Jason’s hacked it superbly. You can check that out at https://www.s2member.com/forums/topic/stopping-human-registration-spam/.

(Sorry for the rant but we’ve got to stop supporting intrusive political agendas, for the sake of OUR free web.)

Thank you for reporting this important issue.

I’ll talk to Jason about perhaps adding another option in the next major version of s2Member. I can’t say that this capability will be added “soon”, however. If you absolutely need this functionality now, you could have a developer integrate something like this by altering the Pro Forms templates.

See: Pre Sale FAQs » Is it possible to modify s2Member® Pro Form templates?

Thanks Bruce. Appreciated.

I have some further thoughts on this, and a specific question first, please …

On the generic /wp-login.php?register form, how do I edit the “Math required … What is the sum of” code? I figured this would be in a class file, and intended to simply copy then edit the function into my /mu-plugins/s2-hacks.php file, but no joy looking, even using, say, this …

sudo find . -type f | xargs grep -l "What is the sum of"

… but I’m blessed if I can find any reference.

###

I’ve given up on the s2M Pro forms option, as you may have deduced from the above because the Math doesn’t work with those templates without undue fiddling … but also because I don’t like the user having the double password fields, for two reasons: 1. because this is an inline form and two fields take up too much space and 2. because I want to send them a secure password. I hope that feedback is useful.

What I’m doing instead is to use an amended version of the Registration Form Widget Plugin, which works quite as it should with s2, and vice versa, and therefore with MailChimp too.

… But …

I just need to know about that Math required edit, please. The first_name and last_name fileds, which I’m also playing with (basically, losing the labels and using input placeholder attributes instead to save space) I’ve edited from the custom-reg-fields.inc.php file).

If any of the above throws up any flags to you I’d be grateful to hear.

** Otherwise, I’d just like to say, s2Member is an awesome plugin (I’ve had a lot of prior experience with Wishlist, which is also good, but different, but I way prefer s2). I’m fairly pushing s2, using across multisite with single root cookie, sync’ed logins, all that … sure, it’s a bit hacked for that purpose but, damn, I’m really very pleased (still in dev, mind!) Just wanted to say that cos maybe I sound a bit over-critical here :/

Thanks for your patience over the weekend.

I’m very sorry about the delay in response.

I just need to know about that Math required edit, please. The first_name and last_name fileds, which I’m also playing with (basically, losing the labels and using input placeholder attributes instead to save space) I’ve edited from the custom-reg-fields.inc.php file).

Since you’re wanting to add this to the registration form at /wp-login.php?action=register, the best way to accomplish this would be to hook directly into WordPress’s registration page.

I think this thread from WordPress.org’s Forums has some good resources for accomplishing that:

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-add-extra-fields-in-new-user-registration?replies=5

Cheers Bruce, and nice link so thanks for that.

After all, I’m working on a slightly different registration solution now (in case it helps anyone else with similar issues, searching for this kind of stuff) …

Am using Formidable Pro (top forms plugin) + their Registration plugin + their Captcha plugin + their MailChimp plugin to create the form and register the resulting user data in the usual way. Because mine is a Multisite install where I want users to be registered across all sites in one go, and because Formidable does not share data across domains (even with the WP User Management plugin, which otherwise is a cracking auto-sync-user-data plugin), I’m embedding the registration form (available on every page on the site) into an iFrame … this is one of those rare cases where an iFrame is a reasonable solution.

… So, along comes a visitor, to any page on any sub-domain, clicks the “Register me” link, up pops/slides in/whatever an iFrame with the registration form which pulls its content from the registration page on the main domain … *ajaxed if you like, all without leaving the current page*. The visitor registers via Formidable which inputs the data into the WP users table (while simultaneously setting up the Mailchimp user newsletter/opt-in email); the WP User Management plugin then syncs that user data across all sub-domains and s2Member recognizes the registration in the usual way.

… Hurrah! Hope that helps. Formidable is a premium plugin but great for all form requirements. It is not a substitute for s2Member.

** Let me say, I do hope that s2Member will soon be able to handle all of the above, seeing as Multisite is now such a big deal. Really s2Member (as with vast majority of plugins even if they do say Multisite compatible, is only a regular WP plugin. I know you guys are totally honest about this.)

Otherwise, re that “Math required” anti-spam measure. I worked out that it has nothing to do with s2Member but is actually a Simple:Press forums plugin option which, checked, hooks into the main WP registration. So sorry for the red herring.

Bueno. Ciao.

Aah yes, for those wondering “What about syncing cookies?”, get the Root Cookie plugin.

… Set to go.

** Let me say, I do hope that s2Member will soon be able to handle all of the above, seeing as Multisite is now such a big deal. Really s2Member (as with vast majority of plugins even if they do say Multisite compatible, is only a regular WP plugin. I know you guys are totally honest about this.)

Thanks very much for your thoughts. We’re trying to stay away from adding features to the current release of s2Member, because we’re working on a new version (rewrite) to start adding features to there. I have this on the development TODO list and we will definitely get some additional functionality moving toward what you’re looking for as soon as possible.

Again, thanks a lot. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Cheers Bruce. “Inconvenience” … well, it’s just web dev, huh!

Thank you for your help.