REQUIZ - REquire QUIZ on user registration or page editing.

The plugin is similar to CAPTCHA, displaying one question for registration or page edit forms. It can increase the protection against spammers, by requiring an answer to a question randomly selected from a list specific to the topic of the DokuWiki installation.

The list of questions has to be added to the configuration of the plugin in variable:

$conf['requizset']

Each time it is used, the plugin will randomly select a question from the configured list and the correct answer has to be chosen from a select box. The list of possible answers is shuffled for each use, meaning that the selection of same question gives different order of possible answers.

The plugin can be used along side CAPTCHA, strengthening protection against wiki spammers.

The idea is to create a list of questions that people willing to contribute to the wiki site content should know the right answer easily. For example, if your wiki site is about fishing, create questions about fishes and lures.

The plugin was tested mainly for user registration form, but should work just fine for page editing, being based on the same structure as CAPTCHA plugin.

Search and install the plugin using the Extension Manager. Refer to Plugins on how to install plugins manually.

See the plugin in action here. Just after the CAPTCHA, the REQUIZ question is displayed, requiring selection of correct answer from the select box.

In the plugin folder, edit file conf/default.php and set your questions in $conf['requizset'] array. Next is the example coming by default:

# list of questions
$conf['requizset'] = array (
	array(
			"question" => "What is the capital city of France?",
			"answers" => array (
					"Berlin",
					"Paris",
					"London",
					"Madrid",
					"Tokyo"
				),
			"valid" => "Paris"
		),
	array(
			"question" => "What word starts with the fourth letter of the alphabet?",
			"answers" => array (
					"Access",
					"World",
					"Opera",
					"Direct",
					"System"
				),
			"valid" => "Direct"
		),
	array(
			"question" => "How many moons does planet Earth have?",
			"answers" => array (
					"Five",
					"Ten",
					"One",
					"Nine",
					"Four"
				),
			"valid" => "One"
		)
	);

Higher number of questions and possible answers should decrease the chances for the spambots to do a hit on right answer.

The usage of plugin for registration and page editing forms can be controlled from DokuWiki administration panel ('Configuration Settings' ⇒ 'Plugin Settings' ⇒ 'Requiz Plugin Settings').

Browse the code of the plugin at:

• https://github.com/miconda/dokuwiki-extras/tree/master/plugins/requiz

• 2013-03-31
  • Initial release

• increase randomness of the right choice

The plugin was running not for long time at the moment of this post. But before developing and enabling it, there were about 3 to 5 spammer accounts per hour created in the wiki - CAPTHA was enabled for registration form. After enabling REQUIZ with specific questions for the DokuWiki installation, no more new registered spammer accounts. If they want to break it, at least they learn about the project using the DokuWiki. I will report how long it takes till spammers start getting though it.