All recent versions of Movable Type include a number of plugins for blocking spam, including a set of plugins called SpamLookup. We wanted to update you about a third-party service that’s affected the performance of one of the plugins, along with some easy steps you can take to fix the issue.
Recently, an IP blacklist service known as Blitzed ceased its operations. Movable Type’s SpamLookup plugin uses this service to process incoming comments and TrackBacks to determine if they are spam or not. With Blitzed shut down, a lot of you might be experiencing delays when publishing your readers’ comments.
Though we’re sorry to see Blitzed go (and thank the team for their efforts), the good news is that a free replacement is available. The SpamHaus Project has been in operation for over 9 years and has a long track record of providing excellent protection against known spammers. In addition to their technology that they allow people to use for free, Spamhaus works with Law Enforcement and cyber-crimes teams worldwide, helping them not only to block these miscreants, but also to bring them to justice.
Adding Spamhaus to your spam filtering rules is straightforward; You’ll need to make a small change to SpamLookup’s configuration. To fix follow these simple instructions:
- Login to Movable Type. (Your account will need to have System Administrator privileges.)
- Click on the “Plugins” link in the main navigation on the left hand side.
- Look for the “SpamLookup - Lookups” plugin set listed among your other plugins.
- Click “Show Settings.”
- Under “IP Blacklist Services” highlight and replace the text “opm.blitzed.org” with “zen.spamhaus.org”.
- Click “Save Settings.”
That’s it — your sites’s visitors should experience faster commenting times immediately, and your blog will keep blocking known spammers. If you need more information on fighting spam on your blog, take a look at the Movable Type Spam-Fighting resources on the community wiki, or contact Movable Type support for assistance.
