Jonathan Rochkind <[log in to unmask]>
> On 10/24/2011 1:15 PM, MJ Ray wrote:
> > trying to design things so that the return on investment
> > for spammers is fairly low,
> 
> In my experience, this is irrelevant. I have spammers spamming my "ask a 
> librarian a question" link, which _only_ results in email to a 
> librarian's inbox (several of them actually). [...]

In that example, they get unfettered priority access to an inbox.  If
it's an easy form to submit, that's a high enough RoI for spambots.
How is that irrelevant?

As others have noted, a honeytrap field seems the most obvious
addition to such a form.  I'd also be fairly liberal with the
blacklisting, as long as alternative contact routes are given (like
how to reach a librarian in person or by phone).

A two-step form would also cut the spammers drastically, in my
experience, but then you're adding a little cost for regular users.
A preview step might result in clearer questions, though!

Hope that informs,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef), member of www.software.coop, a for-more-than-profit co-op.
http://koha-community.org supporter, web and LMS developer, statistician.
In My Opinion Only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Available for hire for Koha work http://www.software.coop/products/koha